By Kiara Cain
Last school year we welcomed a new project to our swamp. G.L.U.E. stands for Gators Learning and Understanding Exceptionalities. G.L.U.E was started as an inclusive project that focuses on our Annex Angels.
The motivation and creation of G.L.U.E.
During the 2022-23 school year G.L.U.E. was introduced as an initiative due to our special needs students not being understood. As a group that is often overlooked in our community, teacher Renee Caldwell and then-sophomore Landry Tippett wanted to combat this. Caldwell says “I’d observed how in many communities, our citizens with special needs were not always understood, seen, and in some cases respected as viable members of our society. I wanted to create something to address that within our Shreve community.”
G.L.U.E. was embraced and approved by Principal Robert Silvie and Assistant Principal of Instruction and Student Services, Marita Hunt. As a result, Caldwell invited Coach Kendrick Law to collaborate with her on the project. At the end of the school year, Tippett inquired about the project becoming a school club, which kickstarted a small project into something more. Tippett was interested in the project becoming a club because she had a very personal connection with the G.L.U.E. initiative. “Having a special needs cousin who is a Shreve graduate, I have seen firsthand the stigma around this amazing group of people. This club is the perfect way for general education students to learn from the special needs student,” she stated.
Thoughts and feelings about this new club joining the swamp
The talk of a new club began circulating and people were excited to be a part of the positivity. Amy Douglas, a former teacher at Shreve, was selected as a Louisiana state-level finalist for the 2023 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. She brought attention to the club by mentioning it to the judges for her award who were very fond of the idea. Among students, positivity was electric as Tippett mentioned the idea of G.L.U.E. to her friends, and they said they were excited and would join.
Tippett and Caldwell are enthusiastic about the possibilities for the G.L.U.E. initiative. “I am extremely passionate about the work that I have done through the years with Caddo’s special needs students and therefore grateful for this special project that I was able to create and gift to Shreve’s special needs and general student populations. It is a gift that I now consider as one of the meaningful footprints of my time serving as a Captain Shreve educator,” says Caldwell.
Tippett echoes those feelings: “Inclusivity means a lot to me, and I think this is a great way for special needs and regular Ed students to learn from each other and create a better school environment.”
The future of G.L.U.E
Now that Caldwell is the off-site sponsor of the club, the structure of the club will continue with Law as the on-campus sponsor, junior Tippett as the club president, and sophomore Ishmael Swiney as the vice president. The club will incorporate a variety of activities in which students can participate. Some include The Annex Angels Annual Christmas Production (an event Caldwell introduced when she first began teaching at Shreve), Student Council’s Mardi Gras Parade, the Annex Angels Easter Egg Hunt, and volunteering for the Special Olympics. Tippett also mentions wanting to have an event every month and a lunch-buddy system every week. She also says “I hope to create a legacy where this club goes on to impact students for years after I graduate.”
Helping our community stick together
So far this school year G.L.U.E. has been making an impact on campus. Over 70 students filled out the Google interest form since the Club Fair last Thursday, G.L.U.E. is quickly growing in popularity. Both Caldwell and Tippett have expressed their gratitude and are ecstatic about so many students being interested. They hope G.L.U.E. plays a role in influencing inclusivity and positively impacting the future of other clubs.
“Hopefully by seeing the different things we do, it will inspire students to be a part of the change,” Tippett states.
For more information about G.L.U.E, there is an interest meeting on August 31st, at 7:45 in B103 and the deadline to join is September 7th. It is a club that welcomes all students and does not have any requirements to join.
Lastly, Caldwell sends a very special thank you, “I’d also like to give a huge thank you to our Gator leaders like Landry and Ishmael who found value in this initiative and wanted to continue serving and amplifying the mission of education and inclusivity. Finally, I’d like to give a special shout-out to the team of teachers and para-educators in the Annex who I’ve had the pleasure to serve with over the past few years as we worked to give our students with exceptionalities the best educational experiences possible, as well as The Enterprise for spotlighting G.L.U.E.”