Hundreds of students who would otherwise be unable to participate in a track meet were invited to the Laurentian University track to participate in Thursday’s Rainbow District School Board Challenge Meet.
“It’s a great opportunity for our students and their families to come out and watch them participate in athletics,” Special Education Programs and Services principal Colleen McDonald told Sudbury.com of the day’s meet, which was rescheduled from earlier in the month due to poor weather.
A longstanding tradition of the past several years, the annual track meet saw approximately 330 students with special needs invited from 22 Rainbow District schools to participate in such events as races, high jump, long jump, softball throw, shot put and other common track events.
“Quite often, students that would participate in the Challenge Meet wouldn’t normally be able to go to a regular track and field meet because there wouldn't be the right level of support or accommodations for them to compete fully,” McDonald said.
Staff from throughout the school division come together for the event to support students alongside parents, grandparents and guardians.
“I find that the students just love to get out there and see their friends from other schools,” McDonald said, adding that they “just like the opportunity to get out there and be involved in the day.”
“It’s wonderful for the parents to come out and see their child at a track meet for the first time,” she said. “There’s a lot of school spirit, a lot of staff.”
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
