Diversified Learners Committee
Office for Catholic Schools – Archdiocese of Seattle
“Inclusion begins in our hearts. It begins with affirmation. We should open our hearts to one another and recognize the strengths of every person. When we open our hearts and our community to the gifts each person brings, we are all strengthened.” Cardinal Joseph Bernadin 11/12/06
Mission Statement: The Diversified Learners Committee (DLC) is a dynamic group of principals, teachers, and parents whose work is intended to support students of varying ability and diverse learning needs as inclusive members in Catholic school classrooms.
Belief Statements
- The DLC commits to educating the whole child: spiritually, academically and socially.
- The DLC is rooted in the belief in general education that welcomes academic inclusion as a cornerstone of our mission.
- The DLC is dedicated to including exceptional learners in all Catholic schools.
Actions
- The DLC continually provides professional development to all faculty and staff.
- The DLC guides regional support between our Catholic schools in the teaching and learning of diverse learners.
- The DLC promotes the general education of ALL students through the sharing of resources.
- The DLC combines efforts with the Office for Pastoral Care to broaden the scope of archdiocesan services to those families most in need, working collaboratively with our school pastors and parish staff.
DL Committee Work
- August 2021: The Greeley Team, Loyola University Chicago, submitted the final report and exectuive summary to the OCS. The DL Executive Comittee will be studying the findings through the fall.
- February 2021: The DL Committee launched The Matthew Project: Phase 1 a partnership with The Andrew M. Greeley Center for Catholic Education, Loyola University Chicago, financially supported by the Fulcrum Foundation. Phase one of this project: To gather data about our current practices in meeting diverse learners’ needs. As part of this process, we secured the perspectives of teachers, parents and school administrators to help develop a comprehensive picture of our current practices. This multiphase project aims to use baseline data to develop a systemic plan or roadmap to advance efforts in meeting the needs of diverse learners over the next 3-5 years for our Catholic schools.
- The DL Committee would like to invite all school employees to study and use the electronic resources we have been gathering to assist you and your local community in serving all in our care. Please visit Diversified Learners Resources
- Great parent online resource to share and use is Understood.org
- See what is happening throughout western Washington! Please visit: Inclusion Ministry Facebook page
- The University of Washington Haring Center for Inclusive Education provides early childhood education to children with and without disabilities, conducts leading-edge research to advance inclusive learning, and trains education professionals in proven practices to develop every child’s potential.
- Northwest Center – serving people of all abilities to promote the growth, development and independence of people with disabilities through programs of therapy, education and work opportunity.
- Understood.org While there are many websites that have wonderful resources for parents, the DL Committee is pleased to recommend this resource for parents of children with Learning and Attention issues. The website is in both English and Español and includes a thoughtful Parent Toolkit.
- Special Olympics of Washington The Archdiocese of Seattle and the Office for Catholic Schools worked together to support the 2018 Special Olympics in Seattle. To continue this involvement in our schools we recommend service and extra-curricular opportunities provided by Special Olympics Playbooks intended for elementary, middle school and high school students. These are age-appropriate lessons designed to be taught in the context of class periods. Activities with ties to service learning are completed in a classroom or community setting, as part of a club, an afterschool activity (ie: Unified Drama, Unified Robotics) or a community based event and include involvement with local Special Olympics Programs. The curriculum is free; please log in to establish your account and use generously.