St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School (Grand Rapids, Michigan) has a strong commitment to serving all of God’s kids, regardless of their level of need. “When families are interested in our school, we first look at their desire for a Catholic education, and then we look at what we can do to meet the needs of their children,” said principal Suzi Furtwangler, “ has impacted our school culture —students accept and celebrate their peers with disabilities and have friendships with them. Our teachers embrace students with learning and physical differences and have a heart for serving each one.”

A partner of All Belong since 2006, the school has significantly invested in their support services and made a commitment to growing their ability to meet students’ needs. “When we first started with All Belong, we had a part-time resource department that we built on our own. All Belong was a great partner to help us form that and figure out what we needed to do. Now, we have a full-time resource room department and have dreams to expand that,” said Furtwangler.

“All Belong has been critical to our success in giving us the models we need to follow. They have helped us look at our services from a student perspective, as opposed to a teacher perspective. Our teacher consultant, Becky Tubergen, provides a wealth of information to make everyone at our school better,” said Missy Meighan, resource specialist.

One student who has benefited from the growth of St. Thomas the Apostle School’s support services is Amy, who has a significant language impairment. A current seventh grade student, Amy originally left the school in kindergarten because her needs were too great for the school. Amy’s parents approached Furtwangler last school year and shared their desire for her to have a Catholic education, just like her brother. Amy started sixth grade last school year, and has grown tremendously. “It is incredible how much Amy and her teachers have grown. She is a vital part of the classroom and is embraced by her peers and teachers. Her classmates are protective of her and celebrate her gifts. She always has a smile on her face and we miss her when she is not here,” said Missy.

“The students and teachers at St. Thomas the Apostle show great care and love for my daughter,” said Susan, Amy’s mother. “She is a quick learner and has many gifts to give. I am glad that she can receive a faith education alongside her peers.”

In an effort to help all students reach their potential, St. Thomas began implementing Response-to-Intervention (RtI) to quickly catch and respond to struggling students. “Early intervention has allowed us to walk alongside struggling students and make sure they have the support they need both within and outside of the general education classroom,” said Meighan.

“It’s been a blessing to work with the St. Thomas the Apostle staff and to watch their school grow in its ability to serve students with a variety of abilities,” said Becky Tubergen, All Belong director of school services. “They have a great staff; I am eager to partner with them as they continue to grow their services and help them meet the needs of each student that walks through their doors.”