WC_030719

winnetkacurrent.com school
the winnetka current | March 7, 2019 | 15
Adaptive sports unit gives students ‘deeper understanding’
Alexa Burnell
Freelance Reporter
Sacred Heart physical
education teacher Justin
Drexler has developed a
four-week adaptive sports
unit, teaching the student
body what its like for a
person with a physical
disability to navigate the
world of athletics.
The goal of the unit
was to foster empathy
and understanding for all,
reflecting values that he
has held dear since childhood.
“My mother was a special
education teacher, so
I was exposed to people
with various abilities my
whole life. Growing up, I
always volunteered at Special
Olympic programs;
later in life, I worked with
North Suburban Special
Education District for
10 years,” Drexler said.
“When I came to Sacred
Heart about one year ago, I
knew I wanted to integrate
these experiences into the
curriculum, hoping for students
to gain a deeper understanding
of what life is
like for someone who has
a physical disability.
“We want our students
to go out into the world
and have empathy and
compassion and to make
all people feel respected,
welcomed and understood.”
During the four weeks,
students learned to play
basketball, baseball, lacrosse
and field hockey
with a physical impairment.
Sometimes Drexler’s
students weren’t allowed
to use their lower extremities,
relying on scooters to
get around the gymnasium
while playing a sport. Other
times, students had to
play a sport with their nondominant
hand, or play
with their eyes closed,
getting a sense of what it
would be like to have a vision
impairment.
Principal Kristen Fink
explained that when Drexler
introduced the idea, she
jumped at the opportunity
to broaden horizons.
“We have a fairly ablebodied
student body, so
having an opportunity to
expose them to any type
of diversity is important,”
Fink said. “We want our
students to go out into the
world and have compassion,
understanding and
empathy for all. I believe
a lesson like this one will
give the students a chance
to be appreciative of the
gifts they have, while understanding
that others
aren’t as fortunate.”
If the goal of the fourweek
adaptive sports unit
was to foster understanding
and empathy. According
to fourth-grade students
Mackenzie Pierce,
of Winnetka, and Mick
Rushin, of Glencoe, the
mission was accomplished.
Both explained
how the lesson impacted
them.
“This lesson was so
important because we all
should understand what
it’s like to have a disability
and how to treat others
who are different from us,”
Pierce said. “We must be
kind and also make them
feel included. We don’t
want them to feel left out
or as if they are so different
from us. Many people
who have a disability can
do the same things we can,
but just in a different way
and it’s important for people
to understand that.”
“I think the lesson has
made us all stop and think
about what it is like to really
have a disability,”
Rushin added. “I’m sure
most of us don’t always
think about what it would
be like if we didn’t have
eyesight or use of parts of
our body and we just take
it for granted, but really,
we are lucky.”
At the end of the unit,
seventh- and eighth-grade
students attended a Glenbrook
South vs. Glenbrook
North NSSED basketball
game on March 1, watching
an entire pep squad
and fans cheer on athletes
with physical disabilities.
Sacred Heart Assistant
Students use scooters during a recent adaptive sports
unit at Sacred Heart School in Winnetka.
Photo Submitted
Vice Principal Dana Vance
believes the chance to see
these athletes in action truly
drives the point home,
allowing for future meaningful
conversations to
take place at school, particularly
during religion
classes.
“After these past four
weeks, I think concluding
with an experience that allows
our students to witness
what they’ve been
taught is very impactful,”
Vance said. “I hope that
the lesson reminds students
that we as Catholics
and Christians must look
at everybody, regardless of
race, gender, age or ethnicity,
as children of God.
Who we are inside, is so
much more important than
how we appear externally.
Afterall, what good is it if
you’re pretty on the outside,
if you aren’t beautiful
on the inside?”
New Trier to celebrate 25 years of Winter Carnival
Submitted by New Trier
New Trier High School’s
Senior Class invites local
residents, friends, alumni
and children of all ages for
a 25-year celebration of its
annual Winter Carnival.
From 5:30-9 p.m. March
15, the entire Winnetka
Campus, 385 Winnetka
Ave., will be transformed
into a carnival ground with
activities, prizes, food and
more to celebrate the milestone
event. All township
families are encouraged
to bring kids to this megacarnival
event.
“It’s rewarding to see
Winter Carnival working
full-circle, because many
of the senior students who
attended as small children
are now the ones leading
it,” senior adviser co-chair
Susie Paunan said. “Similarly,
we hope to see some
alumni return to New Trier
on March 15 to join us in
celebrating 25 years of
Winter Carnival.”
Since 2001, the Winter
Carnival has benefited the
Senior Class’ annual Habitat
for Humanity project,
which involves building
homes for underserved
families through physical
labor and fundraising.
At the conclusion of
this years’ service project,
New Trier will be the
only school to have helped
the organization build 38
homes over 19 years. So
far, 18 homes have been
built in the Waukegan
area, and 18 more homes
have been built in the Philippines.
For this year’s event,
Senior Adviser Rooms
will host more than 45
booths to appeal to kids of
all ages, senior adviser cochair
Chris Pearson said.
Carnival-goers can expect
everything from the classics,
to more unique activity
booths, such as glowin-the-dark
mini golf and
inflatable bumper cars.
The year’s booths also
include: 3-Point Basketball
Shoot-Out, Baggo Bean
Bag Tournament, Ball Pit,
Balloon Artist, Bowling,
Cake Walk, Camp-out,
Casino, Climbing Wall,
Cookie Decorating, Crazy
Hair Salon, Dippin Dots,
Donut on a string, Face
Painting, Face Painting/
Make Up, Flower Pot Dessert,
Food Court (Pizza/
Hot dogs), Four Square,
Freeze Dance Party, Go
Fish, Goal Post Football
Kick, Guitar Hero-Rock-it
Room & Rock Pet Painting,
Harry Potter Duel,
Human Bowling, Make
Your Own Name Bracelet,
Marriage Chapel, Musical
Chairs, Nail Painting, Nerf
Target Game, Paper Airplanes,
Pick a Ducky, Ping
Pong Ball Toss/Fish Bowl,
Plinko, Pop-A-Shot, Popcorn,
Red Carpet Room/
Dress Up Photos, Shinny
Hockey, Skeeball, Slam
Dunk Contest, Slime Making,
Tattoos, Video Game
Competition – Mario Kart,
Wheel Prize Game, and
Whiffle Ball Home-Run
Derby.
Admission at the entrance
is free and activity
tickets are $1 each. Parking
is free, and is available in
the lots on the east side of
the school, as well as in any
space marked “New Trier
High School” in the Indian
Hill lot adjacent to the Metra
lot at Winnetka Avenue
and Green Bay Road.
Donations are accepted
online any time at newtrier.revtrak.net/Fundraising/
Fundraising-Habitat-for-
Humanity.