An atmosphere of keen anticipation permeated the room, as nearly 40 students congregated on the first day of school for an experience never before offered at Ossining High School.

Believe it or not, it was a Physical Education class.

Starting this year, Ossining High School is offering Unified Sports, a P.E. class in which students from both adaptive and traditional classes come together to participate in sports and active games. In doing so, OHS is joining a rapidly accelerating international movement called Project UNIFY®, which is dedicated to promoting acceptance, initiative, and friendship among individuals with and without disabilities. Project UNIFY®, which is sponsored by Special Olympics, uses team sports and physical activity to foster connections between athletes of all abilities and eliminate stereotypes.

The Unified Sports program of Ossining High School has little more than 5 classes under its belt so far. However, it’s quite clear that the initiative is off to a vastly successful start.

On Thursday, September 10^th, the students of Unified Sports got to know each other through a variety of entertaining and original activities. Mr. Nunes lead the class in Step: a frame-by-frame tag game in which participants can only make one movement at a time. Laughter rang out from all areas of the gym as students went to hilarious extremes in attempts to tag their friends, who were also frozen in comical poses. Following this, the students navigated the gymnasium balancing on the lines of the basketball court in a game of Pacman Tag, and spent time laughing about their experiences during the games with new friends.

Unified Sports classes are more than just fun. They take place in an environment that is friendly and welcoming, encouraging all students to step outside of their comfort zone in both athletic and social endeavors. Through the hard work and collaboration characteristic of sports, students forge strong bonds of trust and friendship that extend well beyond the gymnasium.

It’s clear that the students in the class are enjoying it immensely. Each activity begins with smiles and encouragement, and ends with high fives and congratulations. Zoe Scheier, a senior in the class, attests to the class’s value. “I couldn’t think more highly of Unified Sports”, says Scheier. “I originally thought that I would just be helping make other kids happy, but I can’t help but leave that class with a huge smile on my face”.

The P.E. teachers of Ossining High School have truly gotten the ball rolling with their Unified Sports classes. By creating an environment in which all students have the ability to participate and achieve, they have laid the groundwork for a school year of new friendships and new accomplishments.