Again this year, the Lower School is partnering with The Joseph Maley Foundation (JMF) for disABILITY Awareness Week. disABILITY Awareness was designed to help children learn empathy for others, to celebrate differences, and to accept all. 
 
The disABILITY Awareness curriculum meets the needs and piques the interest of a variety of learners and incorporates Indiana Academic Standards. The program builds as students progress each year. It focuses on people’s unique abilities; following are the activities throughout the week for each grade:
 
  • Junior Kindergarten “Everybody Plays”
JMFriends puppet performance, book reading, and video lesson
 
  • Senior Kindergarten “Everybody is Different”
JMFriends puppet performance, book reading, and hands on activity
 
  • First grade “Everybody Needs Help”
JMFriends puppet performance, book reading, and speaker
 
  • Second grade “Visual Impairment”
JMFriends puppet performance, book reading and hands on activity
 
  • Third grade ”Living with a Disability”
JMFriends puppet performance, book reading and speaker
 
  • Fourth grade “Learning Disabilities”
JMFriends puppet performance, book reading and speaker
 
  • Fifth grade “Hearing and Communication Differences”
Hands on activity and video lesson