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Philosophy
The Philosophy of the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board is to meet the needs of all children and to develop the fullness of humanity in a Catholic Community. All students, regardless of special talents or challenging needs can grow and they can grow best by attending their neighbourhood schools, along with their brothers and sisters.
Every child with challenging needs requires a sense of belonging; every child needs reasonable and realistic success and every child requires concern for his or her dignity as a person. The child is not served by sympathy or sentimentality. Exceptional pupils share with their fellow pupils the responsibility to demonstrate acceptable behaviour and to strive for total growth and development.
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It is the responsibility of each individual who instructs children to foster growth. No handicap, however severe, no learning deficit, however persistent, should discourage our efforts. No special gift is to be neglected. All human and material resources must be used to meet the needs of the pupil. Provision of programs and services in our schools is governed by principles of inclusion, normalization and personalization.
Programs and Services
Special education programs and services are provided within the inclusive setting of the regular classroom by Classroom Teachers, Educational Assistants, Language Resource Teachers and Special Education Resource Teachers.
Special education programs and services are provided for all exceptional pupils including:
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| Emotional Disturbance |
| Social Maladjustment |
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| Physical Disability |
| Visual Impairment |
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| Autism |
| Hearing Impairment |
| Language Impairment |
| Learning Disability |
| Speech Impairment |
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Assistive Technology Video
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| Developmental Disability |
| Giftedness |
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General Resources
Support Services
Psychological Services
The purpose of Psychological Services is to apply relevant knowledge, skills and strategies from the behavioural science of psychology to the problems presented by the school system as a total, unique environment in which people live and work. Psychological Services provides seven different types of services to the school system:
- application of research
- findings from the behavioural
- sciences
- evaluative research
- psychoeducational assessments of students
- psychological consultation to staff
- programming consultation to staff
- in-service education for staff
- counselling of students and their parents
Social Work Services
The primary goal of Social Work Services is to provide direct support to students and to do so in the least intrusive fashion possible, while encouraging and maintaining a healthy learning environment.
These services are available particularly to assist those students whose social/emotional adjustment has been severely hindered by personal, social or family difficulties.
The nature of the services rendered is preventive in nature and occurs at three levels:
- services which promote a sense of spiritual, emotional, social, physical, educational and cultural well-being
- intervention services that provide direct response and assist in determining need rehabilitative services
Service is designed to empower students and assist them in maintaining and/or reclaiming a semblance or control over their particular situation(s).
Special Education Services
The services provided by the staff include assessment and planning for students’ educational and behavioural needs, teaching/coaching students and staff in learning/teaching methodologies, providing in-service education for school staff as well as case management.
| » Gifted and Talented Education Services |
Gifted Education
"Each Belongs"
Enrichment Newsletter - Spring 2007
Giftedness
The Ministry of Education has defined giftedness as "an unusually advanced degree of general intellectual ability that requires differentiated learning experiences of a depth and breadth beyond those normally provided in the regular school program to satisfy the level of educational potential indicated."
Some Common Characteristics of a Gifted Child
- unusual insight and curiosity
- exceptional judgement and reasoning ability
- critical and creative thinking skills
- well developed ability to concentrate on areas of interest
- advanced reading ability and extensive vocabulary
- rapid mastery of basic skills
- special ability in one or several areas
- keen and alert observers
- sense of humour
Gifted and Talented Education Services
- facilitate and promote the successful implementation of the Board’s practices and procedures for gifted and talented education
- provide psycho-educational assessments of students under the guidance of Board Psychologist and Principal of Special Education
- promote activities for gifted and talented students
- advocate for the gifted learner and gifted education
- liaise with community organizations
- act as resource to parents, educators, and students
- act as resource to the school I.P.R.C.
- continue the development of programs for gifted students that are appropriate for an inclusive setting
- continue the development of identification and screening processes in accordance with Board guidelines
Planning for Bright and Gifted Students
All programming for gifted learners is developed in an integrated setting in the student’s home school. An Individual Education Plan is developed after careful analysis of the student’s learning strengths and educational needs. The student, parents, teachers, Special Education Resource Teacher and resource personnel may be involved. The planning process is flexible, cooperative and creative in nature.
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Speech, Language, and Hearing Services
The Speech, Language, and Hearing Services Staff work in the schools to meet the needs of students with communication difficulties. Their goal is to determine the individual communication needs of the students and the impact of those needs on the student’s ability to learn and socialize. They work in partnership with the school staff and parents/caregivers in order to assist them in providing the support required by the student to enable him/her to achieve success educationally.
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