SRB Student Services Guidance Student Success and Special

SRB Student Services: Guidance, Student Success and Special Education School Council Presentation Tuesday, September 13, 2011

The Role of Student Services • To provide support and counselling to students in the areas of academics, educational choices, career goals, and personal concerns • To act in a consultative and supportive role to parents and staff

Guidance: Educational Counselling • Course selection • Timetable issues • Pathway planning based on interests, abilities and goals • Post-secondary application process • Financial assistance (e. g. , scholarship information and OSAP)

Educational Counselling (cont’d) • Online course registration • Night school and summer school registration • International students and exchange students

Guidance: Personal Counselling • Listen to personal concerns • Explore alternatives and/or solutions • Make referrals to the Learning Support Teacher, Student Success Teacher, or OCDSB Learning Support Services staff • Offer community resources when needed • Youth Services Bureau

Guidance: Career Counselling • Explore career options with students • Assist in the research of post-secondary destinations (e. g. , college, apprenticeship, and university) • Promote experiential learning opportunities – such as Co-operative Education, Focus Programs, Specialist High Skills Major, Dual Credits Program and Take our Kids to Work Day • Provide career planning presentations to grade 11 and 12 students

Co-operative Education • Students earn high school credits while gaining valuable work experience • Allows students to “test-drive” a career • 110 hours = one credit • Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) enables students to acquire on-the-job training in a

Our Guidance Staff • 2. 5 guidance counsellors for just over 900 students: • (based on student enrolment; subject to change **new distribution this week) – Edie Bonisteel (A-I) – Mary Anne Mayhew (J-O) – Mark Mullins (P-Z) • One half-time guidance secretary: – Norine Arbuthnot

NEW THIS YEAR! • SRB will have a Masters’ candidate in our guidance department – Masters’ in Educational Counselling – Will be here every Wednesday and Thursday – Will meet with every grade 9 student to introduce him/her to the guidance department • Any concerns raised will be shared with the appropriate guidance counsellor

The Referral Process • Referrals are made through our guidance counsellors and/or as part of our weekly multi-disciplinary team meetings • Parent/guardian consent is required for referrals to the psychologist, social worker, or other members of Learning Support Services – Except for in the case of counselling, where a student 12 years old and up can give consent • Interventions are short-term • May involve referrals to community based supports and services

OCDSB Professional Support • • School Psychologist School Social Worker Itinerant Educational Assistant (IEA) Learning Support Consultant (LSC) School Resource Officer (SRO) Spiritual Care Worker Multi-cultural Liaison Officer (MLO) Public Health Nurse

Student Success Program • Additional support for students who are at risk for academic failure • Proactive approach • Includes academic help at lunchtime, credit rescue and/or credit recovery • Credit rescue and credit recovery can only be accessed through our referral process

Special Education • Supports and services for students who have been assessed as having special learning needs • Individual Education Plans (IEPs) are developed annually for students who require ongoing support instructional, environmental and/or assessment accommodations – approximately 20% of our school population have IEPs

Special Education (con’t) • A student who is struggling academically, and not being successful through traditional means may be a suitable candidate for an educational assessment done by the Learning Support Teacher • SRB is one of three high schools that has a specialized program for students who have severe learning disabilities – Applications are made to a central committee

In Summary • Our goal is to support student learning and achievement