Celebrating Inclusive Schools Week: Q&A with Flower Hill Elementary School
December 8–12 is Inclusive Schools Week. During this week, we celebrate the schools, educators, students and families who work every day to ensure that all students feel welcomed, supported and valued. Inclusive Schools Week highlights the importance of creating learning environments where every student has the opportunities and access needed to thrive.
To mark the week, several schools participated in a short Q&A about what inclusion looks like on their campuses. Each school responded to the same set of questions, offering a glimpse into the practices, partnerships and commitments that help foster belonging and strengthen their school communities.
What does an inclusive school community look or feel like at your building?
At Flower Hill Elementary, our guiding principle is "We All Belong on the Hill," and cultivating a deep sense of belonging for everyone is our highest priority. Our community includes Emerging Multilingual Learners and Special Education program students. This commitment to belonging is visible in our daily actions: every student participates in monthly Town Halls to learn about empathy and kindness and improve our school, and every student is included in all activities. We facilitate belonging that extends beyond the classroom walls; teachers engage with students at bus stops and we've created organized walking groups so no student has to walk to school alone, fostering connection right where our day begins. At Flower Hill, inclusivity means creating meaningful times and processes so that every individual feels seen, valued and fundamentally connected to “The Hill.”
What inclusive practices or programs are you most proud of?
One practice we are most proud of is our frequent New Student Pizza Parties. Flower Hill consistently receives new enrollments throughout the year, whether students are relocating to our area or joining us mid-year to access our specialized Special Education services. These parties introduce new students to members of the Flower Hill leadership team, including their counselor and administrators. During these gatherings, students are encouraged to share one thing they enjoy about the school and, crucially, any challenges they might be facing. This proactive process guarantees that every new student is seen, heard and supported from day one, swiftly transitioning them into feeling a profound sense of belonging.
What is one thing your school does consistently to make all students feel welcome?
The consistent practice that Flower Hill Elementary School employs to ensure all students feel welcome is the explicit, daily teaching and reinforcement of belonging through the guiding message: "We All Belong at the Hill." This concept is integrated into the entire school environment, moving beyond a simple motto to become the school's atmosphere. Students internalize this message through daily announcements and actively learn its principles during dedicated community times and Town Halls, where lessons on empathy, kindness and teamwork are explicitly taught. The inclusion of student government leaders in regular discussions about belonging ensures that this core value is consistently championed and upheld by the students themselves, creating a universally supportive and welcoming culture.
How do you involve families, staff or students in your inclusion efforts?
The inclusion efforts at Flower Hill are robust, focusing on deliberate outreach and consistent engagement across all members of our community. The school primarily involves families by building a strong foundation of welcome and belonging, as evidenced by over 97% of parents reporting a sense of welcome on the 2024 and 2025 MCPS climate surveys. Staff are involved through dedicated efforts, such as canceling the first staff meeting to ensure every teacher makes a positive, introductory phone call to every child's family at the start of the year. This initial personal connection is reinforced throughout the year with multiple open houses and a structured spring parent conference process. To involve the broader community and affirm diverse identities, the school hosts school-wide events like "Truckmania" and culturally specific gatherings, including African American Breakfasts and Emerging Multilingual Learner Parent Breaks.
