Support Services

Student Services 

We are here to assist you in the following areas: 

• Academic Counseling 

• Post Secondary Applications 

• Employment Preparation and Volunteer/Job Opportunities 

• Career Counselling/Life Planning 

• Computer Interactive Career Exploration 

• Post-Secondary Resource Centre and Counselling 

• Scholarship and Bursary Opportunities 

• Study Skills Counselling and Tutoring Opportunities 

• Special Needs 

  • Tutors, Home Instruction, etc. 

  • Referrals 

• Special Programs (Exchange Programs, Opportunities Abroad...) 

• Volunteer work and employment opportunities 

In-School Support Services 

• Child and Youth Workers 

• Educational Assistants 

• Settlement Workers 

• Social Workers 

• Special Education Department 

Academic Achievement (Student Success) & Extra Help

Academic Achievement (Student Success) is the sole responsibility of each student. Students are encouraged to play an active role in their own success plan. If you find throughout the year that you require additional support/assistance with any of your courses, you are asked to speak to your respective teacher(s) and/or Guidance Counsellor. In addition, students can arrange for additional assistance with their coursework by making special arrangements with their course teacher(s), or by attending special before-school, noon hour, or after-school teacher-run help clinics, or by arranging for a peer tutor. There is no shortage of extra help opportunities available to students. Don't wait for little problems to become BIG problems. Take charge of your own success and seek out extra help when you need it! 

Need extra help with some of your subjects? During the year, different programs are available in the school, such as peer tutoring, help from teachers and government-funded after-school literacy/numeracy programs. Perhaps you would like to assist and teach your fellow classmates, or maybe you would like to see what it is like to be a teacher; then why not volunteer to be a L'am peer tutor? Please contact Guidance if interested. 

Parent Teacher Interview Night 

Booking appointments for Parent/Guardian-Teacher Interviews has never been easier. Our new online PTI system has made booking easier and more accessible to all. Communication from the school about interviews will be released to the community in November and March. 

Bereavement Support Team (B.S.T)

Students should be aware that L'am has a bereavement policy to implement whenever students or staff experience a death in the family and/or severe emotional trauma. The BST at L'am can give you vital and valuable assistance both academically and psychologically during the grieving process. 

We hope that you will never need our services, but we are here to help you! When the need arises, please contact ASAP any BST member with whom you feel comfortable. See a Guidance Counsellor in Student Services. 

On-line Resources 

Public Health Nurse

A Public Health Nurse is available to students and staff for counseling and/or educational presentations.                            

Health topics include: 

• Nutrition

• Body image 

• Heart health 

• Physical fitness 

• STD 

• AIDS

• Pregnancy

• Sexuality

• Depression

• Stress coping 

• Sexual abuse

Consultation and resource information packages are available upon request. Appointments can be scheduled in the Student Services Office. 

The Foster Library & Information Centre

The Foster Library and Information Centre welcomes students and staff and offers a wide variety of materials for e-learning, reference and recreational reading. Our wonderful library webpage is available from home and offers free use of our electronic databases, online encyclopedias, and career and post-secondary education resources. Passwords are required for at-home use - please see your teacher librarians for an updated password sheet. 

Print materials are circulated for the following time periods: overnight, four days or 2 weeks. Prompt return of materials borrowed from the Information Centre enables all students to make use of the resources. There is a fine of 10 cents per day for overdue materials - materials may be renewed as often as necessary. 

Please note that failure to return Library books or resource materials, or repay their equivalent value, could result in Library privileges being suspended, including, but not limited to, borrowing additional Library materials, and/or use of Library computer equipment. 

Students using the facility are expected to behave in a quiet, responsible manner, showing consideration for others.             

NO FOOD OR DRINK IS ALLOWED IN THE LIBRARY!

RESOURCES: 

L'am students have access to an extensive collection of materials, including research databases, electronic books, graphic novels, books, audio and videotapes, magazines, a daily newspaper and many reference books. Your library card is your student card. Each year, we run the White Pine Reading Program at the library and the Graphic Novel Reading Club. Our library website, available from home, provides a wonderful virtual resource. 

The Centre also provides technical support to students. Once a student has used their allotment for photocopies, students may photocopy materials or print articles for 10 cents per page. To further enhance presentations, the centre also provides a scanner and a data projector. Our whiteboard is available for use in the library. 

CURRICULAR APPLICATION: 

Teacher-Librarians work closely with subject teachers to ensure the availability of suitable resource materials to support special projects and assignments. We work with teachers in designing assignments, which assist students in developing research and library skills as well as providing instruction in the search strategies appropriate for accessing and processing information in the rapidly changing information technology environment.  We would be happy to assist students one-on-one with research projects and recreational reading choices. 

Please check the Calendar for the last day in each Semester to Return Library Books. 

LIBRARY CLUB: 

Volunteer library assistants are particularly important in the smooth running of the facility. Library Club members check materials in and out, assign workstations, assist with printers and copiers, and reshelve books and magazines. The time spent volunteering in the library counts towards the required 40 hours of community service. 

Safe & Positive Spaces

The TDSB has launched a new initiative called The Positive Spaces Campaign. Each school will have a designated room available to students to openly discuss issues such as: 

• healthy relationships 

• healthy, positive sexuality 

• sexual identity and sexual orientations 

• gender identity and gender expression 

• homophobic and transphobic bullying, harassment and discrimination 

• sexual harassment 

• dating violence 

• body image 

The room will have staff trained as Positive Space Representatives. Students are encouraged to visit the space to access up-to-date, accurate, non-judgmental, and complete information on any of the topics listed above and/or to talk to the Positive Spaces Rep. about any of these issues or to be referred to appropriate supports. All students and all staff are welcome! Our Positive Space room will be designated by a Safe and Positive Space sticker.