Member School Spotlight: Tokyo UIA International School

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Member School Spotlight

UAI International School of Tokyo

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Who is UIA?

Our school celebrates each person’s unique individuality, fostering an inquisitive spirit and embracing multicultural perspectives to ignite a passion for learning. Through amazing experiences in our community, we cultivate global awareness and a positive mindset, ensuring every student feels valued, supported, and empowered to reach their academic potential. (UIA MIssion Statement) UIA is situated in the heart of Tokyo and is a Cambridge Pathways school oering education from K1 to Grade 12.

How does your community recognize and celebrate diversity?

Our demographics as a school of 31 different student nationalities and 17 different staff nationalities, make it natural to celebrate multiple cultures. . As you can see from the school’s Mission Statement we intentionally celebrate ‘each person's unique individuality’. These words came from the whole school community as part of the development of our new mission statement in 2023.. This year UIA has also identified the need to ‘Foster multicultural perspectives to develop a global understanding for learning’ as part of our strategic plan. A Cultural Connections Committee will be specifically supporting the development and recognition of diversity in our school.

How do you prepare teachers for inclusion and diversity in the classroom?

The school incorporates professional development as a means to support teachers. Last year all staff undertook Accidental Counsellor training over the course of twelve months. During our in school conference ‘Inspired’ staff present sessions on diversity and differentiation to their peers as an example. The school also utilises expert consultancy. Presentations are given to the staff so they can understand how to support students.eg by the schools consultant Social and Emotional Counsellor and consultant Speech Pathologist. UIA offers ESL support from Grade 1 to Grade 9. In the Primary years it is a pullout model with the ESL support teacher using a dedicated ESL room. In Secondary the ESL support teacher collaborates with the subject teachers on the content and pushes into the respective classrooms.

How would you explain the importance of inclusion to other schools?

UIA believes that the school needs to reflect the impact of inclusion in society. To that extent we believe that all students need the opportunity to grow. As a school we cannot always accommodate students but we definitely start every conversation with ‘Why shouldn’t we take this student?’ as opposed to why should we...

What are you most proud of on your journey towards being more inclusive?

In the space of two years, UIA has formalised its approach to inclusion through its initial Learning Support Guidelines. This has resulted in better identification of learning needs and consistent support for students and resulted in the employing a counsellor and speech pathologist. The school has a clearer referral process to identify students who require support. Much of this happened at the same time as we joined SENIA.

What has surprised you about moving towards inclusive practices?

The biggest surprise is always the acceptance, flexibility and enthusiasm of our students to work with students who have learning needs. The same holds true for UIA staff. In summary, UIA is at the beginning of our inclusivity and diversity journey. Being a SENIA member school has been an important element for us, in the resources and support we have been able to access. Thank you SENIA.

Neurodiversity Week at Chinese International School

This academic year saw Chinese International School (Hong Kong) celebrate its first Neurodiversity Week! While we have certainly seen an increase of awareness around neurodiversity on our newsfeeds, the important thing for us was to make it contextual and relevant for our school’s unique context and mission.

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KATE BOWLER MAY 2024 SENIA WORLD CHANGER AWARD RECIPIENT

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KATE BOWLER MAY 2024 SENIA WORLD CHANGER AWARD RECIPIENT

It is with great pleasure that we announce Kate as the recipient of the 2024 SENIA World Changer Award for her tireless efforts to promote inclusion for children in Cambodia.

For over a decade, Kate has been a passionate advocate for ensuring all children, regardless of their abilities, can access the support and resources they need to thrive. Her work with grassroots Khmer organizations has been instrumental in developing best practices and training countless local staff to compassionately teach and assist children with complex needs.

Kate’s dedication deepened when she joined SENIA Cambodia in 2019, and since then she has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to keep the organization’s vital mission moving forward – even through the immense challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her consistent voice and unwavering commitment have had a profound impact, not only on SENIA’s work, but on the larger inclusion landscape across Cambodia.

Through her advocacy, training programs, and collaborative efforts, Kate has made an immeasurable difference in the lives of countless vulnerable children. Her selfless service and unwavering commitment to inclusion serve as an inspiration to us all.

Please join us in congratulating Kate on this well-deserved recognition of her exceptional contributions.

Here is a link to Kate’s services: 

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/Lhteue1HUHxh9AZX/?mibextid=CYgPv5

Celebrating Diversity: Fostering Inclusive Environments for NeuroQueer and LGBTQ+ Communities in Education

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Celebrating Inclusivity at International Community School of Abidjan with SENIA!

Celebrating Inclusivity at International Community School of Abidjan with SENIA!

We are thrilled to announce a significant milestone achieved by the dedicated educators at the International Community School of Abidjan (ICSA) this week, in partnership with SENIA! Eleven passionate participants have successfully completed their SENIA Level One Educator certification, joining the ranks of eight already certified educators on ICSA’s esteemed staff.

But the journey doesn’t stop there! Another 17 of ICSA’s educators are currently undertaking certification coursework, furthering their commitment to fostering inclusive environments within their school community.By equipping over 70% of the lower school staff at ICSA with the tools and knowledge needed for inclusive practices, SENIA and ICSA are paving the way for a truly inclusive community.

As Lower School Principal Dr. Heather Naro aptly puts it, “Inclusion is not just the work of learning support teachers or assistants, it is the work of a community.”

At SENIA, we are incredibly proud to partner with schools like ICSA who are dedicated to inclusive education. Together, we believe that every student deserves an education that meets their unique needs and celebrates their individual strengths.

Congratulations to the newly certified educators at ICSA, and a heartfelt thank you to everyone involved for their ongoing commitment to creating inclusive environments for all students. Together, we are building a brighter future for every learner!

Co-constructing a Personalized Math Class by Jay Lingo

Co-constructing a Personalized Math Class by Jay Lingo

“Student Agency boils down to students having a voice in the classroom…”

  • Laurie Manville & Dr. Alva Lefevre

Towards the end of the school year 2022-2023, my class roster started to grow.  Students that chose to withdraw from IB classes were transferred to our Math class feeling defeated. It was painful to witness how they don’t fully realize that curriculums are not one-size-fits-all and there are many opportunities for them to be successful given the right placement. Our class was mainly seen as credit recovery, a tick mark to complete the required units for graduation. It was a hard sell to keep them motivated and to top it all off, our first order of business was to administer a diagnostic test and discuss their challenges. That’s when I knew something had to change. 

I had an ambitious goal; to co-construct a Math class from scratch with our seniors. My students and I brainstormed,co-planned, and questioned what they wanted to gain from a Math class.  This reflection was a healing process as they slowly realized that the respective pathways they were choosing (sailing, theater, social work, etc.) did not require extensive math skills.

Creating this course became my passion project over the summer break. After my students finish a task, I always ask them  “Is this something you’re proud of?” This very same prompt resonated in my head – I wanted to build something that I will be proud of and that my students  are proud of participating in. I wanted to create a robust and rigorous class wherein they felt challenged but not debilitated or bored while seeing the value and connection on the units we discuss throughout the year. I reached out to former colleagues and spent some of my afternoons reading Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics by Peter Liljedahl. I must admit that there were days when I thought to myself, “What did I get myself into?” Fostering a new routine while building, learning, and editing materials was quite overwhelming. 

While difficult, there were many good days when my class was engaged in a roundtable discussion on emergency funds or the effects of inflation.  On other days, they were engrossed in computing compound interest and arguing why credit cards are a bad idea over personal loans. Our course covered Basics of Money, Credit, Investing, and Personal Beliefs Influencing Money Decisions.

On our last week of instruction, one of my students wrote in her reflection – “These past two years learning Financial Literacy with Mr Lingo has been the best math experience I have ever had and I am so grateful.” This just pierced through my heart. It took me back to our first days together when my students were enveloped with anger, disappointment, or self-doubt. 

Now, they walked away engaged with pride and prepared for the years beyond high school. 

Here are my key takeaways from this experience.

The Power of Choice

Our course was anchored to what they wanted to gain from it. Co-constructing a class gave our students an instant buy-in which was challenging to achieve in many of the classes. Knowing that this might not be possible in several contexts but giving our students power over which activity they wanted to do next was important. Did they want to spend the next lesson reviewing or give options in taking down notes. The power of choice is a nod to our students that they are in control and clearing the path for them to take full ownership of their learning. 

Everybody wants to do well

A lot of our students came to our class and said, “I don’t really care about this class.” or “I am not even trying.” This may stem from pre-empting all the anxieties and negative emotions from failure. Once students see pockets of success, they will be invested. Make sure to celebrate these successes no matter how big or small. Highlight a student’s project when discussing the rubrics. Synthesize a student’s solution when revising the test. It’s through these moments that they regain their confidence and slowly we validate that they truly care about their growth and development. 

Finding Balance

Lastly, the key is finding the right balance. Our instructional decisions should revolve around finding the appropriate challenge for our students. Design tasks and evaluations that are not too easy that they will be bored but also create scaffolds that will not be too difficult wherein they would freeze and be overwhelmed. This may entail constant changes in the curriculum such as providing extension questions, reteaching of previous concepts, visual representations for understanding and many more. When the challenge is balanced, the motivation will not be sacrificed. 

As I write this article, I am pondering again if this is something I am proud of? 100%! This professional milestone was worth every minute of preparation and I would like to give a huge shout out to the class of 2024 for creating a classroom that brings out the best in each other.  

Financial Literacy Reflections:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1wofMXYTGCyLlX7oWS9ZRBrghrzDzTWGN?usp=sharing

Raw Reflections:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DhT4xMrs–ykByf-IyvQP9WDm037MwhVu97o00JMqqU/edit?usp=sharing

Inclusively Inspired with Lori Boll

Hello SENIA Peeps,

Last week, I had the privilege of virtually attending The Brookings Institute Symposium on Inclusion and Education Systems Transformation. Inclusive leaders from around the world gathered to address a critical issue:

“Despite global policy efforts to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals for equitable education, no nation has succeeded in creating truly inclusive classrooms and school communities on a large scale. While some countries have made significant strides in meeting the needs of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), nearly every nation has fallen short in developing schools as settings for full social inclusion. This requires going beyond physical inclusion to create accessible and meaningful learning environments for all, including children with IDD.”

Five adults in chairs sitting agains a blue screen with white writing with the title of the symposium

World Leaders Discuss Inclusion

As international school leaders, educators, and families, we must prioritize this concern. Sustainable Development Goal 4 demands that schools be places where all children matter equally, participate fully, and develop the skills, knowledge, beliefs, and practices they need to thrive.

Becoming fully inclusive is not easy, but it can be achieved. The conference offered these recommendations: First, we need a mindset shift which is embraced school-wide and community-wide. Second, we must dismantle the silos in education, and encourage synergy in our roles. Third, according to Tim Shriver, Chairman of Special Olympics, “The central impediment to implementing effective inclusive education is the capabilities of a trained teacher workforce. You cannot ask teachers to become ‘includers’ in their schools or to manage children with complex learning needs without training.” Mr. Shriver also believes we need to empower young people as agents of change. Our students want inclusive schools. Are we ready to listen to their voices?

At SENIA, we endorse these points and strive to support schools on their inclusive journey by facilitating mindset changes, helping to create systems of support that involve the entire school community, and providing professional development opportunities through our conference and coursework. As well, our SENIA Youth are emerging as a strong voice advocating for change and will be our inclusive leaders of tomorrow.

With Sustainable Development Goal 4 as our guiding principle, we call on our schools to become more inclusive. We don’t expect you to do it alone. SENIA is here to support you.

Lori Boll

 

If you’d like to watch some of this symposium, check out this link. 

SENIA International Honored with IFIP Global Inclusion Award

SENIA International Honored with IFIP Global Inclusion Award

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Hoang Minh Duong May 2023 SENIA World Changer Award Recipient

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We are pleased to recognize Sarah for her exceptional contributions to Global Neurodiverse Families, a vital support network for families navigating neurodiversity. Sarah embodies the qualities of compassion, dedication, and resilience, making a profound impact on our community.

Through her tireless efforts, Sarah has established a network where families can connect, share experiences, and provide mutual support in a safe and welcoming environment. This sense of community is invaluable, ensuring that no one feels alone in their journey.

Sarah’s influence extends beyond our local community. She has actively advocated for broader awareness and education surrounding neurodiversity and inclusion, creating opportunities for Vietnamese educators to enhance their understanding in this important area. Her commitment has touched the lives of teachers, specialists, and families alike, solidifying her role as a cornerstone of our initiative.

We are grateful for Sarah’s unwavering dedication and her exemplary model of inclusivity and diversity. Her work continues to inspire us all.

Congratulations to Sarah Devotion Garner as this month’s SENIA World Changer Award winner!

Hear about Sarah’s dedication to inclusion here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Dd_O2JHi7wwMhQSHBIxFGOTu4gm5Cb6v/view

Korok Biswas April 2023 SENIA World Changer Award Recipient

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Korok Biswas is India’s first ever dance performer with down syndrome to be credited in India’s Book of Records. From an early age, Korok and his parents believed with love and support that Korok would pursue his passion of dance.  He trained hard and had learned that through perseverance and dedication he could achieve his goals.  His school, the Noble Mission of South Calcutta, supported him with developing patience, how to adapt to the world around him and believed in his performance talents. Korok has achieved much recognition for his dance and his work supporting people with down syndrome in India and around the world.  Here are some of his achievements: Indian National Award in Art & Culture, International Dance Council, UNESCO Best Fighter Dancer, and Down Syndrome International Self Advocate.  

Korok is taking the Indian dance performance scene by storm and in the process, inspiring future generations of people with down syndrome to follow their dreams.  Representation matters! 

Congratulations to Korok Biswas as the winner of this month’s SENIA World Changer Award!

To learn more about Korok’s journey: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NjK2jd9Yf4U6HACu2QOQzjCY90zTC1YW/view