What does inclusion mean to you?
As an educator…
Inclusion means finding and exploring the inner genius in every single child - regardless of a diagnosis or ‘disability’
As a mom of a neurotypical child…
Inclusion is providing opportunities to learn with and from all types of diversity. It’s important for me to raise an ally and advocate for all.
As a mom of a neurodiverse child…
Inclusion is the diehard need for all children to be treated as humans with a multitude of strengths and talents.
As the founder and director of Elements Academy…
Inclusion is the commitment to running the type of school that students need - a school that sees, explores, and embraces the unique gifts of each individual.
Elements Academy is an inclusion school.
That means we serve neurotypical AND neurodiverse students (and we do so without placing them in boxes or categories.)
We are an approved private school through the city of Quincy and the state of MA (DESE) - but we do not receive any funding from the state or the city in any way, shape, or form.
If we classify ourselves as a Special Education school with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) then we are eligible for funding, yet also subject to their regulations and oversight (which has NOT worked for these kiddos already. So, no thank you.)
We believe that:
Every child is unique
Every child has unique strengths and gifts
And every child has unique needs
In order to meet the needs of each child, it takes more staff, more materials, more curriculum, more technology, more sensory equipment… you get the idea - it takes more.
We’re committed to doing the heavy lifting (sometimes literally), and we cannot do this alone.
This BIG MISSION requires BIG HELP.
If you are able to help in any way, please do. We need all the help we can get so we can have a GREATER IMPACT on the children and families who so desperately need this type of support - they need this school.
There is LITERALLY no amount too small. We save every penny (unless the kids found it as their lucky penny - we let them keep that) and we put every cent to good use.