Learning Centre Curriculum

What is Inclusive Education?

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Inclusive education is:

acknowledging that all learners are coming from different environments, backgrounds and lived experiences.

presuming competence, promoting independence, resilience and self-compassion.

providing programming that is guided by students needs, interests and ability.

involving families, specialized support staff, and administration in the learning process is the key to all student success.

providing all learners with multiple means to engage, express and represent their learning.

creating welcoming, caring, and a respectful and safe school environment.

The Role of Learning Support Teachers:
(cited from 'The Inclusive Education Policy')

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-Value student voice and choice and provide opportunities for them to speak to their strengths, challenges, and preferred ways of learning.

-Work with parents/guardians to help them feel welcome in the school community and to empower them as essential decisionmakers regarding programming and/or supports for their child, including, but not limited to, participating on Student Planning Teams.

-Work with parents/guardians to understand their preferred ways of working with teachers, principals, and other staff, and to accommodate it, as much as possible.

-Provide direct support to classroom teachers to meet the identified needs of their students.

-Promote students’ well-being and achievement by developing and implementing strategies with teachers and other staff.

-Provide specific interventions and support(s), primarily in classrooms or common learning environments, to individual students or small groups of students who may require additional supplemental and intensive interventions.

Click here to access this document on the internet.

The Role of Learning Support Teachers:
(cited from 'The Inclusive Education Policy')

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Click here to access this document on the internet.

-Work collectively with school-based and regional support staff, as appropriate, to support teachers in the delivery of instruction, assessment, and interventions to students.

-Maintain regular communication with students, parents/guardians, and other teachers and school staff with respect to students’ progress.

-Are accountable for adherence to the principles of inclusive education.

-Work with the Teaching Support Team to meet the needs of teachers and students.

-Work with Student Planning Teams through the Program Planning Process for individual students as needed.

-Assess and evaluate the effectiveness of their practices.

St Agnes Junior High Skills Development

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The goal of skills development is to teach students how to socialize, what it means to have a regular job and feel included in the school, and how to complete basic tasks, just to name a few. Some of the activities students will participate in this year to gain these skills are:

Cooking

Delivering newspapers throughout the school

Delivering and collecting fruit bowls throughout the school

Social club - will include playing board games, socializing, building things, going for walks, etc.

Peers and Zones groups

Shopping for essentials like groceries

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“ What we know for sure is that we are wired to do hard things. In order to do those hard things to the best of our capacity, we have to remember this: we are wired for connection. It is through physical connection with other people that we are much better able to handle hard things. To persist. To be resilient. To remember our ‘why!’

Carrington, J. (2019) These Days: Kids These Days: A Game Plan For (Re)Connecting With Those We Teach, Lead, & Love. Friesen Press.

Learning Centre Curriculum Document: St Agnes Junior High

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Learning Centre Teachers are responsible for ensuring the Public Schools Program and curricula are implemented in a way that maximizes student learning experiences. We commit to delivering inclusive education in instruction and evaluation to all students within our teaching assignment. Consistent with the Department of Education’s Special Education policies and Halifax Regional Centre for Education policies, Learning Centre Teachers work within an established framework for the delivery of specialized services to students. Working collaboratively in a team environment, we demonstrate a strong commitment to the planning for improvement process, in support of student learning and reports directly to the School Principal.

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The Learning Centre Teacher shall perform tasks assigned by the School Principal. These tasks may vary from time to time but are not limited to the following:

-Provide direct instruction based on identified student needs as outlined in the program plan, in collaboration with the classroom teacher.

-Provide students with opportunities to participate in activities that strengthen their social and emotional development.

-Provide students with opportunities to participate in activities that enhance their life skills.

Learning Centre Curriculum Document: St Agnes Junior High

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Listen to the text here.

The Learning Centre Teacher tasks continued:

-Participate on school teams to assist in problem solving and program planning, as needed.

-Share the responsibility with other team members of interpreting and reporting assessment results and other pertinent information with parents, administrators and other professionals.

-Work collaboratively with administrators, teachers, parents and students in the design, implementation and review of comprehensive individualized program plans.

-Design, implement and evaluate instructional and behavioural programs that enhance the student’s social participation in family, school and community activities.

-Use appropriate assessment instruments such as adaptive skills assessments and developmental screening assessments.

-Adapt and modify existing assessment tools and methods to accommodate the unique abilities and needs of students with developmental disabilities.

-Assist parents and other professionals in planning appropriate transitions for all students with diverse abilities, including job placement, school-to-work and independent living.

-Promote and maintain confidentiality regarding records and documentation.

-Maintain ongoing collegial support through professional support sessions.