In August of 2019, Oakmont Regional High School became one of the 16 schools in the nation to receive National Banner recognition for its excellence in “inclusion, advocacy, and respect.” Through participation in Unified Sports and groups such as Friends Club, Oakmont students have created an environment in which all students have the opportunity to enjoy their high school experience.

More than 180 schools in the United States currently participate in Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools programs, but only 16 schools in the nation this year received National Banner Recognition. As a past and present Special Olympics Unified Champion School, Oakmont High School met 10 standards of excellence this year for which they received this honor. 

The Unified Sports and Friends Club programs provide a rich environment for all students involved. These programs contribute to the success of students with disabilities at Oakmont, and help students create meaningful relationships to cherish throughout high school. 

Mrs. Smeltekop, the new vice principal at Oakmont Regional High School, has been the advisor of Friends Club for eight years and helped begin the Unified Sports teams at the school. “If you went to high school and didn’t have a sport or club, it wouldn’t be as much of an enjoyable experience. [Unified Sports and Friends Club] exposes students to friends, athletics, and extracurriculars that some students wouldn’t necessarily have participated in.”

Smeltekop has witnessed first hand how these programs have impacted the lives of students with disabilities within the school.

“A club like [Friends Club] is so powerful in helping the kids feel good about what they do and provides them with an avenue to participate in activities they love.” Smeltekop added. Smeltekop described how these clubs allow students to build important social connections in a positive environment. She hopes that one day, inclusion of students with disabilities won’t have to be recognized with an award, because it will simply be something that everyone does.

Mr. Uminski, the principal at Oakmont Regional High School, takes great pride in the environment within the school. “When I first read the letter about the award, my eyes welled up with tears, even now just thinking about it,” Uminski said.

As the principal of Oakmont, Mr. Uminski is incredibly proud of this award, but gave all the credit to the students and faculty for making it happen.  “I am so proud of our students and faculty for creating a culture in school of inclusion, friendship, and kindness. It’s what everyone wants in a school,” said Uminski.

Uminski summed up our school’s honor by saying that Oakmont “promotes being nice for the sake of being nice.” The National Banner recognition highlighted that.

Marty Steucek, 2021, a member of both Unified Basketball and Friends Club, believes these clubs have changed his experiences at Oakmont for the better. 

“There are lots of nice people to talk to and I made a lot of friends being involved,” said Steucek. “I met all of my closest friends in Friends Club and I got to know so many people in my school.” Steucek believes that the relationships he created within these programs made his high school experience unforgettable.

Steucek participated in Unified Basketball this winter and was a key player on the team. “It’s a great program for our school,” Steucek said. He helped lead the team to success and their teamwork was unstoppable.

Friends Club and Unified are popular extracurriculars at Oakmont, and being recognized by the Special Olympics is a tremendous honor. Throughout Smeltekop’s eight years running Friends Club, the participation slowly grew. Friends Club is now the most popular club at Oakmont, beating every other clubs participation by a landslide. 

National Banner Recognition gives the students and faculty at Oakmont a sense of pride, knowing that what they are doing is special and one of a kind. The inclusion at Oakmont Regional High School continues to provide students with a high school experience that will impact them positively and lead them to have the opportunity to do amazing things in the future.