Western Bureau:
After eight years of steadily adding one grade at a time, the SAV Inclusive Academy in Westmoreland is preparing to take its biggest step yet with the launch of its high school programme.
Speaking during the school’s official opening ceremony, Rockhouse Foundation President Anna Thwaites-Wallace said the milestone reflects years of steady progress and a commitment to providing continuity for students.
“Today’s event is really momentous, we have spent every year since 2017 adding on grade by grade to the Sav Inclusive Academy,” she said. “We are now at Grade Six. In September, we will welcome our first group of Grade Seven students, our first group of high-school students.”
She added that the foundation anticipates breaking ground for the high-school building in September 2026.
The first Grade Seven class will largely consist of students transitioning from the academy’s inaugural Grade Six cohort, although spaces may also become available for new entrants.
Thwaites-Wallace said the planned secondary programme will cater to different learning needs through varied pathways.
“We are planning a high school that will have two pathways to learning … because we do feel that it’s going to give our students the best opportunity to reach their full potential and find ways that are going to ultimately have them graduating as successful adults,” she said.
Principal Norda Louden said the expansion represents a continuation of the school’s mission to ensure every child has access to quality education.
“We have transformed that idea into a reality where specialised support services and inclusive methodologies are not just goals, but our daily practice,” she said.
BROADER IMPACT
Parents and education officials say the SAV Inclusive Academy is demonstrating the value of inclusive education by bringing children of different abilities together in one learning environment.
Speaking at the recent official campus opening, Dionne Gayle Smart, assistant chief education officer for the Ministry of Education’s Region 4, said the model benefits both students with disabilities and their peers.
“The child with special needs will access differentiated instructions … and they also get a chance to mingle with other students, regular students in the classroom,” she said. “When they get to adulthood, they understand how to accept and to care for persons with disabilities.”
Smart added that the Ministry of Education is pursuing similar initiatives elsewhere.
“The special education policy speaks to inclusion. It’s a must. We are definitely looking at creating more inclusive spaces,” she said.
Looking ahead, Louden stressed that the institution remains focused on creating opportunities beyond the classroom and ensuring that students are prepared for the future.
“We will ensure that the inclusive journey that begins here in our primary classrooms continues to flourish, providing educational opportunities that empower our students to step confidently into their tomorrow,” she said.
‘GODSEND’
For parent Jeneita Davis-Mullings, whose son, Trevouri Mullings ,was diagnosed with level three autism, the school’s impact has been deeply personal.
“Sav Inclusive was a godsend for my family,” she said. “I came from being a crying mom to now advocate for autism.”
She credited the school with helping Trevouri make remarkable developmental gains, and praised its commitment to ensuring children with disabilities fully participate in school life.
Another parent, Michelle Fenton, whose daughter does not have special needs, said the academy has also positively shaped the attitudes of students without disabilities.
“Her best friend has a speech impediment and a physical impediment and it’s nothing to her. She doesn’t know the difference and that’s what the whole ethos is, is that we’re all one and we can learn side by side.”
Kurteenidus McNeil, a gardener at the school and father of Grade 4 student Kurteenidus McNeil Jr, shared a similar sentiment.
While his son does not have special needs, he said he was determined to have him enrolled at the academy.
“My son doesn’t have special needs but, every time I come here and see what’s going on, I say my son has to come right here and mingle with them,” he said.
Mickalia.Kington@gleanerjm.com
