On December 6, Woodgrove High School had their annual Unified PE Day from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM. This event brought different clubs around Woodgrove together. It was for any students with disabilities and without disabilities in all grades and Special Education staff.
The activities of Unified PE Day were hosted in the main gym and wrestling room. There were sports such as hockey and volleyball during this event. Unified PE Day also featured a coloring station with enlarged crayons of all lengths for people to color either sitting or standing, and a bowling station that had adaptive lanes with ramps.The wrestling room was converted into a calming, comfortable, dimly lit sensory room for students who needed a break, or a whole day of relaxation. Every station was adaptable to any student with any type of disability.
Ryan Royston, a sophomore at Woodgrove, participated in Unified PE Day with his classmates. His favorite activities at the event were bowling, hockey, and volleyball. Royston said, “I made friends with Alex and Carter.” Alex and Carter were students from the Intensive Behavior program at Blue Ridge Middle School.
During the event, students were paired with a disabled partner. Valerie Blankenship, a senior who volunteered for Unified PE Day for two years, helped a middle schooler named Lucas from Harmony Middle School. Lucas was nonverbal and wheelchair bound, which limited him to only being able to maneuver with his wheelchair. Blankenship assisted him with his physical needs and communication. In Blankenship’s opinion, Unified PE Day is a really special event. “[Unified PE Day] is just a great way to just connect with the community and see [the students’] lives through a different lens and a different point of view,” shared Blankenship.
Claire Thompson, another senior who is a helper for Woodgrove’s Unified Sports program and a member of Woodgrove’s Partners Club, shared the importance of students being paired with each other during this event. “It gives them at least one new person for the day, which is large enough to make a lifelong impact on this student. While it may not seem like a lot to the partner, it means the world to each and every one of these students,” shared Thompson.
Lindsey Lincoln, a Behavioral Assistant at Blue Ridge Middle School shared how Unified PE Day is unique. “Unified PE Day is unique in the sense that it is the one time of year where students from all different backgrounds and conditions are in unity,” shared Lincoln. For anyone who is interested in this unique event, you should join the Unified Sports program or Partner Club. Being either of the two clubs, it means you get invited via email to possibly change somebody’s life.