Campaign Asks People To Stop Using The 'R' Word
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
The “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign is taking place all this week at the school to encourage everyone not to use the word “retarded.” Money raised this week will help fund a 5K in March to support the Indiana Special Olympics.
“Basically, the campaign is to drop the ‘R’ word and get it out of everyday usage,” said junior and Peer Tutor Karly Jones. “It’s kind of offensive toward kids with disabilities. If you do get to know them, they’re like us basically.”
Peer Tutor and junior Celia Heckert has spearheaded the campaign at the high school.
“It’s basically a campaign for people to stop using the ‘R’ word. It’s a bad thing because it’s offensive to anyone with a disability or who has worked with anyone with a disability,” Heckert said.
Teacher Jennifer Bradley said the campaign is all student-led.
“It’s important to me because it’s important for people to know these kids are just like us. They’ve got big personalities, they’re fun and they’re important to me,” Jones stated.
She said she never used the “R” word before, but she also didn’t think too much about it before becoming a Peer Tutor and working with the special needs students. “I got to know them and I understand them better now,” she said.
At lunch all week, there will be a pledge students can sign affirming that they will not use the “R” word and get a wristband. Students also will be able to purchase T-shirts to support the campaign, Heckert said. The front of the shirt lists words like “respect” and “inclusion,” while the back says, “Spread the Word to End the Word.”
Junior and Peer Tutor Megan Kratzsch said the campaign was important “because it allows the kids to be normal and go out and have fun.”
Before working with the kids, Kratzsch said she wanted to work in the medical field. While she’s still on track to do that, she is now considering a career working with special needs students.
Heckert said the campaign at WCHS started in November when Warsaw Schools got invited to a “Champions Together” seminar. Teachers Brenda Linkey and Rachel Hardy took five students, including Heckert, to the seminar.
“We talked about how to include kids with disabilities in school. We talked about Special Olympics and the ‘R-Word’ campaign. We talked and made plans on how we could follow through with what we talked about. We came back and the first thing we talked about was the ‘R-Word’ campaign,” Heckert said.
“I’ve worked with these kids and they’re my friends and I can see it really hurts them when someone uses that word, and I want to take it out of this school,” she concluded.
Today from 3 to 4:30 p.m., the WCHS varsity boys basketball team will have a clinic with special needs students so they can learn and practice basketball drills. The special needs students then will be introduced with the team at Friday’s home game against Wawasee. T-shirts and wristbands for the campaign also can be purchased by the public at the game.
All the proceeds raised this week will fund the 5K and 1K Walk ’N’ Roll at WCHS March 29 to benefit the Special Olympics, according to teacher Barb Martz.
Martz said the Indiana High School Athletic Association and Special Olympics Indiana have partnered for ongoing activities between the athletes from both organizations. The idea is to raise awareness about special needs students and get them more involved.
For more information about the campaign, visit the official website at www.r-word.org/[[In-content Ad]]
The “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign is taking place all this week at the school to encourage everyone not to use the word “retarded.” Money raised this week will help fund a 5K in March to support the Indiana Special Olympics.
“Basically, the campaign is to drop the ‘R’ word and get it out of everyday usage,” said junior and Peer Tutor Karly Jones. “It’s kind of offensive toward kids with disabilities. If you do get to know them, they’re like us basically.”
Peer Tutor and junior Celia Heckert has spearheaded the campaign at the high school.
“It’s basically a campaign for people to stop using the ‘R’ word. It’s a bad thing because it’s offensive to anyone with a disability or who has worked with anyone with a disability,” Heckert said.
Teacher Jennifer Bradley said the campaign is all student-led.
“It’s important to me because it’s important for people to know these kids are just like us. They’ve got big personalities, they’re fun and they’re important to me,” Jones stated.
She said she never used the “R” word before, but she also didn’t think too much about it before becoming a Peer Tutor and working with the special needs students. “I got to know them and I understand them better now,” she said.
At lunch all week, there will be a pledge students can sign affirming that they will not use the “R” word and get a wristband. Students also will be able to purchase T-shirts to support the campaign, Heckert said. The front of the shirt lists words like “respect” and “inclusion,” while the back says, “Spread the Word to End the Word.”
Junior and Peer Tutor Megan Kratzsch said the campaign was important “because it allows the kids to be normal and go out and have fun.”
Before working with the kids, Kratzsch said she wanted to work in the medical field. While she’s still on track to do that, she is now considering a career working with special needs students.
Heckert said the campaign at WCHS started in November when Warsaw Schools got invited to a “Champions Together” seminar. Teachers Brenda Linkey and Rachel Hardy took five students, including Heckert, to the seminar.
“We talked about how to include kids with disabilities in school. We talked about Special Olympics and the ‘R-Word’ campaign. We talked and made plans on how we could follow through with what we talked about. We came back and the first thing we talked about was the ‘R-Word’ campaign,” Heckert said.
“I’ve worked with these kids and they’re my friends and I can see it really hurts them when someone uses that word, and I want to take it out of this school,” she concluded.
Today from 3 to 4:30 p.m., the WCHS varsity boys basketball team will have a clinic with special needs students so they can learn and practice basketball drills. The special needs students then will be introduced with the team at Friday’s home game against Wawasee. T-shirts and wristbands for the campaign also can be purchased by the public at the game.
All the proceeds raised this week will fund the 5K and 1K Walk ’N’ Roll at WCHS March 29 to benefit the Special Olympics, according to teacher Barb Martz.
Martz said the Indiana High School Athletic Association and Special Olympics Indiana have partnered for ongoing activities between the athletes from both organizations. The idea is to raise awareness about special needs students and get them more involved.
For more information about the campaign, visit the official website at www.r-word.org/[[In-content Ad]]
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