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    Unity Club authorized for Riverton High School to give students more positive exposure

    (Riverton, Wyo.) – A new club at Riverton High School has been approved by the local school board following action at last week’s regular District #25 Trustees meeting. The new club is to be called Club Unify. The drive behind the new student organization comes from RHS students Jazmine Wildcat and Teryn Whiteplume. The club is a national organization with other Wyoming clubs at Lovell and Pine Bluffs.

    Addressing the board, Wildcat said the club will give more positive exposure to RHS Special Olympics athletes in track and basketball, as a start, and in school.

    Wildcat and Whiteplume were the two students behind the effort to “Spread the Word to end the Word.” The word formerly used to describe students with intellectual disabilities was retarded. “We want to get rid of the “R” word,” she said. “Jazmine has been the ambassador for this proposed new club, said Dallas Myers, director of Special Services for the District and the administrator for the RHS Alternative School. “She has been working for rights and inclusion for students with disabilities and wanted a formal recognition of the club,” Myers said.

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    District #25 Activities Director Reggie Miller said a student handbook for the Special Olympics students has been created, which he said mirrors the current student handbook for those who participate in school athletics. “Changes were made where needed,” he said.

    The young people in Special Olympics have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of activities (locally, regionally and nationally). Participation in the events in a safe manner and having fun are the keys to the program. Our Special Olympics athlete is the best ambassador to the community.  Fremont County School District #25  is dedicated to the principle of giving each student a meaningful experience in the program in order to achieve whatever degree of excellence he/she desires, stressing to our participants that they are students first then athletes.

    Miller stressed that the district feels “that extra-curricular activities are an essential part of the total educational program designed to meet the needs of the students intellectually, physically, emotionally and socially. To accomplish this, we want to allow the maximum number of students to participate in all activities and sports offered in Club UNIFY, our oath, “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”

    “It is time to move forward in a more formal way. This club is not taking away from any current activities, but this is adding to them,” Myers said.

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    “We didn’t really know what to expect, this has been fun and everyone is accepting it,” Whiteplume said.

     

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