Supporting Students Through Various TransitionsMarch 4th, 2015

Presented by:Mrs. D. Ensing, Mrs. M. Gollan-Wills

Any and all transitions are based on student need. Many conversations will occur and assistance is based on individual needs.

First meeting with parents when identification is confirmed (usually in grade 4). Definition of “Gifted”

Why it is important

How to talk to your child

How to help your child talk about it

Resources

Grade 4 “Discover Gifted” in June: - meet itinerant teacher and all peers that

will be in their cluster or class. - look at Multiple Intelligences

September: Multiple Exceptionalities Protocol: meet with home school to review needs, plan.

Open House/Parent Night late September

Prior to clusters, more will be done to ease transition if students needs (i.e. itinerant teacher visit, visit to cluster site, etc.)

Accommodations to be reviewed between home school and itinerant teacher: “Homework How To”, workload, any IEP listings.

Easing into first cluster: tour of building, set expectations, students meet each other. Like the first day of school.

In the four years of clusters, transitions are very student-driven:

Reminders of clusters and topics

Small groups or individual meetings in home school for specific issues

During 7/8 cluster every other year, invite secondary itinerant to come; introduce course codes, start long-term planning.

Grade 8 “Discover Gifted @ Secondary” in June (see next slide)

The first official cross-panel transition occurs at the “Discover Gifted @ Secondary” event in late May* of the year prior to entry

Monday, April 13th, 2015*

Transition to the secondary enrichment withdrawal program ELOPE from the cluster format

Meet secondary, like-minded peers

Meet receiving gifted contact/teacher/LST

If elementary students are reaching ahead (cross-panel) to secondary for credit (i.e. Math), support is offered to ease the transition:

ONSITE*: many schools offer an onsite orientation for incoming elementary students; find lockers, see classroom; get timetable (in January prior to entry in February);

ONLINE: the Secondary Gifted Itinerant/e-Learning Teacher run a separate tutorial (E-Learning/D2L orientation expectations) the first week in February; meet e-Learning teacher, course expectations, navigating the system, communication.

If students are looking to complete a compact for credit, they receive transition support for the framework and structure:

ONSITE: the teacher/itinerant provides support for student and teacher to go over the expectations of the compacted course;

ONLINE: the itinerant runs a tutorial for each online compacted course; navigate through system, assessment/evaluation, (Trillium concerns for staff), and provides support for transitioning them to the next compacted course.

When senior secondary students are seeking enrichment opportunities for credit in post-secondary, there is transition support: Holistic planning for students’ pathways (pre-requisite

courses); Staff are available to provide support for post-secondary

expectations, when required;

Should students choose to take an IDC 4U (T) course, they have the opportunity to learn from post-secondary mentors; design own course, involve mentor/community member, experience higher-order thinking and higher-education to support transition/pathway for the future

Large-scale enrichment conferences and opportunities are provided to spark students’ interests and help to provide pathways for them for their next phase of their lives;

Students receive transition support through various conferences/opportunities at local educational institutions and experience what “learning like a post-secondary student” is like.