Altona Middle School’s newest club Rattlers Unified! is dedicated to fostering inclusivity and unity within the school community. The club’s mission is to bridge the gap between students with and without disabilities by working together with school leadership to build and nurture an inclusive school culture.
In Rattlers Unfiied!, they believe that every student deserves an equal opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive in a supportive and accepting environment. By partnering students with diverse abilities, they aim to break down barriers, foster empathy, and create lasting friendships that extend beyond the wall of the classroom.
Special Education Teacher Tanya Whitteker shared what being Unified means to her. “Being Unified means all likes and abilities coming together and working through their differences. It’s also about exposing students to different experiences out in the community that they might not otherwise participate in, and bringing everyone together in a happy and accepting environment.”
Whitteker started the club as a way to provide students with a friend based community outing experience. The club meets twice a month on Friday’s and students with and without disabilities go on fun outings in the community, such as swimming and bowling.
Whitteker chaperones the club’s outings along with Special Education Teacher Stuart Goffeney. “The club has helped kids branch out and expand their friendships. It’s also helping students to maintain certain social components like engaging in conversations and working together as a group,” Whitteker shared.
Middle school is a time of major social growth and being involved in clubs and extracurricular activities is a great way to meet others who like the same things. Whitteker is already seeing the positive impact of the club take shape and she hopes to continue to grow the club moving forward.