Sparta — Two new classes at Sparta Middle School are all about students helping students — and learning in the process.
This year, the middle school launched adaptive art and adaptive physical education: two new courses that expand the district’s Links program, which pairs general-education students with students who have special needs.
Sparta is a regional hub for students with moderate cognitive impairments (MoCI), drawing kids from Kenowa Hills, Northview, Comstock Park, Kent City, Cedar Springs, and Rockford school districts. The new classes have broadened the district’s integrative Links courses.
In adaptive P.E., taught by Devin Banagis, students bond over physical activities like sports and games, while in Julie Aitken’s adaptive art class, they work together on arts and crafts projects.
The new additions to the district’s Links curriculum are a win for everyone involved, the teachers agreed.
“The kids love it,” Banagis said. “These kids are already telling me how they’re going to sign up next year, so it’s been going great.”
‘It really opens the eyes of our general-education students to see that, despite learning differences, they can provide this positive influence and foster their leadership skills.’
— adaptive art teacher Julie Aitken
Art, Integration & Inclusion
Aitken said the adaptive programming breaks down barriers and nurtures inclusion, allowing students with special needs to “really, truly integrate.”
The classes help those students “thrive and be successful,” while gen-ed students provide support, encouragement and assistance as needed.
“It really opens the eyes of our general-education students to see that, despite learning differences, they can provide this positive influence and foster their leadership skills,” Aitken said. “It’s something these students will cherish for a lifetime.”
Two such students are seventh-graders Hazel Thompson and Mahayla Buitendyk, both currently enrolled in adaptive art.
“It’s really fun to help,” Hazel said. “It makes me feel really good.”
Hazel has been involved in Links classes for years, but it’s a new experience for Mahayla. So far, she’s finding it rewarding.
“This is my first year of doing it, and I’ve really enjoyed helping them and growing my patience,” Mahayla said.
Eighth-grader Grace Schmid, currently taking adaptive P.E., also finds value in the new offerings. She said she takes pride in making classmates with special needs feel safe, welcome and respected.
“We just treat them how we want to be treated — the same as us,” Grace said.
Helping Students Thrive
Teacher Banagis described the adaptive P.E. class as a course with a multi-pronged, holistic approach that focuses on more than fitness.
“There’s three domains to P.E.: the cognitive domain, the psychomotor domain and then the affective domain, which deals with social situations and feelings and emotions and values,” he said. “We do a lot of fitness components as well, but the biggest thing is helping our Links become successful.”
Part of that means learning how to try, and even how to fail, with grace.
“It’s a lot of figuring out how to act in situations,” Banagis said.
Banagis also co-teaches the basic Links class with MoCI teacher Abbey Siegel. That class focuses on basic life skills, but Banagis is thrilled that adaptive P.E. is now rounding out the district’s offerings for students with special needs.
“It’s good to get them in here being active,” he said.
Students and teachers alike are excited about the expansion of Sparta’s Links programming.
“I am extremely grateful that the adaptive art and P.E. classes were added to students’ schedules this school year,” Siegel said. “It is nice to work in a place where inclusion is not only valued, but planned for in a way that ensures success for everyone involved.”
Aitken added that students “really do thrive” in the classes, which she said promotes “a better understanding of inclusiveness and how differences can be bridged.”
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