On April 5, the Gill-Montague School Committee unanimously passed a vote of confidence in Hillcrest Elementary School’s work to include and support all students in the least restrictive learning environment possible.
In our view, The Recorder’s March 30 story omitted key information about the staff’s commitment to inclusion and its work to provide its students with a full range of programs and supports, quite like the ones reported as best practice in other places.
In general-education classrooms across the school, programs such as Responsive Classroom, Tools of the Mind, and Keeping Kids Safe anchor educators’ work to build community and take a positive, skills acquisition approach to managing student behavior.
For students diagnosed with social-emotional behavior-based disabilities, Hillcrest has an in-house therapeutic program which is highly effective in helping these students learn emotional self-regulation and social skills. As these students progress they typically spend increasing amounts of their day in general education classrooms, sometimes making a full transition.
This program is located in a welcoming, comfortable, full-sized classroom. The staff in the therapeutic classroom employ best practice programs to teach students to regulate their behavior, including 1-2-3 Magic, Zones of Regulation, and Superflex. Students in this program receive counseling services, body breaks, additional outside exercise, individualized positive reinforcement plans, unconditional quiet breaks, as well as the use of sensory blankets and vests, fidget toys, and other calming materials.
Due to the nature of their disability, a student in the therapeutic classroom may become highly agitated and physically aggressive. If this happens, the student may be brought to the school’s calm-down room located adjacent to the therapeutic classroom. A staff member remains in the room with the student unless the staff member is in danger of being physically harmed. If staff must stand outside the room he/she retains full view of the student and steps back inside as soon as it is safe to do so. A student remains in this room only until he/she is sufficiently in control of their emotions.
The district is committed to continuous improvement when it comes to the care and safety of our students. After reviewing our practices, the district decided to add padding to the walls and floors of Hillcrest’s calm-down room. Additional changes will be made if the Disability Law Center or other informed sources recommend them. We encourage those who would like to learn more about our wonderful school to speak to our families about their experiences or to arrange a school visit.
Sandy Brown is chairwoman of the Gill Montague Regional School District School Committee.