October 28th, 2013
Waterloo Region District School Board – Board Meeting
On October 28, 2013 at 7:00pm, the WRDSB held its monthly Board Meeting. The agenda and reports for this meeting are available on the Board’s website by clicking here.
No delegations appeared at this meeting.
Consent Agenda
Trustees received and approved the following minutes:
- Approve minutes – Special Education Advisory Committee Meeting of September 11, 2013
- Receive Minutes – Board Meeting of September 30, 2013
- Approve Minutes – Committee of the Whole Meeting of October 21, 2013
Trustees received and approved the following monthly reports:
- Suspension Expulsion Report to September 30, 2013 – M. Deacon
- Staffing Information – Retirements and Resignations – M. Schinkel
- Staffing Recommendations – Appointments – M. Schinkel
- Annual School Councils’ Report – M. Deacon
- Annual IPRC Report – M.L. Mackie
Reports
Hearing Program Services Update
Prior to the 2013-14 school year, the Hearing Services Program at Smithson Public School was organized with a primary and junior congregated class. The congregated classes were comprised of primary and junior students from across the Waterloo Region District School Board. These students gained entrance into the Hearing Services Program at Smithson Public School through the Identification, Placement, Review, Committee (IPRC) process. The congregated setting provided these students with a classroom environment that was organized to meet their learning needs, as well as provide opportunities for integration into a regular classroom setting. The Individual Education Plan (IEP) for these students was the responsibility of the congregated classroom teacher.
In March of 2013 a decision was made by the Waterloo Region District School Board to change the delivery model of the junior congregated class at Smithson Public School. This change to the junior program at Smithson resulted in junior students with a hearing exceptionality to be congregated together in one classroom environment during the first half of the school day and then placed in age appropriate regular classrooms for the second half of the day. The IEP for these students would no longer be the sole responsibility of the congregated teacher and the teachers in the regular classrooms would now have a responsibility to develop portions of the IEP that pertain to the subject areas that they teach to these students.
The goal of the IPRC process in the Waterloo Region District School Board is for the placement of students to be in the regular classroom setting whenever possible. Decisions regarding placement and programming are made based on the best interests of the student while taking into account the need to provide appropriate and necessary accommodations to support learning needs.
The current Hearing Services Program for the junior division at Smithson Public School provides students with a hybrid model. This model enables these students to be in a small ratio classroom setting for the first half of the day and to be fully integrated into a regular classroom environment for the second half. This consistent approach of integration into a regular classroom strives to meet student learning needs while at the same time provides them with a social experience that enhances their development to be contributing citizens within a school community.
The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:30
