Mission Statement
As Student Services professionals we believe learning is maximized when it takes place in an environment enriched with support, encouragement and assistance. We strive to motivate each child to reach his/her maximum potential academically, spiritually, emotionally and physically.
The Student Services Team provides supports to students, teachers and parents to ensure appropriate programming for all students. The Student Services Team also acts as a liaison with external educational, health and para-professionals partners to ensure access to services for students and their families.
SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITIES
The Student Services Team assumes the educational leadership and supervision for the student services department to ensure that students are supported in a safe learning environment and provided instruction that meets and exceeds the province’s core curriculum content standards, following the approved curricula and ensuring the school’s mission, vision and values are advanced.
The Student Services Team at Khalsa School Calgary supports students, staff, and families by facilitating and implementing programs, distributing information, acting as a liaison between other paraprofessionals, and ensuring programming is put in place so that all students can be successful.
In addition, the Student Services Team is responsible for admissions testing and, in consultation with the Principal, makes the final decision regarding the grade placement and admission of new applicants.
The Student Services Team shall ensure the tenets of a professional learning community, in which the student success and achievement are core, are emulated within the student services department and ensure that staff work towards creating and sustaining a culture of excellence in mind, body, soul and spirit for both staff and students.
Strategic Planning
- To actively monitor and follow up pupil progress
- To implement School Policies and Procedures
- To work with colleagues to formulate aims, objectives and strategic plans which have coherence and relevance to the needs of pupils and to the aims, objectives and strategic plans of the School.
- To ensure that the tenets of a professional learning community are evident and practiced
- Develop, implement and monitor standards and practices for student support services
Curriculum
- To ensure the delivery of an appropriate, comprehensive, high quality and cost-effective program implementation which complements the school’s 3YEP. Mission, Vision values and goals
- To support teachers in the development and implementation of IPP’s and ISP’s
- To keep up to date with and respond to provincial and national developments in the subject area and teaching practice and methodology.
- To establish the process of the setting of targets and to work towards their achievement.
- To establish common standards of practice within the school and develop the effectiveness of teaching and learning styles.
- To ensure that ESL Benchmarks/Tracking Forms are in place for all ESL students
- To seek/implement modification and improvement where required.
- Communications:
- To ensure effective communication/consultation as appropriate with the parents of pupils.
- To initiate referrals for inter-agency support services
- To meet with families to discuss concerns and/or keep the family updated on student progress and achievement.
Teaching and Learning:
- To serve as a mentor to new staff
- To serve as a role model for all staff
- To meet with teachers regularly to discuss any students which the teacher may have concerns about.
- To initiate referrals for inter-agency support services when necessary.
- To meet with paraprofessionals (speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, psychologist, paediatricians, child psychiatrists) to stay informed about student progress and goal achievement.
- To discuss with teachers, administration, and parents when retention or acceleration of a student is in the best interest of the child.
- To administer the admissions testing and ensure that new applicants are placed at the appropriate grade level according to achievement and ability.
- To oversee the implementation of school wide assessments i.e. Provincial Acheivement Tests, CTBS Tests
- To ensure smooth transition for Grade 9 students to respective high schools
- To support student needs in terms of behaviour plans (Win-Win Agreements), Personal Counselling Support and Conflict/Mediation.
- To monitor and support the overall progress and development of pupils
- To monitor pupil attendance together with pupils’ progress and performance, with the class teacher, in relation to targets set for each individual; ensuring that follow-up procedures are adhered to and that appropriate action is taken where necessary.
- To contribute to the Khalsa attitude, citizenship, enterprise and other cross-curricular issues
- To play a full part in the life of the school community, to support its distinctive mission, ethos and policies and to encourage and ensure staff and pupils to follow this example.