1. Down Syndrome Awareness
At John T. Tuck PS
From April 25-29, 2016

2. About John T. Tuck PS
John T. Tuck PS is a K to 8 school in Burlington with approximately 700 students. At John. T. Tuck every day we work hard to make a difference, be ourselves, and to be awesome. We encourage everyone at Tuck to be unique in their own way because celebrating our differences is part of what makes Tuck a great school to learn and grow!
This is our first year celebrating World Down Syndrome Awareness Day at Tuck. Our school character focus is on how to “Be Awesome” and we think that creating awareness and encouraging acceptance definitely helps us to be awesome. We have many unique and exceptional students in our school community but we do not currently have any students attending Tuck who have Down syndrome. This was a great learning experience for everyone involved and we were able to make personal connections to people in our community and families who have Down syndrome.

3. We are a diverse and wonderful school!
Diversity at Tuck!
We are a diverse and wonderful school!
We encourage: Equality, Respect, Friendship, Awareness, Empathy, Caring, Acceptance, and Responsibility
Our bulletin board outside the office displays these values to everyone who enters the school and showcases the HDSA logo

4. Reading and Learning About Diversity
Our library display showcasing books on diversity, acceptance and Down syndrome awareness. Teachers were able to share these books with their students as read-alouds and spark conversations about these topics.

5. “ People with Down syndrome are just the same as you and me
“ People with Down syndrome are just the same as you and me!” - Katie, Kindergarten student Age 5
Mrs. Rollo (Grade 4 teacher), reading “My Friend Isabelle”, a story about a girl with a friend who has Down syndrome to one of our kindergarten classes. Mrs. Rollo shared her experiences with people who have Down syndrome and students learned a lot about acceptance.

6. Our kindies watching inspirational and informational videos from the Halton Down Syndrome Association!

7. Our Grade 1’s reading “We’ll Paint the Octopus Red”, a book about Down syndrome and all the things that people with Down syndrome can do just like anyone else. Many students shared experiences about people they know who have Down syndrome and made personal connections to the story.

8. Students in our primary, junior, and intermediate classes enjoyed read-alouds such as “My Friend Has Down Syndrome” and “Taking Down Syndrome to School”. These stories helped to support information presented by our Awareness Ambassadors who spoke with classes about Down syndrome.

9. Our Kindergarten Awareness Ambassadors in Action!
Sharing our learning with Grade 3 and other Kindergarten students
We shared our presentation with every class in the school!
Our Kindergarten Awareness Ambassadors in Action!

10. Our SK Awareness Ambassadors worked hard to learn how to read this speech to other classes in our school. We used many different resources to get our information about what Down syndrome is. They did a wonderful job presenting and taught students at Tuck so much about inclusion and acceptance. One of our Grade 7 teachers was so impressed with their hard work that he had them present to each of his classes to demonstrate “what good readers do”.

11. Bulletin Board!
Members from different school clubs and classes helped to create this bulletin board to let everyone in the school and community know about our school spirit day for Down syndrome awareness

12. TUCK Rocks Lots of Socks April 29th, 2016

13. Students in Class 6-2 came up with a fun way to show their spirit in support of Down syndrome Awareness

14. KF2 and Our Kindergarten Awareness Ambassadors ROCK Lots of Socks for Down syndrome!

15. Our Grade 3 students really know how to show their spirit in support of Trisomy 21!

16. Our Intermediate students Rocking their most unique socks for Lots of Socks Day!

17. Grade 7’s Rock Lots of Socks!
Junior Students Showing their Lots of Socks

18. Resources/Books
Halton Down Syndrome Association: Canadian Down Syndrome Society: Youtube: HAPPY World Down Syndrome Day Shake it off Stewart Home & School More Alike than Different Tim’s Place Albuquerque’s Service With a Smile My Friend Isabelle; Eliza Woloson My Friend Has Down Syndrome; Jennifer Moore-Mallinos, Illustrations by Marta Fabrega We'll Paint the Octopus Red; Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen, Pam Devito (Illustrator)

19. Slideshow Creators Quinn Blackhurst, Gr. 7 Sam Farrell, Gr. 7
Larry Liu, Gr. 8
Wallace Watson, Gr. 7
Nick Cikoja, Gr. 7

20. At John T. Tuck We Work Hard, Make a Difference, and are AWESOME!