THE UNIFIED SPORTS PROGRAM’S annual Bocce Tournament is a huge hit at NRHS and other schools around the state. NRHS will host this year’s tourney on Jan. 28. These four students (l-r): Annie Kuperstein, Juliana Tempesta, Meghan Slattery and Katerina Foley, were among the team members to compete at Pembroke High School last year. (Jonathan Hudson Photo)
By NEIL ZOLOT
NORTH READING — North Reading High School will host a bocce tournament on Saturday, January 28 on behalf of its Unified Sports Program in which students with and without intellectual disabilities form sports teams.
The opening ceremonies begin at 9:30 a.m. The bocce tournament is open to the public and concessions will be available for purchase.
The bocce team and a unified basketball team are both part of the RISE program for special education students. “People training and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding,” Special Education teacher Jonathan Hudson told the School Committee at their meeting Monday, January 9 during a series of presentations on various High School programs. “The students have a ton of fun.”
In addition to the bocce tournament, the unified basketball team plays four to six games at the High School and in nearby communities such as Danvers, Medford and Melrose.
“I love unified sports,” basketball and bocce teams co-captain Katerina Foley said. “We’ve gotten support in school and are always in the paper.”
Foley saw participation as a challenge but “a fun one. I like working with my peers as a team and have enjoyed that relationships have been built. It’s wonderful to see how close everyone has become.”
Student Michael Pittore, a guard on the unified basketball team and a bocce player, also told the School Committee members how much he enjoyed participating.
The program has also had a profound effect on teachers. “Unified sports is the best thing I’ve been a part of in my 16-year career,” Hudson said. “Relationships are being built and students are succeeding.”
Hudson added that other students attend games and support team members during the school day.
TEAMWORK! Bocce players (from left): Grace Terranova, Michael Pittore, Abby Gerber and Lindsey Hanson proudly represented NRHS at last year’s Pembroke Tournament. This year they invite the community to come to NRHS’s Main Street when they host the Unified Sports Program’s Bocce Tourney January 28 from 9 a.m. -1 p.m. with opening ceremonies at 9:30 a.m. (Jonathan Hudson Photo)
“It’s great to see the whole school come together,” he feels. As an example, he said being with Pittore in the school is “like walking around with a celebrity.”
RISE is a larger effort to integrate students with intellectual disabilities into school life and teach them skills that they will need as adults. There are also RISE programs at the J.T. Hood Elementary School and the Middle School. The High School program includes education in fundamental academics such as math skills and skills needed to handle money as well as life skills such as household chores and shopping.
Older students in RISE also concentrate on vocational skills and may have jobs in school delivering mail and outside school volunteering at a food pantry.
Social integration includes students with and without intellectual disabilities having lunch together and participating in a walking club.
“It’s wonderful to see what you’ve built,” School Committee Chair Scott Buckley reacted. “It’s amazing and I love you’re hosting the bocce tournament.”
He also called the acceptance of the unified teams and RISE program in the schools and town “an example of a school community.”
“The success of this program reflects the great and supportive culture that exists in our community and the program is a great example of our core values and commitment to inclusion,” Superintendent Dr. Patrick Daly said after the meeting.
“The students fill the stands to cheer on our basketball team and I’m excited about the opportunity to host the bocce tournament later this month. I’ve enjoyed watching our students come together and play and celebrate their achievements at our pep rally and Sports Awards Night. I am so proud of Mr. Hudson and our unified sports program,” Daly added.
Band, computer science programs highlighted
In other presentations on high school programs, students Isabelle Kim, Angelina Palazzolo and Taleen Toby gave School Committee members an overview of the High School band as (Band Directors Ben Owens and Dan Muse unable to attend) and Digital Literacy Specialist Paul Ayvazian and students Mahir Mugdo, Sameer Murthy and Matthew Palmer gave the members an overview of computer science and web design courses and projects.
Student Council trip OK’d
In other action, the School Committee approved a trip by the High School Student Council to the spring conference of the Massachusetts Association of Student Councils in Hyannis in early March. Student Council member Annie Kuperstein, who is also a co-captain of the unified sports teams, explained the importance of the conference to the Student Council members, which includes leadership seminars that teach the participants valuable skills.
