Inclusion Collaborative Newsletter

The IC Newsletter

World Down Syndrome Day

March 21st is World Down Syndrome Day! This day is a global celebration of inclusion, advocacy, and awareness. To support educators, the Inclusion Collaborative’s Down Syndrome Toolkit provides practical strategies, best practices, and resources to create equitable and inclusive learning environments for students with Down syndrome.

Monthly Highlight: The Art of Inclusion Toolkit

March’s edition of The Art of Inclusion offers practical strategies to design inclusive classrooms. This month, explore ways to support students with dyscalculia, celebrate World Down Syndrome Day with engaging activities, and discover inclusive book recommendations for Read Across America. Access curated resources to celebrate diversity and create meaningful learning experiences for all students.

The Art of Inclusion Toolkit

Kimochi's Training: Supporting Social-Emotional Learning in Schools

Did you know that our team offers Kimochis training to support educators with social-emotional learning in their classrooms? Kimochis (which means "feelings" in Japanese) is a research-based curriculum designed to help children build emotional intelligence, communication skills, and positive relationships.

Ideal for preschool through elementary grades, Kimochis uses engaging characters and hands-on activities to help students recognize and express their emotions, develop empathy, and navigate social interactions in a healthy way. This aligns with SEL core competencies, including self-awareness, self-regulation, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

Our team includes certified Kimochis trainers who can provide tailored professional development and coaching to support educators in implementing this fun but powerful tool.

CDE’s Winter 2024 Inclusion Newsletter: Early Learning in Action

The California Department of Education has released its Winter 2024 Inclusion Newsletter, featuring insights on inclusive early education. This edition highlights Bonita Unified’s BLAST preschool inclusion program, Fullerton School District’s inclusive preschool initiatives, and resources to support young children’s social-emotional development.

📩 Read the full newsletter here.

Partner Events and Opportunities

Check out these upcoming partner events that provide valuable learning and collaboration opportunities for educators:

Community of Practice: Adult Transition

Join educators and professionals to share knowledge, mentorship, and best practices in post-secondary education and transition.

UDL Networked Improvement Community

Secondary and CTE educators are invited to a monthly collaborative space to share resources, design lessons, and enhance Universal Design for Learning practices. Meets every second Friday at 2:30 PM.

Alternate Pathway to Diploma

Learn about alternative diploma options for students with disabilities and how to support equitable pathways to graduation.

Stay tuned for more updates, resources, and inspiration!

Inclusion Collaborative, Santa Clara County Office of Education

1290 Ridder Park Drive

San Jose, CA 95131

inclusion@sccoe.org | (408) 453-6756