Provincial and Demonstration Schools Consultation

As many of you are probably aware, the Ministry of Education has secured an external agency (http://www.thestrategiccounsel.com) to conduct a consultation with students, families, staff, education and community partners on provincial and demonstration schools.  

The purpose of the consultation is to explore ways to offer a range of quality programs and services that will provide better outcomes for our students with severe learning disabilities and their families.  They are also seeking to better understand the knowledge and skills that would best prepare our students for their various pathways in school and life.  

The agency has created a survey with three questions that can be answered online. 

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• What knowledge and skills do English demonstration school students need to have when they leave school?
• What are the best ways to prepare demonstration school students to enter the workforce, post-secondary education or other pathways and become productive and actively engaged citizens?
• Moving forward, what programs and services would provide a positive school experience for demonstration school students and their families?

We are hoping that as many people as possible will follow the link below and take the time to answer the questions in support of the Demonstration schools across the province.  We are so proud of the students and the programs offered at Sagonaska and we know that our school affords students the opportunity to learn to read and it changes their lives.  Please take the time to share your experiences, stories, and support.

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/parents/consult_pds.html

Survey found under “English-Language Provincial Demonstration Schools”

Book Creator App (IOS) Demonstration

The student notebook is a gateway to new worlds of discovery and wonder. Wouldn't it be nice if students had access to endless blank pages they could fill with drawings, images and videos to capture their thoughts and ideas, and for it to be completely accessible? Well, that idea is a reality with the Book Creator app...

Attention Parents - Additional PA Day Added to School Calendar

Please read the note below from our Director Dr. June Rogers (click to enlarge)

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.