DDSB SUPPORTING EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANTS
SCHOOL START UP 2020-21
Thank you for your tremendous patience as we work district-wide in developing a plan to support the return to work/school and the many layers/components that entails. Thank you for the expertise you bring into the service of students – for their wellbeing, their mental health and their learning. There is a great deal of information below, with links to important documents. Please review it thoroughly.
Important Foundations for School Start Up
School looks different for 2020-2021. We have students accessing through in-person learning and students who will be accessing learning through DDSB@Home, our virtual school.
Our elementary students will be attending on a full-time base following a two week staggered start to the regular school year calendar. In secondary, an adaptive schedule is in place with students in one of two cohorts which will be attending on alternate days. For our secondary students, learning is based on a quadmester model of students focusing on two courses for a quarter of the school year at a time. Secondary students accessing SLC/PLP/DEV/TWP will be following a full-time regular bell schedule.
Information continues to be updated on the DDSB website – Return to School page. We strongly encourage you have a read through of the information if you have not yet had opportunity to do so.
Link: https://www.ddsb.ca/en/whats-happening/return-to-school.aspx
Additional resources have also been shared with school administrators to assist in the planning for students with special education strengths & needs.
In particular, we draw your attention to two key documents:
Essential Documents:
· Return to School Reference Guide
https://spark.ddsb.ca/en/whats-happening/return-to-school-work.aspx
· DDSB Special Education Programs: Foundations for School Team Planning
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHAVSfwR9l4nrFbFTEYiqxltyDZ6XUR9usLOBH1WU6A/edit?usp=sharing
You Matter – Well-Being and Mental Health
School Mental Health Ontario reached out this summer to seek insight & advice from students. This video captures “they see you, they hear you, and you make a difference in their lives”. Please take a few minutes to watch:
https://smho-smso.ca/blog/watch-experts-share-tips-on-return-to-school/
Within the DDSB, well-being and mental health are a foundation to supporting staff and students.
The DDSB is committed to these 5 Key Messages to support our system as we return to school:
1.Mental health and well-being is our priority
2.We lead with compassion and empathy
3.Schools are an excellent place to promote and protect student mental health
4.We have strong mental health foundations to build on
5.We are stronger together!
Link: Personal Resiliency Tips for Helpers Who Support Students https://smho-smso.ca/blog/online-resources/personal-resiliency/
School Assignments
With the movement of students and addition of DDSB@Home, the EA Allocation Committee needed to review all EA Allocation decisions to determine student movement, changes in administration and teacher staffing, and the impact to where allocation was being provided. There were minimal changes to the placement of EAs across the system and a commitment to the support assigned to SE Classes. We appreciate the patience required as the ripple to staffing decisions was significant.
Assignments to DDSB@Home (30 FTE) were confirmed over the weekend.
Regular Calendar: All Principals have been asked to ensure to communicate the EAs assigned to their schools are included in PD day planning. Please follow up with your administrator to understand the plan in place.
Important: Behaviour Management Systems BMS Training
BMS training provides strategies for understanding our students, their strengths, programming support needs and strategies to respond to behaviour. in the event of physical contact and/or the use of containment, both the safety principles from BMS and the protocols from health & safety must work in tandem.
Mandatory review of BMS training for all permanent EAs is to be completed during the PA Days. There is a half day provision, Tuesday/Wednesday afternoon (consult your admin), for the time to access this learning through the DDSB Professional Learning Hub. This training has been updated and front ended with the health considerations for our return that work in tandem with the physical protocols of BMS.
This training is open to all staff training in BMS and remains a requirement of all permanent EAs. Please note: this is essential information but does not equate to full BMS recertification; we will be sharing further information about the in-person recertification components separately.
· Mandate permanent Refresher D2L re-certification; attestation of COVID-19 BMS update embedded in module https://professionallearning.ddsb.ca/d2l/home
· This training includes updates specific to 2020-21 and Guidelines for Use of Safety Procedures for Risk of Injury Behaviour – September 2020
Supporting Students and Each Other Together
Educational Assistants are an essential part of the support team for many students whether they be learning through in-person experiences or through DDSB@Home this year. Thank you for the skills, experience & compassion that you pour into supporting students.
Collaborative planning with your class(es) and school teams is an important on-going commitment which helps team members support each other, and together, to support students. In addition to that school level communication, the Inclusive Student Services team will be reaching out with opportunities to connect, provide additional information and seek your feedback as we work through the 2020-21 school year as a broad district team.
Together for the students we have the privilege to support.
Thank you,
Andrea McAuley-Superintendent of Inclusive Students Services
Michelle Crawford Eade & Kyla McKee-Special Education Officers
~on behalf of the DDSB Inclusive Student Services Leadership Team
Andrea McAuley
Superintendent of Education/Inclusive Student Services
Durham District School Board
