Together We’re Better Contest
Community Living Ontario would like to invite elementary school aged children from across Ontario to participate in a contest that promotes and raises awareness about inclusive education.
The Together, We’re Better contest is an annual contest inviting individual students to submit a story/poem or a class to submit a video expressing why class is better because students who have an intellectual/developmental disability are included and everyone is learning together. The intent is to have students and classes to begin thinking about inclusion and start a conversation about how a diverse class offers a better educational experience for all students.
Winning prizes include resources for the classroom, pizza party, a tablet (for individual entries) and much more! The contest deadline is January 28, 2020.
Download the flyer (French version available here) and share with schools, communities, teachers, students, and families.
Take a look at last year’s winners and honourable mentions for a little inspiration.
Video Entries:
1st Place: Ms. Kelsey Craven’s from Sioux Narrow Public School won first place in the group submissions. Their entry tells us what being included means to them and how that looks in their class.
2nd Place: Mme Nathalie Morin’s and Mme Line Bouchard-Gosselin’s class at École Catholique Ste-Anne in Hearst showcased their school environment wonderfully.
3rd Place: Ms. Jessica Kelly’s Grade 1/2 classroom video explained the positive impact Molly has had on her classmates at Brighton Public School and how we can communicate in multiple ways.
Stories and Poems:
1st Place: Grade 6 student Kimberly Saunders of St. Gabriel Lalemant Elementary School won first prize for her poem about why she likes her inclusive classroom:
Together we’re better
as you can see
I like working together
them and me
People with an intellectual disability
They help US learn
or at least they help me
They see stuff differently
That you know
and a variety of ideas
helps our minds grow
Everyone’s smart
in their own way
That’s why we should work together
Today
We are all unique
and equality
is a big part
of society
God made us all different
that you know
or life would be boring
So, now you know
Its fun to see how they understand
and do the work
and interpret the command
Together we’re better
obviously
and we’re better together
2nd Place: “Love for All”
Kemptvillle Public School’s Grade 3 class
3rd Place: Jonathan Fawalda of Sacred Heart of Jesus Public School placed third with his “Together With Friends” storybook; a visual story all about the fun he has with his friends at school.
Good luck!