Students

We have all heard the expression, "everyone learns differently." This is absolutely true, but sometimes it doesn't seem fair when it appears like something is way harder for us than it is for everyone else. 

The job of learning support teachers is to help you find the tools to make it less hard. The job of students is to try, to let us know what is working and what is not working, and to show up with a growth mindset. This is where we recognize that mistakes and the things that are hard are just opportunities to learn! There is so much help available to you! 

Here is what you can find on this page:

1. Supports available at Vanier

2. The Access Centre and Access Blocks

3. How to Strengthen you Mind and Build your Skills

4. Technology Tools

Learning Supports available at Vanier

• Your teachers! Your teachers are here to help you learn. It is usually a great starting place to ask your teacher when you are stuck or unsure of what to do next.

• Learning Support Teachers: There are three learning support teachers in the Access Centre (Rm 192). If you feel like you are struggling more than you should with your school work, learning support teachers can help you to better understand what you are struggling with and what might be helpful. We can talk to your teachers, and do testing to get a snapshot of where your skills are at. We can work with you to help you build strategies that will help you to complete your assignments. 

• Educational Assistants: We have educational assistants in many classes in Vanier. Educational assistants are here to help you learn. They may work individually or in small groups with students either inside or outside of the class. They can help you with understanding what you need to do, staying focused, breaking assignments into steps, or working with you to help you to complete your work. 

• Indigenous Support Program: More information HERE 

• Homework Club: On Mondays and Thursdays we offer a homework club in the Access Centre after school. Educational assistants supervise and support students with completing missing assignments. There is a late bus offered on these days for students who don't live within walking distance to the school.

• Flex Days: On Flex Days students can come into the school to work with their teachers on an as needed basis. The Access Centre and learning support teachers are also here to help you on these days. 

• Remember: Your number one support is YOU! If you are here regularly and come in with the mindset of wanting to learn, you will be successful.

The Access Centre and Access Blocks

• What is the Access Centre? The Access Centre is a classroom space at Vanier where students can find support, and a quiet, alternative space to complete their classroom assignments. You can come here for a number of reasons and in a number of different ways, including drop in support, tests, quizzes and assessments and regularly scheduled blocks. 

• Drop in Support: If you are working on a project or an assignment where you think it would be helpful to work in the Access Centre, your teacher may give you permission to come and work with us once they are done giving the lesson. Remember - it's important to have your teacher's permission! If you aren't comfortable asking your teacher, you could also come and see us ahead of time and we can see if we can help you to get permission or set this up.

• Tests, Quizzes and Provincial Assessment: Some students just need a separate place or extra support for writing tests and quizzes. Your teacher may schedule you to write your tests with us, or you can request to have this option. 

• Regularly scheduled blocks: If you need support with building your skills and completing your assignments, we may schedule you into an Access block. This would be a class that you attend, just like all of your other classes, but where the focus is on improving your achievement in other classes and providing you with tools for future success.

• Expectations: If you decide that an Access Block would be helpful, there are some things to keep in mind!

  • Attendance: Regular attendance is an expectation, just like with any other class.

  • Technology: We follow the school technology policy of "no cell after the bell." Please make sure that any personal technology is kept away. We have laptops, iPads and calculators for students to use if needed.

  • Brain friendly activities only: If you are all caught up on other assignments, this is the time for building your skills, or using the time in a meaningful way to support your success. We ask that students make sure they are prepared to use their time purposefully. For example, reading a book, doing extra math or typing practice would be a great use of your time. Sometimes mindfulness activities like drawing or knitting are a good idea. We ask that students do not spend time playing video games or on social media during these blocks.

  • Quiet, distraction free environment: We often work with students who need quiet in order to focus. Please help us to keep this space quiet and distraction free.

  • You get out what you put in! If you come to us with the mindset of wanting to learn and build your skills, we can really help you. Pay attention to your habits and what gets you where you want to be! 

How to Strengthen you Mind and Build your Skills

In your Access Blocks, your learning support teacher may be supporting you with support and strategies for completing your classroom assignments. If you are all caught up on your assignments, your job is to build your skills to help you moving forward with your academic program. Here are some tools that may be helpful: 

• IXL: Targeted math skill building - students must be registered for an account through their teacher: HERE 

• Khan Academy: Support with math and science, practice and lessons: HERE 

• Typing Pal: Improve your typing skills! Your teacher will need to set you up with an account: HERE 

• Audiobooks: Log in to the school district website to get audiobooks to support your learnings. A great way to improve your reading skills is to listen to audio and read from a book at the same time. Look for audiobooks: HERE 

Other strategies for building your success:

• Focusing - many students are noticing that they are struggling to stay focused in class and to complete their assignments. If this is something that is hard for you, it may be helpful to talk to a learning support teacher about strategies that may be helpful to stay on track and complete your assignments. 

• A note on technology - technology can be a great educational tool, but it is also our biggest distraction. There is a ton of research showing the connection between spending a lot of time on social media, video games or other "junk" technology and problems with focus, mental health and motivation. Make sure you have a good strategy for keeping your phone away when you are in class in order to get the most out of what you are learning. Remember - it's actually good for your brain to feel bored or frustrated sometimes. 

• Sleep - A good night's sleep is critical to being able to learn. Most experts say teens need 8-10 hours of sleep each night. Make sure you are giving yourself the time you need to get a good night sleep. You will naturally be more focused, readier for learning and in a more positive mood!

Technology Tools

We have laptops and iPads available in the Access Centre.

There is good information technology tools on the school website: LEARN 71 Assistive Technology but your learning support teachers can also help you learn how to use technology to help with reading, writing, spelling, organizing your ideas and much much more!

There are lots of great apps installed on all of our school laptops and the Access Centre iPads. 

Good computer tools to focus on when getting started: