Dear colleagues,
As we have just finished our 3-way-conferences, we anticipate that you may have some thoughts and concerns regarding some students. Hence, we would like to invite you to indicate any those students who are not currently under the Student Support Services (Learning Support, EAL or Counseling) and have a brief discussion about them in our next Wednesday session on the 21st of February.
Purpose
As we have just finished our 3-way-conferences, we anticipate that you may have some thoughts and concerns regarding some students. Hence, we would like to invite you to indicate any those students who are not currently under the Student Support Services (Learning Support, EAL or Counseling) and have a brief discussion about them in our next Wednesday session on the 21st of February.
Purpose
The purpose of the student of concern meetings is to identify and discuss briefly students who we notice struggling with learning, socially or emotionally. These are students who are not yet serviced by Learning Support, ESOL or counselor for this particular concern. Hence, students who already have an IEP, Action Plan or are in the Pre-referral process are not part of these conversations. These are students who we have just started to worry about and/or direct their learning, behavior or social skill development regularly. The idea is not to provide quick fixes or solutions at the meeting but to share and collect data collaboratively. Additionally, having many teachers hearing those concerns usually lowers the level of stress related to these students and gives a reason for teachers to connect and work together to find solutions. Follow-up will be done by Learning Support, ESOL and/or the Counselor.
Purpose in bullets:
- Sharing, caring, informing, connecting with colleagues, with some existing solutions with the same student
- Opportunity to share concerns about students who are NOT currently on IEP, Action plan and serviced by LS, ESOL or the Counsellor
- Opportunity to share additional concerns of students who may be already serviced by ESOL or the Counselor (E.g. ESOL student with emotional/ behavioral challenges, Emotional student with new learning related challenge, etc.)
- Not brainstorming new solutions/strategies at this point yet
- Listing students for further conversations and follow-up (even if time runs out to discuss all the students in the meeting)
How:
1. Open the Google spreadsheet.
2. Click on the LOGISTICS tab (bottom of the page) to note your meeting time in the MPR (even if you have no concerns, presently).3. Click on the appropriate grade level tab.4. Fill in the information in the appropriate section (Specialists at top of each page; Classroom Teachers, scroll down).
5. Be prepared that afternoon to share your information in way that will allow for everyone to have time to speak.
The meetings are facilitated by two members of the Learning Support, EAL, and the counselor. One keeps the conversation flowing and the other one focuses on taking notes and keeping time. Each meeting takes 30 minutes.
Specialist teachers (PE, Visual Art, Music, Japanese, Tech, Library) teaching all students are sitting in all meetings. They will also have the opportunity to share their concerns first at every meeting.
The meeting will follow the students who have been listed on the Student-of-Concern sheet. Therefore, it is important that all teachers will list their student(s) of concern to the list by Wednesday Meeting time 2:35 pm. Even if we don't have enough time to discuss all the students, the Student Support Team will be able to follow up if the students and the relevant concern is listed.
When and Where
Wednesday 14:35 - 16:35
ELAC Multipurpose Room
14:35-15:05 Grade 5
15:05 - 15:35 Pre-K/KA and KB
15:35 - 16:05 Grades 1 and 2
16:05 - 16:35 Grades 3 and 4
Flow of Conversation
The facilitator will go through the students from the list in the following order:
1. Order of listing
2. Listed by a specialist teacher
3. Listed by a classroom teacher
4. Not serviced by Student Support Team for the concern yet, however
- The student may be serviced by the EAL team, but not because of the concern like emotional, behavioral or specific learning related issue
It is important that we are prepared to contribute and listen to each other in the 30-minute meetings.
Sample talking points
- I have noticed .... often seeking connection, avoiding contact, looking for escape etc.
- I have noticed ... often fidgeting, finding the need to move, holding something in their hands
- .... seems to get stuck with their learning, not able to start their task, asking so many questions
- ... stamina for reading/writing is still ... or has diminished
- ... makes often inappropriate comments about their classmates
- ... is often very quiet and withdrawn
- ... is regularly having a hard time to control his/her excitement
Please, contact Rose, Derrick Saiko, Yoshiko or Heikki for further questions.
Thank you!
