Toronto High School has multiple support systems in place for students who require some additional learning support.
These include:
➡️Generalist classes
Our teachers deliver a highly differentiated and explicit curriculum to students who require some additional support in their learning. These are highly supported classes with a higher ratio of teachers to students allowing for more individualised attention to each student, enabling teachers to better understand student needs, providing more targeted support, and building stronger relationships with them; essentially leading to potentially improved learning outcomes by giving each student more dedicated time with the teacher.
The team is – Ms Micallef, Ms Kolbas, Ms Carroll, Ms Russell, Ms Hargreaves, Ms Simmons and Ms Jayne.
➡️Learning and Support Teachers (LAST)
LASTs are dedicated teachers who provide direct and timely specialist assistance to students in regular with additional learning and support needs and their teachers in Literacy and Numeracy in classrooms, small groups individualized support.
They also assist with any applications for Disability Provisions and transition into high school for identified students with additional needs.
Our LAST team is : Rebecca Malloy, Jackiy Ilievski, Alan Blyth, Kate Walton and the SLSO team
➡️The THS RISE Space = (Resolution, Independence, Support, Engagement)
RISE is a dedicated space, which offers personalised and individualised behaviour support and intensive learning support to students with complex needs. Predominantly it has three purposes:
1. Time Out
• Experiencing complex mental health issues, refusal, social anxiety.
• Experiencing ASD sensory overload.
•Triggering content
• Experiencing significant psychosocial stressors
The Wellbeing and LST team determine eligibility to access the room on a case-by-case basis. Regular students will have a RISE pass.
2. Break Out
Only students with a RISE pass can access the room during the day in an unplanned manner.
RISE is NOT a sanctuary to get out of trouble, avoid unwanted tasks, relieve boredom or escape difficult conversations. The concept is that students are assisted to regulate their behaviours quickly in this space and then hopefully can be returned to class.
3. DP Intervention
DP's may decide that students with intensive and individual behavioural support requirements may need to attend the RISE room for a specified period, generally as a result of a caution or suspension.
Students focus on learning specific and explicit behavioural and self-regulation skills along with conflict resolution and problem-solving skills, they are taught to reflect upon the form, function and impact of their behaviour and replacement behaviours.
Our staff supporting this space are Linda Chapman ( LaST), Yvette Milwright, Kath Fotheringham, Greg Battel and support staff of Sam Babic and Brendan Spaull