Student Support Services
Introduction
ISK welcomes a diverse community of learners with a range of cultural and educational backgrounds, languages, talents and abilities. The Student Support Services program successfully serves students representing a range of learning differences from mild to moderate needs and the highly capable.
The program is founded on the partnership between students, parents and teachers in providing a personalized and student-centered educational experience in which all students are included, engaged and challenged.
English Language Learners
The ISK English Language Learner (ELL) program provides language support to students in Kindergarten to Grade 10 who are still in the process of developing English language proficiency to enable them to participate successfully in the mainstream classroom. Through the ELL program, students learn to communicate in English both in social and academic language and improve their language fluency to the level of their English speaking peers. The support provided integrates the four domains of speaking, listening, reading and writing in developing interpersonal and academic English language skills.
The goal of the ELL program is to cultivate students’ academic and social language proficiency through content integrated with the mainstream curricula. ELL students build their language proficiency skills to meet or exceed grade level expectations.
Through an immersion approach, students are placed in a mainstream classroom where they learn language as they interact with other students in the language-rich environment. ELL language instruction is also provided in small groups in designated ELL lessons where students receive focused language support and skill development including targeted vocabulary and language structures in context as they engage with topics in the curriculum.
Learning Support
In the Learning Support program at ISK, we are committed to the belief that all students can be successful. Through our multidisciplinary approach and collaborative partnership of expertise between teachers and learning support staff, we foster an environment that supports identification of learning needs and provides the appropriate design of interventions with differentiation and specific student’s learning differences in mind.
Embracing our spirit of inclusion, we facilitate differentiated instruction giving students varied opportunities to access the curriculum. When students require more than differentiated support in the classroom, a program of learning support is provided by trained professionals to meet the student’s individual needs through an Individual Education Program (IEP).
Support is provided through a balanced service delivery model consisting of a combination of small group support and co-taught mainstream classes. Emphasis is on both community and personalized learning in an inclusive environment in which students feel comfortable with how they learn and what they need for success.
Elementary School Learning Support
The Elementary Learning Support program provides instructional strategies and personalized support to develop math skills and literacy skills in phonological awareness, reading, spelling and writing.
Focused support is provided in the classroom through in-class support and co-taught classes, as well as through small flexible group lessons which provide ongoing practice and review of skills and strategies.
Through the use of concrete resources, visual supports and explicit teaching, reading fluency content comprehension, writing and presentation skills are developed.
The foundation for automaticity with numbers is solidified through diverse multi-sensory approaches allowing students to reach depth of understanding through their individual learning styles.
Middle School Learning Support
In Middle School, the Learning Support Program provides focused support and guidance to reinforce math, reading, writing and study skills across core subjects. A variety of service delivery models are used including in-class support, co-taught classes, and differentiation in collaboration with content teachers. Early identification and intervention is achieved through ongoing formative assessment and an effective Response to Intervention approach.
Students in Learning Support also benefit from a scheduled, small group pull-out class taught by the Learning Support teacher. This class offers students targeted support and structure in learning strategies and skills.
We offer collaborative learning experiences that aim to develop successful habits of learning, and appropriate strategies for personal organisation and study skills. The key component of all instructional delivery is that each student has the opportunity to perform to the best of their potential as they navigate through the demands of Middle School.
High School Learning Support
The High School Learning Support program provides qualified students with focused support in either a co-taught mainstream classroom and/or a Learning Support class. The intent of this curriculum is to develop and build reading, writing and math competencies, as well as to promote study skills, effective communication and one’s overall emotional well-being.
Learning Support case managers manage the applications and administration of IB, PSAT/SAT and ACT testing accommodations for students who qualify and have current psycho-educational diagnostic testing on file.
We also aim to help students prepare both academically and socially for any eventual transitions, whether simply to the next grade level, a new school or ultimately university and beyond.