SOMO News
Festus High School hosts Unified Soccer Day of Play
FESTUS – Festus High School hosted a Unified Soccer Day of Play on Thursday for third graders in the Festus School District.
Check out some of the photos below!
This is one of many inclusive activities hosted by Festus High School. In 2020, Festus was named Missouri’s first-ever National Banner Unified Champion School.
A Special Olympics Unified Champion School has an inclusive school climate and exudes a sense of collaboration, engagement and respect for all members of the student body and staff. A Unified Champion School receiving national banner recognition is one that has demonstrated commitment to inclusion by meeting 10 national standards of excellence. These standards were developed by a national panel of leaders from Special Olympics and the education community.
The primary activities within these standards include: Special Olympics Unified Sports® (where students with and without disabilities train and compete as teammates), Inclusive Youth Leadership and Whole-School Engagement. Banner Unified Champion Schools should also be able to demonstrate they are self-sustainable or have a plan in place to sustain these activities into the future.
The expectation of this recognition is that the 10 standards are continuously being met, year after year. To ensure this sustainability, schools reapply for banner status every four years.
School Standards:
For more information on how to become a National Banner Unified Champion School, check out the following resources.