December's Wellness Challenge

Although we have not yet celebrated the winners of our November Wellness Challenge, it's fair to say that the whole school community already won when you look at all the activities that were planned in November around Nutrition and Body Image!  Our staff and students were involved in Yoga, a session at the Cross Fit Gym, not to mention the Volleyball tournament that took place here at SJW last week! Our staff and students really got active and feel better for it! We also had a couple of nutritionists visit us from the Nutrition Professionals of Canada to speak with our students about healthy eating, label reading, body image, and grocery shopping over the course of four sessions. It was a great month for our students and stayed tuned to see who will win the challenge for November in the next couple of weeks.

The focus for this month is "Holiday Stress".  Rebecca, our social worker, has created a list of activities to help battle the stress that can come along with the holidays.

Home For The Holidays

As the holiday break approaches, some tips to help your family manage the folly and jolly that the season brings…

·         Try to enforce a solid sleep pattern. Your kids may beg to stay up late and sleep all day, but having a consistent sleep cycle will make for a smooth transition back to school.

·         Sugar High- By all means indulge in some delicious holiday treats, but balance it out with a few fruits and veggies.

·         “Baby its Cold Outside”- Get those bodies moving and encourage outside time. Oxygen and physical activity make for a better mood and overall health.

·         Literacy- Encourage your child to show off their reading abilities by reading out loud to you or a younger sibling.

·         Holiday Stress- kids have an amazing ability to pick up on the emotional energy in a room. If parents are stressed, so are the kids….take your emotional temperature and if needed, take a “chill pill”!

·         Blue Christmas- Not everyone looks forward to the holidays. For some it is a reminder of loss. Those who have lost a loved one, are going through a divorce or lost a job may not want to join in the festivities and prefer to use the season as a time to reflect or escape. Be gentle with each other and don’t pass judgement. 

Me-To-We

Earlier this year, a group of our students had the opportunity to attend the Me-To-We Concert in Toronto.  One of our students, Chris N, took it upon himself to create a video documenting the experience.  I will let Chris explain to you the purpose of the event and share some of the amazing performers our students saw through the media piece he created.

Exporting with Readiris

BYOD - Quest Conference Presentation

Once again, a team of staff members headed out last week to share the exciting, progressive work that is being done at Sagonaska with other teachers and educators at a conference.  The conference this time was the impressive, Quest, hosted by York Region District School Board.  The theme of the conference this year was "Deep Learning in a Digital World" and local and international participants came together to consider a dynamic cultural shift in teaching and learning strategies that will help ensure students are prepared for post-secondary learning and changing employment environments.

Sagonaska's team shared a presentation called "Beyond BYOD - How Fluent Use of Personal Devices Shifts Past Engagement to Deep Learning" and although the staff lead the workshop, it was the videos and the voice of the students that inspired all the participants.  We shared examples of how we are teaching our students to first become literate and then fluent with their devices, in order for them to share their learning in transformational ways.  We know that technology use is essential for our students with Learning Disabilities to share with the world what their true capabilities.

If you have a Drop Box account, you can scan the QR Code above and view the presentation as a PDF (unfortunately the videos will not play) but I have included one of our favourite clips from the presentation.  Watch the video below and see what our students think about a Bring Your Own Device policy and what it means to them.

November's Wellness Challenge - Nutrition and Body Image

Research studies show that what people eat can impact their mood. When you are eating a healthy, well-balanced diet, your body and mind are able to perform better and handle life’s challenges. When we feed our body less nutritious foods or starve ourselves, we have less physical and emotional energy to cope. If our bodies are not getting the proper nutrients, we find it difficult to stay active. Energy creates energy…you need to use energy in order to create more of it.

Society has programmed us to believe that the most important attribute of our bodies is how they look. Some people think they need to change how they look in order to feel good about themselves. Focusing on unrealistic external perfectionism directly impacts our self-esteem. A positive attitude and a healthy lifestyle (such as exercising and eating right) are a great combination for building strong body image.

This month we are going to explore nutrition and discuss body image and the impact it has on our thinking and feeling. 

October's Wellness Winners

As October ended, we celebrated some very special students at our Wellness/Terrific Kids Assembly last Friday.  Our focus for October was Mental Health and although we know learning disabilities and mental health concerns are two completely different things, know that students that do struggle in school can be vulnerable to mental health problems.  At our assembly last Friday, we celebrated all of our students for facing their challenges head on and being proud of their accomplishments and successes.  Some very special students were recognized for being especially strong and positive over the month of October.  Here are the winners of our October Wellness Challenge!

Way to go Ryan J, Maggie H, Caleb F, Evan G, Abbie A, and Will W!

Two Month Reflections

Twice a year our students have meetings to review their progress and discuss their transition back to their home schools.  In the fall, these meetings are generally teacher-led, but the students do have an opportunity to demonstrate their growth in both reading and technology use and reflect on their time thus far at Sagonaska.  In the spring, these meetings are student-led and the focus is on the student advocating for what they need to be in place for them in their regular school in order to be successful. 

The first round of review meetings are happening right now, and our students are sharing some very positive and honest messages about how Sagonaska is different from their home school.  I asked the students to write down their thoughts about Sag to share with prospective students and families that may be interested in the program.  Here is what some of our secondary students had to say:

Haley

Sagonaska is different than my home school, because I get extra help with my work and a better understanding of everything I am learning. The teachers at Sagonaska also get to know you a lot better than other teachers would.

Some positive changes I have noticed about myself is that I am a lot more confident and my reading has improved a ton. Some things I like about Sagonaska are all the teachers and staff. They are all really friendly and want you to improve in your subjects. One major challenge about attending a res school is not seeing my family and friends everyday.

Janine

Something different about my old school and Sag is I use my technology in school and the class sizes are smaller. Some changes I've noticed in myself is that I am more confident at school and I can self advocate better. I feel able to ask for help when I need it. I like Sagonaska because I can use in technology in class.

One of the challenges from being at a residential school is being away from home.

Jake

Compared to my old school, we use more technology here at Sagonaska. I think I’ve changed since being here because now I hang out with people and I'm less shy. I like the teachers and the counselors because they help me and push me to learn. It's more independent and fun.

Amber

Sagonaska is different from my home school because Sag helps me go back to basics and the teachers actually care about if you don't get it and they help. I’m really excited and happy to be going up in my reading level. I like that I’m getting to know everyone better and that I’m getting help with my LD. One of the challenges of being at a residential school is that I miss my friends at home.

Kayla

I really like it here at Sag because I use all of the tech because it really helps me. I also like the really nice teachers because I feel like they understand me. I also have made a lot of friends. I like all of the things that we have done inside of class and outside of class in residence. I feel that at the end of the year it is going to benefit me in the long run and help me for the future. I also love how the classes are smaller so I can get all the help that I need here at Sag.

Josh

Sagonaska Is different than my home school because it helps me to learn how to use my tech more. I am helping people out more with tech if I know how to do it. I really like that being here makes you more independent. One downside is that you are away from your family for a week.

Great Apps for LD Learners

All of the students and staff at Sagonaska use personal, mobile technology to support our learning and to help us organize and navigate our daily routines and lives.  People are always asking us what apps are best for students with learning disabilties.  There are no magic apps out there that work for each and every student, and technology is changing at such rapid pace, but we do our best to share apps with our students that help them to demonstrate their knowledge in alternate ways.  These apps, along with many of the built-in assistive features, help our students share their true potential and level the playing field for our learners.  Check out this graphic created by Geoff Mortaley, our assistive technology advisor, to see some of these applications or contact us to learn more about how we use personal devices in our classrooms. (see contact information below)

geoff.mortaley@ontario.ca

anne.truaisch@ontario.ca

Halloween Door Decorating Contest

If you scare easily, you may not want to look at the pictures posted below! This year we had our first spooky, terrifying, frightening, Halloween Door Decorating Contest!  Although we did have four winners, each class deserves an honorable mention for the incredible finished products.  Judge for yourself which door scares you the most... then scroll to the bottom to find out who our judges picked!

1.

2. 

3. 

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

And the winners were......

Ms. McGilly (Door 1) - SCARIEST

Mr. Mortaley and Ms. Westacott (Door 7) - MOST CREATIVE (tie)

Ms. Miller (Door 10) - MOST CREATIVE (tie)

Mr. Hayes (Door 2) - FUNNIEST

Great Resource for Teachers, Parents, and Students

Take a look at this resource created by York Region District School Board! Thank you LD@School for sharing!

Understanding Learning Disabilties: How Processing Affects Learning is a comprehensive resource designed for educators working with students with learning disabilties, but our parents and students use it too.  This resource is meant to teachers to plan and support students with learning disabilties, but it is also useful for the students to go through the resource and identify their own areas of strength and need to determine what strategies they find helpful to support their learning.  At Sagonaska, we are always trying to teach our students to advocate for themselves and to understand themselves as learners, and we use this resource as a tool to have those conversations with our students.

To check out the full resource, click here.

Free Webinar Presented by LD@School!

FREE WEBINAR: Adolescence Stress, Coping Strategies and Learning Disabilities

Presented by: Cameron Montgomery, Ph.D 
Thursday November 5, 2015 3:30 – 4:45pm EST
 This interactive webinar will assist participants in understanding the relationship between stress and coping strategies in adolescents with learning disabilities (LDs). This will provide educators and parents of our students great information on how to identify practical and effective interventions for students and children with LDs who are experiencing stress and who require functional coping strategies. Building resiliency is key for our students and this is a great learning opportunity for all, so please share with your friend and colleagues.


Click here to find out more information about this FREE webinar on the LD@school website!http://bit.ly/1VHkTKe

October's Wellness Challenge - The Importance of Mental Health Awareness

People with special needs are more vulnerable to mental health problems than the general population. Encouraging good mental health is important for all children, but particularly when your child has a learning disability. Children need to develop the skills to understand and express their emotions from an early age. 

October is Mental Health Awareness month and SAG will be discussing ways of understanding and demonstrating Mental Wellness. By encouraging open dialogue with each other we are helping to eliminate the stigma attached to mental illness and teaching kids how to identify their emotional needs along with tools and strategies for coping.

Although learning disabilities and mental health concerns are two completely different things, we recognize that students that do struggle in school can be vulnerable to mental health problems.  Over the next month, we are encouraging our students to be proud of their accomplishments and not to let their challenges hold them back.  Our students may have more struggles in school demonstrating what they know, but that doesn't mean they are any less intelligent or can't be as successful as someone without a learning disability.  Some of the greatest minds of all time were known to have a learning disability as well; people like Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, Richard Branson, and even Albert Einstein!

We are asking our students to share their successes on Twitter this month with the hastags: #sag #ownmyLD! Please encourage your children to tweet out some positive messages over the next month and we will collect them all and share them on the blog at the end of the month!

Digital Story Telling

Check out how some of our former students used Claymation to tell stories and show off their fluent technology use!

September's Wellness Focus - Coping and Resiliency

Each month we are going to recognize a different Mental Health issue that could possibly affect our students or people we care about.  The focus for September was the importance of developing coping and resiliency skills. We know that living with a learning disability can be stressful at times.  Not everyone fully understands what learning disabilities are or what it must be like to face LD-related obstacles every day.  It's important to help our students to recognize possible triggers for stress and to teach them a variety of strategies to help overcome these hurdles by building their coping skills toolbox. At our Terrific Kid/Wellness assemble for the month of September we will recognize students who have overcome something something difficult in their first month here at Sagonaska. Please feel free to comment below if you want to recognize any individuals or if you have strategies that you have used that have helped you to cope with something difficult in the past.

Integra Program - Fall/Winter Workshop Schedule

A parent of one of our students recently shared with me the name of a program that is part of the Child Development Institute (CDI), a children’s mental health agency in Toronto.  The Integra Program is an accredited  agency that provides services to children, youth and families who are dealing with mental health issues complicated by learning disabilities.
The Integra Program provides family-centred, evidence-informed direct clinical services to children and youth ages 8 to 18 with diagnosed learning disabilities and mental health issues in Toronto. Although we at Sagonaska have not attended any of their workshops and cannot speak directly to the services they provide, the program does come highly recommended by several parents.  Below is a link to their website and a quick look at some of their upcoming workshops. If you have any feedback regarding their services or workshops, we would love to hear so please comment below.

Click here to go directly to The Integra Program's website

Workshop Titles Include:

• Walk A Mile In My Shoes
• Accessing School Supports
• All About Moods: Understanding Anxiety, Depression, and LDs
• Bullying and LDs: Building Your Toolbox to Support Youth with LDs
• Introduction to Executive Function

Wesley Acres

Last Wednesday, the staff and students of Sagonaska spent a glorious day at the Wesley Acres facility in Bloomfield, Ontario taking part in a variety of team-building activities!

A favourite of the day was the Elevate Course! Everyone was encouraged to step out of their comfort zones to attempt the high-rope course, which included a zip-line four hundred feet into the woods! We were blown away by the bravery and trust demonstrated by our students, not to mention, the natural ability so many of them had for scaling the tall poles and balancing on the tight rope/balance beam across the top! Mr. Mortaley even caught some of the action on a camera on the school's drone!  Video coming soon!!

The low ropes course gave our students, teachers and residence counsellors an opportunity to put themselves in situations that require trust and dependence on others in the group. A lot of laughs and fun were had by all as groups attempted activies such as moving the whole group from one platform to the next, without touching the group, using only two 2x4s! The low tight-rope was another favourite of the day!

A true sense of community was established through a variety of team-building games, such as Human Knot, Team Rock/Paper/Scissors and What Would You Rather?

Finally, our entire group was lucky enough to take in the sights of West Lake while hiking through the beautiful grounds of Wesley Acres.

A big thank you goes out to Mrs. Brintnell for organizing such an amazing event and all the parents of our students should be proud by how respectful, polite and engaged your students were all day! It was an incredible day and it brought us together as a school community and family!

21st Century Learning Video

For the past five years, Sagonaska has been a part of a 21st Century Teaching and Learning project through the Council of Ontario Directors of Education (CODE) focusing on the use of personal devices to assist students with learning disabilities. Although the number one goal of our school is to help our students improve their reading, we also aim to improve our students proficiency with personal devices to support them both in and out of the classroom. Last year, we had the opportunity to capture our learning in a video that was recently shared on the Ministry of Education's EduGAINs website (http://www.edugains.ca) so that educators across the province can see first-hand the transformational learning that takes place at Sagonaska.  Not only do our students increase their reading scores, they develop life-long technology skills that support them in their learning and spark their curiosity and critical thinking skills.

To view this video, please click the following link, EduGAINs: Innovation in Action, and scroll down until you see the title, "Sagonaska Demonstration School: Using Assistive Technology for Creativity and Communication" then click on the image. You will catch a glimpse of how the use of mobile, personal devices is embedded in our daily routines and hear first-hand how the use of these devices is assisting our students with developing personalized learning strategies, while at the same time improving self-esteem and independence.

LD@School's 2nd Annual Educator's Institute Conference

For the second year in a row, LD@School is offering a two-day conference filled with hands-on workshops for all educators, particularly K to 12 classroom teachers, who work with students with learning disabilities. The workshops are based on current research and offer practical information on effective assessment and instructional strategies, including technology.

Two of the workshops being offered this year have been created and will be delivered by Sagonaska staff! We are very excited to join the amazing team of presenters at the Educator's Institute and are looking forward to collaborating with professionals from across the province.  Our team from Sagonaska will be sharing information on how we use our personal devices to transform our learning and practice as well as how to use blogging in the classroom to connect with the world and improve student learning. We are looking forward to sharing with delegates of the conference the way Sagonaska is using technology to create independent learners and critical thinkers that are savvy in the technolgy and skill set that will be essential for them to be successful in their future endeavors.


CLICK HERE to learn more about the 2nd Annual Educator's Institute

Nick Foley’s Ride for Inclusion

This past Monday, Nick Foley, a local Belleville man with a cause, stopped by Sagonaska to speak with our students about his passion.  Nick is currently biking across Canada, a journey that began in Victoria, BC on April 22^nd and ends in St. John’s, Newfoundland on July 26^th.   His ride is called “Ride for Inclusion” and it is a fundraising event that will help launch his organization, Move for Inclusion.

Move for Inclusion (MFI) is an organization that will raise money for local, national, and international inclusion charities and organizations.  One of the inspirations for Move for Inclusion came from another of Nick’s organizations called “Celebrate the Hero”. CTH aims to motivate young people to make a difference by focusing on the positive change they can make, big and small, in their lives and the lives of others on a daily basis.  We have been a part of the CTH movement at Sagonaska for the past three years and have daily messages on the announcements encouraging our students to celebrate the hero in each one of us.

The other, more significant inspiration for MFI is Brynn, Nick’s daughter, who was born in 2012 and diagnosed with Down Syndrome.  Nick shared with us a story of how, four days after Brynn was born, he overheard a conversation between two men were complaining that there was a child in a wheelchair in their children's class and they felt that student was taking away from the learning of others.  It was at that moment Nick knew he had to try and make the world a better, more inclusive place, for his beautiful daughter Brynn.  Through MFI he hopes to raise awareness and improve the world by encouraging inclusion and acceptance of all people without bias.

Fortunately for us, Nick stopped at our school on Monday as he made his way through Belleville along Highway 2.  He spoke about the importance of giving and accepting others and “winning the day you’re in”.  Our students found his stories entertaining and inspiring. We here at Sagonaska would like to contribute something to such a worthy cause.  There will be a collection bin on Tuesday at our Recognition Ceremony for anyone that would like to donate to Move for Inclusion.  Any contribution will be greatly appreciated.  

Social Media Presentation for School Council

Last night at our school council, we had a short presentation on the types of social media our students are using. Click through this slide show to see a brief description, the pros and cons, and educational applications of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Vine, and Ask.fm. It's hard to stay on top of all the different applications and platforms out there, and this list will most likely be out of date by the time I hit "Post", but as educators and parents we need to at least be a part of the conversation. For those that attended last evening, I was able to find some information on Tumblr and have included it as well!  Check out the Google Presentation from last night and contact me at Anne.Truaisch@ontario.ca if you have any questions.

Self-Advocacy Podcasts on LD@School Website

There are many reasons to visit the LD@School website, one of them being the many podcasts they release that can be listened to directly from the website or downloaded to a portable audio player and listened to at a later time.  Click the link below to take you to their Talk LD archive of podcasts and check out their newest podcasts on Self-Advocacy.  As many of you know, one of the three main goals of Sagonaska is to help our students develop the skills necessary to advocate for themselves when they return to their home schools.  Our teachers and our counselors emphasize with the students the importance of understanding themselves as a learner, identifying their strengths and knowing how to use them to overcome deficits, and determining the areas in which they need support.  Our students can vocalize what accommodations need to be in place in order for them to be successful and are willing to share with their future teachers the technology they use to demonstrate their learning in less traditional ways. The two most recent podcasts, "Supporting Students on their Self-Advocacy Journey" and "The Journey to Becoming a Self-Advocate: Three Students' Perspectives"offer some great insight and tips on how to further develop these skills.  Click the words, "Talk LD" below to take you to their site and take the time to look at some of the other podcasts they have available as well!

Talk LD

Dictation and Speak Selection on iOs Devices

Once again, Geoff Mortaley has created a simple demonstration of how to turn on Dictation and Speak Selection on iOs devices.  Our students use the features on a daily basis to support their learning.  In this short clip you will see how to activate and use these assistive features, as well as hear some tips for use.  Watch and learn the basics of Dictation and Speak Selection!

Celebrate the Hero

Weekly Mission

Live with Integrity

Integrity means being honest and having strong principles, and we know that all of our students have integrity! This week CTH wants us to complete simple gestures because in our hearts we know it's the right thing to do - not just because CTH challenged us to do so.  It's one thing to do something nice for recognition, but it's so much more rewarding when you just do it to see someone else smile. Make the choice to do something nice for a peer, a counsellor, a stranger, a family member, or a friend.  Be kind to one another, live your life with integrity, and it will enhance the lives of others. 

If anyone has done something to make your day or enhance your life, comment below and let  them know you appreciated their gesture!

Personal Devices as Assistive Tools Webinar! WATCH NOW!

Last Monday, we offered an after-school workshop for parents and teachers who wanted to learn more about how our students are using their personal devices as assistive tools. Geoff Mortaley, our assistive technology advisor, demonstrated some of the basic built-in supports that are available on iOs devices, as well as several apps that our students are using to access text, create digital products, and demonstrate their learning.  We offered the workshop via ADOBE CONNECT and were able to record the session for those who could not attend. Please click the link below to watch part or all of our 45 minute webinar!

Click here:  PERSONAL DEVICES AS ASSISTIVE TOOLS WEBINAR

Google Read and Write - SPEECH RECOGNITION

Take a look at how to add Google's new free Speech Recognition add-on to your Google account! 

For those of you who aren't familiar with Google Read and Write, it is an extension that can be added to your Google account and one of its basic (and best) features is text-to-speech! This means when you are using Google Chrome or Google Docs, you can have the words on the screen read to you (just like Kurzweil)! If you have a Gmail account, you can download the full tool bar for free (this includes word prediction, highlighting tools, etc) but you will lose many of the features after 30 days. The good news is the text-to-speech feature will remain.  If you are an educator, you will be able to keep the full tool bar indefinitely!

This video created by Geoff Mortaley, however, demonstrates how to add another cool feature to your Google account, Speech Recognition.  The Speech Recognition add-on is free and it allows the user to dictate into a microphone and the text will appear on the screen.  It works like Dragon or Siri, and in our experience, it is pretty accurate.  If you, or your student or child, loves to use Google Docs, this is a great alternative to some of the other speech-to-text software options out there.  Watch how Geoff demonstrates how to add it to your account and how it works!

Celebrate the Hero

Weekly Mission

Lend a Hand

Lending a hand to someone in need is a small gesture that can make a huge difference. This can be as simple as opening a door for someone that has their hands full or helping a family member out with their homework. If there is one thing every person in the world could use from time to time, it is help. Doing something that is relatively simple for you can really mean the world to someone else, which is what helps make the world a better place. So let’s lend a hand heroes! 

Please comment on this post and share some ways you have helped another person this week and inspire others to do the same!

Let's Talk About LDs

Once again, we would like to share a video made by one of our students who was asked to create a presentation about learning disabilities to share with the resource teachers back in her home board. Watch the video below to see one of our second year students, Megan, speak eloquently and with exceptional insight into what it is like to be diagnosed with a learning disability and the strategies and tools that have helped her to persevere! Megan is an incredible example of resiliency and we hope her words will inspire and motivate other students who learn differently to advocate for what they need to be successful.

Readiris

Readiris is another app, similar to Prizmo, that can be used to scan and read text to our students. The main difference, however, is that Readiris allows you to bring in pictures and Prizmo doesn't.  This is great for our students if they need to capture a picture of a text book in Science, Social Studies, or Math, for example, where there are many diagrams, maps, illustrations, etc.  Watch the video created by Geoff Mortaley, our assistive technology advisor, to see how easy this program is to use.  Once you have taken a picture and scanned the text, you export it into a word processing app and have it read to you.  Geoff models how to do this step-by-step and shares how to trouble shoot if a problem arises.  Technology isn't perfect, but as Geoff says, minor glitches should not be a deal breaker! Text is accessible to our students now in a way that wasn't possible before and we are leveling the playing field for all students with LD.

Another Free Webinar through LD@School! Check it out!

FREE WEBINAR: Supporting the Social and Emotional Development of Students with Learning Disabilities 

Presented by: Dr. Colin King
Tuesday, May 12, 2015 3:30 – 4:45pm EST
 
Many students with learning disabilities also struggle in their social-emotional development. How can educators and professionals support the development and social-emotional skills of children with learning disabilities? This webinar will provide an overview of the complex interactions between learning disabilities and the development of social-emotional challenges in students. It will also attempt to answer this question by providing information about common social-emotional challenges that are experienced by students, and strategies and tools to connect these ideas into a practical plan for student support.

This is a great professional learning opportunity for all, so please share this with your friends and colleagues.

Click here to find out more information about this FREE webinar on the LD@school website!

Personal Devices as Assistive Tools

FREE WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS

Monday May 11th, 4 to 4:45pm

This workshop has been designed for parents and teachers who want to learn more about personal, mobile devices and how they can be used to assist and deepen learning.  Geoff Mortaley, our assistive technology advisor, will demonstrate the basic built-in supports that are available on iOs devices, as well as several apps that our students are using to access text, create digital products, and demonstrate their learning. Parents and teachers of returning schools are invited to take part via Adobe Connect to learn more about how we are using this technology to support students with learning disabilities.

Connect via Adobe Connect:   http://connect.psbnet.ca/parentworkshop/

Contact Martin Smit at martin.smit@ontario.ca for more information.