News

Hendersonville Elementary makes ESPN's Special Olympics honor roll

By Bill Moss, Published: April 18, 2023

Hendersonville Elementary School is one of 37 Special Olympics Unified Champion schools in the country to make the 2022 ESPN Honor Roll and the only school in North Carolina.

There are more than 8,000 Special Olympics Unified Champion schools that practice inclusive sports, inclusive leadership, and whole school engagement. To earn the recognition of a national banner school on the ESPN Honor Roll, schools must demonstrate inclusion through 10 standards of excellence.
Hendersonville Elementary was selected based on the active involvement of the PawPal program in which fifth grade students apply for and spend quality time with EC students in Intensive Intervention. The whole school participates in field day, water day, the CubCat Crawl and rallies behind the PawPal program with special olympics and other activities.
The Special Olympics of North Carolina is hosting a day of celebration to recognize Hendersonville Elementary School on Friday, April 21. Here's the schedule:

• 11-11:30: Parade around the school
• 11:30-12:15: Lunch- Classrooms or outside
• 12:20-12:40: dismissal to softball field / Band / mascots (students lined up in a ‘tunnel’ leading down to field, pom poms, towels)
• 12:45-1:15: Speakers / Band / sign language club
• 1:15-1:50/2: Relays - everyone cheering
• 2-2:20: Ice Cream
• 2:20-2:40: dismiss from ice cream and pack up to leave