Family Handbook 2024-25

STUDENT HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Learning Support The Learning Support Team is responsible for supporting students, families and faculty in a collaborative model when learning difficulties arise. When teachers or parents identify a student struggling to learn, the team collectively monitors student progress and makes recommendations to support learning. For identified students, the team manages student accommodations and will work with outside service providers to help students build on their strengths and support their areas of challenge. There are four Junior School learning support specialists for students in Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6 and one child and youth worker who supports the social/emotional needs of Junior School students. There are three learning support/guidance specialists for Grades 7 to 8 and one learning support specialist for Grades 9 to 12. In the Junior School, early and intensive interventions are provided to students who may require additional support to meet grade level learning objectives. When students transition into the Middle School, the focus shifts to proactively supporting students through strategies designed to build their executive functioning, study and self-advocacy skills. As students move into the Senior School and prepare for post secondary education, they build their self-advocacy skills, develop an individualized toolkit of assistive technology and refine their executive functioning skills. The learning support specialists review all psycho-educational assessments and create Individual Education Plans (IEP), which identify annual program goals and describe the support that is available for that student. The accommodations are aligned to those of universities, colleges, provincial assessments and other standardized tests. Accommodations include instructional, assessment and environmental strategies and supports. Accommodations are determined based on the recommendations of a psycho-educational assessment and in consultation with the student, parents and teachers. To ensure accommodations meet the specific needs of the student, a psycho-educational assessment completed within the last four to five years should be on file. Generally, student assessments are completed in Grades 3, 8 and 12. Students going to university will be counselled to seek a current psycho-educational assessment. An IEP based on the recommendations of an occupational therapist will be retired in June of the second academic year after the recommendations have been put in place. Students who continue to require accommodations will need to provide an updated occupational therapy report. An IEP based on the recommendations of a mental health professional or doctor’s note will be retired in June of that academic year. Students who continue to require accommodations will need to provide an updated recommendation letter.

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