The Calgary Board of Education provides a continuum of supports and services for students with diverse learning needs. The student receives individualized support to address these needs. Some, but not all, of these learner needs may be addressed in the student’s Individual Program Plan (IPP). In keeping with the individual abilities and unique learning needs, a specialized team supports students and assist with program planning.
If a student requires support and services beyond the community school, a
referral for consideration of placement begins with the principal of the community school and the school learning team. Consideration for placement is a collaborative process among parents, teachers, strategists, specialists, and others. For students who require more comprehensive support short-term and long-term classes as well as intensive treatment-based classes and schools are accessed.
Program Descriptions
Bridges
The Bridges class provides educational programming for students in grades 1-12 who present with complex and severe mental health challenges and overt, dysregulated behaviours significantly impacting their academic engagement and well-being. Educational programming focuses on building both social-emotional and academic competencies through the utilization of a continuum of support and services. Social-Emotional Learning instruction is aligned with CASEL's competencies as identified within the CBE's Well-Being Framework.
The classroom team includes a teacher and a Bridges Support Worker. Students receive additional support through consultation and collaboration with a multi-disciplinary team, including system specialists, area strategists, school-family liaisons, and psychologists. As individual students develop and practice their social-emotional skills and demonstrate readiness, support is provided to transition them toward partial or complete integration into their community school.
The Class
The Class provides educational programming for students in grades 4-12 who present with complex and severe mental health challenges and internalized, dysregulated behaviours significantly impacting their academic engagement and well-being. Social-emotional instruction in The Class emphasizes self-awareness, self-regulation, peer and social relationship skills, and strategies for engaging in academic learning. Social-Emotional Learning instruction is aligned with CASEL's competencies as identified within the CBE's Well-Being Framework.
The classroom team includes a teacher and a Behaviour Support Worker. Students receive additional support through consultation and collaboration with a multi-disciplinary team, including system specialists, area strategists, school-family liaisons, and psychologists. As individual students develop and practice their social-emotional skills and demonstrate readiness, support is provided to transition them toward partial or complete integration into their community school.
Reaching Independence through Support and Education (RISE)
Reaching Independence through Support and Education (RISE) provides educational programming for students in grades 6-12 who have significant complex internalizing mental health disorders which severely impair functioning. The goal of the program is to build on strengths as well as identify and address barriers to mental well-being, school engagement and academic success. Academic programming is personalized based on individual student needs and readiness. Program staff includes one teacher and behaviour support worker, Recovery Alberta for therapeutic support and consultation, and a Wood's Homes Family Support Counsellor who is available to support student families in their homes.
Hera
The Hera program is offered in partnership with the CBE and Trellis. Hera provides school and community-based supports for youth ages 13-17 who are vulnerable to sexual exploitation. Using a trauma-informed lens, students engage in social-emotional well-being learning and strategies to minimize risk. Students and families also receive customized services from Trellis, which may include in-home family support, mentoring, Youthwork, and/or Community Resource Connections. Some of these supports are offered outside of school hours.
Educational programming focuses on academics and experiential learning to help support successful transitions to the community school and/or work experience settings. Additional supports may be provided in consultation with a multi-disciplinary team.
Nexus
Nexus provides educational programming for students in grades 10–12 experiencing complex emotional, social and/or behavioral challenges. These challenges have had a significant impact on the student's learning and well-being. Nexus staff use a strength-based approach to create an emotionally, physically, and psychologically safe classroom. Building on positive relationships established through personalized curriculum design, staff support students to work towards enhancing their social, emotional, and academic growth. This process may include assessment of current needs, life skills development, work experience support, and collaborating with community supports.
Educational programming and instructional accommodations are personalized, based on the individual needs of each student. The Nexus program works with the student and their natural and professional supports to identify strengths to increase personal capacity and resiliency. Classes are typically staffed with three support people including at least one CBE teacher and one behaviour support worker. A CBE psychologist is an integral part of the Nexus team providing consultation regarding appropriate programming, day to day strategies and individual counselling when students are ready.
Unique Settings
Children’s Village School
Children’s Village School (CVS) provides educational programming for elementary-age students from grades 1-6. CVS uses a strength-based and trauma-informed framework to help create long-term positive change for students. Within a smaller class size, the focus of programming is to build academic, social, and emotional competencies by providing a continuum of supports and services. Specialized instruction emphasizes establishing emotional safety, developing healthy social and interpersonal relationships, self-regulation, problem-solving strategies, and mental health literacy through a personalized curriculum design. Modifications and instructional accommodations are personalized and implemented based on the individual strengths and needs of each student.
Each class is typically staffed with a CBE teacher and Hull Services Educational Child and Youth Care Counsellors (specialized contracted service providers). Additional services may include on-site therapy/counselling for students, family support, and psychiatric consultations. Students may also receive physiotherapy and occupational therapy services. The multi-disciplinary learning team works closely with guardians to meet the unique needs of each student.
William Roper Hull School
William Roper Hull School (WRHS) is a unique learning environment staffed through a collaboration between the Calgary Board of Education and Hull Services. WRHS provides educational programming for students in Grades 1 – 12, both on the main school campus and in three transition locations. WRHS offers supports and services for students who are exhibiting complex and severe mental health challenges and lack of self-regulation skills at school, in the community, and at home. The goal at WRHS is to teach strategies that lead to readiness for learning.
Curriculum modifications and instructional accommodations are personalized based on the individual needs of each student. Through personalized curriculum design, students increase their capacity to self-regulate, build healthy relationships with others, and strengthen academic readiness and thinking skills to increase engagement. WRHS focuses on building resiliency by using a strength-based, trauma-informed framework to promote the development of new strengths and skills to foster long-term positive changes.
Each class at WRHS is staffed by a CBE teacher and two Hull Services Child and Youth Care counsellors. The multi-disciplinary learning team collaborates closely with guardians and community agencies to meet the unique needs of each student. WRHS also provides support for students transitioning back to community schools and/or other specialized classes. Students who have shown successful engagement and skill development in WRHS programming may transition to one of three offsite transition classes for elementary, junior high, or high school students.
William Taylor Learning Centre
William Taylor Learning Centre (WTLC) is a unique learning environment staffed through a collaboration between Calgary Board of Education and Wood's Homes. WTLC provides educational programming for students in grades 7 - 12, with offsite satellite classes for junior and senior high school students who have shown engagement in the WTLC programming. WTLC provides a supportive, strength-based, trauma-sensitive, therapeutic environment to help students achieve optimal success through establishing safety, building healthy relationships, teaching self-regulation strategies, problem solving strategies, social skills development and fostering the conditions for academic engagement and success.
Curriculum and instructional accommodations are personalized based on the individual strengths and needs of each student. The CBE provides instructional programming to support the learning needs of students while Wood's Homes provides clinical and behavioural supports. Each class at WTLC is typically staffed with a CBE teacher and a Wood's school support counsellor. Wood's Homes also provides additional therapeutic support through a family support worker and an on-site clinician. The multi-disciplinary learning team works closely with guardians to meet the unique needs of each student.
