NOLA-PS to Kick-Off Inaugural Dr. Rosalynne B. Dennis Fitness Challenge

Event Supported by Special Olympics Louisiana Unified Champion Schools

(New Orleans – February 22, 2021) —With the Olympic Trials over, NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) is set to officially kick-off the Opening Ceremony of its inaugural Dr. Rosalynne B. Dennis Fitness Challenge supported by Special Olympics Louisiana Unified Champion Schools! The virtual event will take place Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 10 a.m.

The Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools program is aimed at promoting social inclusion through intentionally planned and implemented activities affecting systems-wide change.

1,000 special needs students, across 40 District schools, which includes St. Michael Special School and a group of three to five year olds, under the NOLA-PS local education agency, will be participating in the Dr. Rosalynne B. Dennis Fitness Challenge.

Each school's fitness challenge administrator will devise individualized fitness plans for each child and determine which exercises and challenges best fit into the students' individual education plans, as well as their adaptive physical education programs. Exercises/challenges could range from jumping jacks, high knee kicks, sit-ups, push-ups, etc. to a bean bag toss and arm strengthening exercises for children who are in wheelchairs.

Participants can earn fitness equipment, healthy snacks, teacher incentives, student technology scholarships, and a few lucky schools will win a sensory room equipped with supplies from Flaghouse.

"It's an honor to host the first ever Dr. Rosalynne B. Dennis Fitness Challenge for our students with exceptionalities," said Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr. "Dr. Dennis compassionately served our District for more than 40 years. She had a special gift for children with disabilities, and she made it her life's mission to ensure they were provided exceptional educational services, while also promoting initiatives, such as Special Olympics, that focused on their health and safety. Alongside her family, we will continue to recognize her hard work and dedication each year through this annual initiative."

"It's important to celebrate the successes of all of our students and show our community the wonderful things they've learned and accomplished," said Dr. Shayla Guidry Hilaire, NOLA-PS' Chief of Exceptional Children's Services. "In addition, in the spirit of inclusivity, our fitness challenge athletes will be working alongside their peers as they demonstrate exercises, call out exercises virtually over Zoom, and announce winners."

As students with disabilities and general education peers work together on social skills, they will forge lifelong relationships. In addition, the challenge will also encourage a healthy lifestyle at school, as well as at home through the introduction of weekly exercises and healthy snacks, addressing and/or promotion of gross and fine motor skills, and allowing students from charter schools under different local educational agencies to intermingle with one another virtually, where they would not have likely had the chance to do so.

Funding for the event is being supported by Special Olympics Louisiana Unified Champion Schools. In addition, the organization will be donating 300 fitness kits to the fitness challenge participants. The kits include resistance bands, jump ropes, fitness trackers, cones, and other fitness-related items to help students remain active.

With sports as the foundation, Unified Champion Schools offer a unique combination of effective activities that equip young people with tools and training to create sports, classroom and school climates of acceptance. These are school climates where students with disabilities feel welcome and are routinely included in, and feel a part of, all activities, opportunities and functions.

NOLA-PS is grateful for the support and the organization is excited to be partnering with us on this inaugural initiative.

"Special Olympics Louisiana is so thankful for the opportunity to provide support and resources to NOLA Public Schools to promote inclusion throughout school campuses," said Brock Banos, Director of Sports and Programs for Special Olympics Louisiana. "Through this fitness challenge, students will learn to live a healthier lifestyle as well as learn more about ALL students and the wonderful things each and every student can achieve. We are proud to support this amazing project and look forward to expanding our Unified Champion Schools initiative in NOLA Public Schools in the future!"

The fitness challenge will conclude Friday, April 30 and prizes will be awarded to the participants during the Closing Ceremony Friday, May 7.

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About NOLA Public Schools: NOLA Public Schools is the public school district for Orleans Parish. It includes the district's administration and elected school board, known as the Orleans Parish School Board. NOLA Public Schools currently oversees 76 public schools and is led by Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr.

For more information, visit www.nolapublicschools.com. For updates, follow NOLA Public Schools on Facebook @NOLAPublicSchools, Instagram @nolaps and Twitter @NOLAPSchools.