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HAVERGAL COLLEGE
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The individualized needs of the student
determine the makeup of the wrap-around
team. It may include the Head of School,
Vice Principal, School-Based Social Worker,
the school’s Registered Nurse, one of
Havergal’s two Learning Support Specialists,
a Form Teacher or Teacher Advisor or
another individual who plays a supportive
role. Essential to the success of this team
is keeping it small, knowing when outside
expertise is required and having these
resources in place, and—most importantly
—adhering to the expectation of
confidentiality related to the personal
information inherent in this work.
Return to learn
is a phrase that has been
used to describe a plan to support a student
diagnosed with a concussion as she manages
her recovery and academic expectations.
The plan takes into account the various
aspects of what it means to be a student,
from timing the return to class to the
amount of time the concussed individual
should spend on homework. In this plan, a
student increases her engagement in learning
as her recovery progresses is measured by
a physician. It reads like a prescription.
One of the strengths of a Return to Learn
plan is that it recognizes that challenges
are experienced in the physical, cognitive
and sensory domains, and it accounts for
an incremental increase in engagement in
each domain. It also acknowledges that
although the inherent social and emotional
implications of recovery may elude a defined
plan, providing tailored support for these
challenges is as important as the academic-
related plan.
Response to intervention
is a model
of support for students who are at-risk
or who have identified academic or
behavioural needs. There are three tiers of
support. Tier 1 builds upon the idea that
all
students benefit from deliberate and
differentiated strategies in a classroom
setting to enhance their academic skill set.
Classroom assessments allow teachers to
individualize instruction to meet the specific
needs of students. Students who continue
to experience challenges despite support in
tier 1 are moved into tier 2. Tier 2 provides
some
students with supplemental support,
either in or out of a classroom setting, which
is targeted at addressing or monitoring a
specific challenge. When a student does
not respond to tier 2 intervention, she is
placed in tier 3. Tier 3 support is for the
few
students who need a more intense and
individualized approach to their learning.
Academic support for students in this third
tier is guided by an Individualized Education
Profile (IEP) and requires diagnosis and
recommendation from a psychologist
or clinical service provider, such as an
occupational therapist.
These examples of the language of support
are useful for Havergal in and out of their
original context. A
wrap-around team
model establishes roles and expectations
for those in a support capacity within a
school. A
return to learn
approach ensures
that consideration is provided for all
domains of needs when a student is facing
a challenge. A tiered
response to intervention
approach ensures that students who require
individualized interventions are identified
and supported. This approach is as relevant
Havergal will continue to enhance
our educational program and be
a forward-looking institution that
places the student at the centre of
everything we do.
to students with mental health challenges
as it is for academic skills deficits. Similarly,
a
return to learn
plan provides an effective
structure for any student who is recovering
from any illness—physical or mental. By
continuing to review research literature on
effective multi-domain support both within
and beyond the education sector and by
incorporating these strategies, Havergal
will continue to enhance its educational
program and be a forward-looking
institution that places the student at the
centre of everything we do.
Over the past five years of working within
our strategic plan
A Culture of Capability
,
Havergal has deepened its understanding of
the Whole Girl—her strengths and her
challenges. A significant strategic goal of the
plan was investing the time and energy
required to ensure that Havergal had the
expertise to meet the needs of all its
students. We have now hired the right
people who, in collaboration with those who
were already in place, have developed a
sound practice of providing support
appropriate to an educational institution.
Our students are the beneficiaries of this
combined expertise, receiving it in the right
form and to the degree required to address
their unique needs. The development of a
fully-functioning student support program
at Havergal has been a significant and
rewarding undertaking. This can be summed
up so beautifully by Mr. Walsh’s message to
our teachers: “Students are complex
individuals who have a variety of needs to be
met. As an educational institution, our
ability to assess and meet these needs can
have a profound effect on their lives.”