Victorious Nazarene is “More” Inclusive

In a remarkable display of commitment to the Ministry of Education’s More Campaign, Victorious Nazarene School is once again in the news showcasing the community of Succotz as a beacon of inclusivity and setting an example for institutions across Belize. In this week’s Look on the Bright Side, we returned to Benque Viejo where we met another teacher doing “More” this time by being inclusive. How? That’s what we want you to see.

 

Sabreena Daly, Reporting

Victorious Nazarene School has been redefining education, breaking barriers, and leading the charge in the Ministry of Education’s More Campaign. In our initial story, we shared how this rural school uses artificial Intelligence to teach programming, a sophisticated aspect of computer science. This time around, however, we stopped at a classroom where we met Shereece Sabal, a teacher, engaging her students in sign language. She took on this initiative when she learned that she would be teaching a student with special needs.

 

Shereece Sabal, Teacher, Victorious Nazarene School

“I had no idea that I had a student that couldn’t talk. So when they told me, I said, now what will happen because I don’t know sign language. So from then we had to  have to put different things in place to make sure that he gets everything that he needs from me. And he’s included in every subject that we, um, that I teach here.”

 

Sabal’s commitment to inclusivity is not only evident in her words, but in the vibrant classroom atmosphere that she has cultivated. Learning sign language was not just a task for her; it was a commitment to ensuring that everyone, including her special needs student, is an integral part of the learning journey.

 

Shereece Sabal
“This for me was a huge It’s a huge task to take on.  First, I have to teach myself how to sign.  And then include not only him, but all the other students.  Because they also help, right? Because if I am busy or doing something with another student, then they’ll be able to help him if need be.”

 

Principal Shirley Humes, the guiding force behind Victorious Nazarene School’s inclusive ethos, sheds light on the school’s dedication to embracing diversity.

 

Shirley Humes, Principal, Victorious Nazarene School
“We strongly believe in, in inclusion.  And we believe that every child deserves a chance, despite their need. And, um, like I mentioned, you know, this is, it’s a, it’s a great challenge because signing is not easy. And you need to be a specialist to be able to sign. However, that, um, did not keep us away from not being able to, to take him in.”

 

What sets Victorious Nazarene apart is not just a commitment to inclusion, but the student body genuinely embracing diversity. When the Ministry of Education learned of this, it acknowledged the effort and shared that this is a prime example of doing more.

 

Dian Maheia, Chief Education Officer, MOECST
“That sort of inspiration is really what moves me and I think it’s what moves our team at the Ministry of Education. That’s why being more inclusive is one of our core pillars under the more campaign because to show that you have that level of consideration for someone else. That you will go beyond what is expected. It really doesn’t diminish your capacity. You’re thinking more of someone else, and you’re building your own capacity. That teacher and those students have learned way more than sign language. They have learned to be better human beings. And that’s what we want. We want them to be more for Belize.”

     

That remarkable revelation unfolded not only through the teacher’s enthusiasm to making life easier for the hearing-impaired student, but also through the commitment of his classmates, who eagerly embraced the challenge of learning sign language.

Sabreena Daly

“What was your reaction to seeing the other students embrace learning sign language to communicate with their classmate?”

 

Shereece Sabal

“Well, in the beginning, it was very surprising.  Because  when I would sit back and I see them doing the little signs to him, I was like, well, I don’t know. It was very surprising for me. It was a great feeling. And then again, that motivated me more to teach them more so they can communicate with him more.”

 

Shirley Humes
“That’s the beauty about Victoria’s Nazarene: our students embrace our children no matter what their condition is. And that’s what I’ve seen from his classmates. They embrace him, they help him along, and that has been the reaction from the students ever since preschool. They have been there, um, and I must say there are even parents who have sent their children with him. To sign in class to be able to help him out.”

 

Looking on the Bright Side, I’m Sabreena Daly