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Radically Inclusive!<br />
Ashleigh Norman<br />
For years, Germantown High School has done special things with our<br />
self-contained special education students, affectionately known as Super<br />
Mavs.<br />
What started in Mrs. Kelly McIntosh’s special education classroom as<br />
a life skills lesson, grew into the schoolwide tradition called Mav Café. On<br />
select Friday mornings throughout the school year, Super Mavs sell coffee,<br />
juice, and delicious homemade snacks with smiles to the students and<br />
teachers of GHS. The money they raise is used to fund a senior scholarship.<br />
This is what inclusion looks like at GHS.<br />
Our Super Mavs also perform a special number with the Germantown<br />
choir in our fall and spring concerts. Additionally, the Super Mavs<br />
are embedded in our general education classes where they participate in<br />
lectures and create projects with their peers. Our general education<br />
teachers collaborate with special education teachers to ensure that their<br />
curriculum is both appropriate for their individual education plans and<br />
also comparable in content and appearance to that of every other student<br />
in the classroom. This is what inclusion looks like at GHS.<br />
For the 2023-2024 school year, Super Mavs were offered a new<br />
opportunity. For the very first time, junior and senior Super Mavs were<br />
invited to run for SGA Super Mav Representative. Junior Class President<br />
Anna Cate Arnett represented the SGA as the opportunity was presented<br />
to our Super Mavs. “We want all students included in decisions here at<br />
Germantown,” she expressed. This is what inclusion looks like at GHS.<br />
Student government elections got underway with campaigning in full<br />
force both in and out of the Super Mavs’ classrooms. Campaign posters<br />
lined the halls. Campaign speeches were made to voters. Campaign videos<br />
circulated the building.<br />
When word of the Super Mav election got out, the GHS Maverick<br />
family jumped into action without hesitation. A voting booth was created.<br />
Librarian Kristy Abbey volunteered to work the polls and required each<br />
Super Mav to state their full name and provide their signature. Once each<br />
student cast their vote, they received an “I Voted” sticker that they wore<br />
with pride. It was important for the process to emulate a real election.<br />
Special education teacher Ms. Courtney Creel and Assistant Principal<br />
Dr. Syl Burrell organized a press conference to announce the winner.<br />
This is what inclusion looks like at GHS.<br />
On August 18, 2023, James Aaron Martin made history as he was<br />
officially elected Super Mav Representative for Germantown High<br />
School’s Student Government Association. This opportunity is beyond<br />
our two self-contained classrooms. This is building social skills, technology<br />
skills, decision-making, and encouraging citizenship. This addition to<br />
our Student Government Association will impact our students and<br />
community far beyond our careers.<br />
We are grateful to have students who want to be included and a<br />
general population who accepts and encourages everyone. Germantown<br />
High School is radically inclusive! On this day and every day - It is great<br />
day to be a MAVERICK!<br />
Hometown MADISON • 117
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