Thumbs-up to Sheldon Middle School for celebrating inclusion this week.

Students and staff are taking part in dress-up days with a different theme each day. It’s a chance to have fun and learn a valuable lesson that all are welcome, all are important, and all have a place in our world. That’s a valuable reminder at any time.

Special Olympics Iowa and Best Buddies International joined together to sponsor Inclusion Week. The goal is to promote and celebrate inclusive efforts in schools and communities.

Special Olympics provides training and competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. This promotes fitness, helps people grow and experience competition, teamwork and joy.

Best Buddies promotes one-to-one friendship, integrated employment, and leadership development programs for individuals with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities.

There was a time when people who faced such challenges were shunted off to the side, kept in the shadows and denied the opportunities and enjoyment that life offers. That has receded but it remains important to build on that foundation of inclusion.

A certain “R word” was used as a vicious insult for years, but there has been a largely successful pushback in recent years. The new “R word” is respect, and we are glad to see that sentiment grow. Some are trying to drag us back to an earlier, crueler time when that word and others like were used as weapons to hurt people. Events like this are one way to stem that tide of hate and ignorance.

The week ends with One Team, One School, as everyone is urged to wear the school colors of orange and black. There’s room for all on this team, and this is a wonderful reminder of that.

Thumbs-up to four Sheldon High School students who performed at the Iowa High School Speech Association Individual Events All-State Festival on Monday.

That’s a mouthful, but it’s more than a big title. It’s a big deal for the best speech participants in Iowa, which has a rich history in speech and debate. Sheldon has long been a leading school in those areas.

Seniors Preston Crawley with radio news announcing, and CJ Richards with after-dinner speaking, junior Rachel Besaw with a literary program, and sophomore Theresa Nilles, also with radio announcing, took the stage in Cedar Falls. Crawley and Richards also were selected for state honors for solo musical theatre.

Sheldon has won recognition for its outstanding speech program many times in the past. This is further proof that proud tradition is continuing.

Thumbs-up to a spicy addition to downtown Sheldon.

My Tasty Coffee Shop opened in February at 916 Third Ave. That is the former home of Downtown Grounds, which closed a year earlier. It’s nice to see a storefront come back to life.

Elsa Vasquez is the driving force behind My Tasty Coffee Shop, making a delicious variety of coffees, teas, smoothies and mocktails. Vasquez and her family also are offering food, including breakfast burritos, salads, wraps and more.

She knows her way around a kitchen and is preparing good food with spices and flavors that will be a welcome addition to local food offerings. We are glad to have this new option.

My Tasty Coffee Shop is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. It’s closed on Sunday.