Creating a Culture of Inclusion at Allendale Christian School

When Melanie first visited All Belong partner Allendale Christian School (Allendale, MI), she thought it was too good to be true. After sending her son to three different schooling environments over the past several years, Melanie was hesitant to send her eight-year-old son Isaac to a non-public school. However, a visit to the school and a partnership fueled by All Belong donors changed her perspective and gave her confidence. She was surprised by the calm, accepting environment and openness between students and teachers. Melanie left the visit hopeful she had found a place of belonging for her son.

Now in his first year at Allendale Christian, Isaac is blossoming in ways Melanie never imagined. He is growing socially and academically in his second-grade classroom. “Isaac is set up for success,” shared Melanie. Teachers make an effort to come alongside him—but they do this for every student.” Isaac’s teachers have an openness to inclusion and frequently ask, “What can I do to make this work?”

Students of all ages are quick to work and play with Isaac. Recently, Isaac tried to open a door before discovering it was locked. A fellow classmate came up to him, placed his arm around him, and said, “Let’s go use another door.” Students accept Isaac for who he is. “At the beginning of the year, we conducted a sensitivity training with his class to help children understand him better,” said Melanie. The students learned examples of things he is sensitive to, such as buzzing lights, sounds, temperatures, textures, and social situations.

When Isaac’s teacher, Julie Van Oordt, commented to the parents of Isaac’s peers that their son or daughter worked well with Isaac, they responded that their kids did not see him as any different than their typically developing peers. “Kids are eager to read with him, practice spelling together, and partner with him on activities and assignments,” said Julie.

Equipped with an understanding of Isaac, they accept him as a fellow image bearer of God and a classmate.

Isaac is growing in his new environment, too. He is learning generosity and selflessness. He recently created a Minecraft figurine for one of his friends, demonstrating that he is thinking about others. “It’s not typical for him to develop a connection with those outside his immediate family, so this was a big deal for Isaac,” said Melanie. He will tell you that his favorite parts of school are spending time in the computer lab and playing outside in the school’s woods, where he can often be found at recess playing Star Wars and making forts with friends.

Isaac has found a place of belonging at Allendale Christian. When visiting the school, talking with school staff, or looking at the school’s budget, it is obvious that Allendale Christian has a commitment to creating places of belonging for every student — a commitment strengthened through their partnership with All Belong. “When you walk down our hallways, you can tell that everyone has a place in our student body,” said Rachel Seinen, ACS student support services director. “We’re all different — that’s just how we roll.”

In a letter to families, principal Brian Koetje expressed, “Jesus never said, ‘Let the typical or average children come.’ Instead He said, ‘Let the little children come to me.’ This was a clear statement from God that the children in the body of Christ belong, regardless of ability or disability. The ACS community desires to represent the diversity in the body of Christ as much as we can.” Brian shared in this letter that the body of Christ at ACS includes students with attention, cognitive, emotional, and physical differences — each of these students is an essential part of making the body of Christ complete.

Brian credits All Belong with helping the school create this culture of inclusion for all students. “All Belong has been an invaluable partner and teammate in helping us make decisions to care for all students,” said Brian. “This partnership makes inclusion doable.”

All Belong director of school services, Becky Tubergen, makes monthly visits to the school to provide Brian, Rachel, and general education teachers with insight, tools, and resources, along with professional development accountability. Rachel shared, “All Belong is the behind-the-scenes support staff — providing resources, workshops and feedback. It’s vital to be part of a bigger team with vast experience and knowledge.”

The intentionality of including students of all abilities at Allendale Christian has created an environment where families are enriched by the care displayed at the school. “God has completely blessed us through ACS,” said Melanie. “Our faith has changed.” The family’s recent involvement at the school has given them an example of the value of community and what it means to love and accept one another.

The naturalness of inclusion and ease of acceptance at ACS is a testament to the impact of All Belong donor’s gifts and advocacy. “Because of donor contributions, we can respond to the needs and vision of Allendale Christian, and help them create a culture that celebrates and supports students with diverse abilities,” said Elizabeth Lucas Dombrowski, All Belong executive director.

“We are delighted to see the community that has taken shape at ACS and look forward to the ways it will continue to grow.”

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2017 Inclusive newsletter.