1. Supporting Students Through Various Transitions
March 4th, 2015
Presented by:
Mrs. D. Ensing, Mrs. M. Gollan-Wills
2. Any and all transitions are based on student
need. Many conversations will occur and
assistance is based on individual needs.
First meeting with parents when identification is
confirmed (usually in grade 4).
Definition of “Gifted”
Why it is important
How to talk to your child
How to help your child talk about it
3. Resources
Grade 4 “Discover Gifted” in June:
- meet itinerant teacher and all peers that
will be in their cluster or class.
- look at Multiple Intelligences
September: Multiple Exceptionalities
Protocol: meet with home school to review
needs, plan.
4. Open House/Parent Night late September
Prior to clusters, more will be done to ease
transition if students needs (i.e. itinerant
teacher visit, visit to cluster site, etc.)
Accommodations to be reviewed between
home school and itinerant teacher:
“Homework How To”, workload, any IEP
listings.
5. Easing into first cluster: tour of building, set
expectations, students meet each other. Like
the first day of school.
In the four years of clusters, transitions are
very student-driven:
Reminders of clusters and topics
Small groups or individual meetings in home
school for specific issues
6. During 7/8 cluster every other year, invite
secondary itinerant to come; introduce course
codes, start long-term planning.
Grade 8 “Discover Gifted @ Secondary” in
June (see next slide)
7. The first official cross-panel transition occurs
at the “Discover Gifted @ Secondary” event
in late May* of the year prior to entry
Monday, April 13th, 2015*
Transition to the secondary enrichment
withdrawal program ELOPE from the cluster
format
Meet secondary, like-minded peers
Meet receiving gifted contact/teacher/LST
8. If elementary students are reaching ahead (cross-
panel) to secondary for credit (i.e. Math), support is
offered to ease the transition:
ONSITE*: many schools offer an onsite orientation for
incoming elementary students; find lockers, see classroom;
get timetable (in January prior to entry in February);
ONLINE: the Secondary Gifted Itinerant/e-Learning Teacher
run a separate tutorial (E-Learning/D2L orientation
expectations) the first week in February; meet e-Learning
teacher, course expectations, navigating the system,
communication.
9. If students are looking to complete a compact for
credit, they receive transition support for the
framework and structure:
ONSITE: the teacher/itinerant provides support for student
and teacher to go over the expectations of the compacted
course;
ONLINE: the itinerant runs a tutorial for each online
compacted course; navigate through system,
assessment/evaluation, (Trillium concerns for staff), and
provides support for transitioning them to the next
compacted course.
10. When senior secondary students are seeking
enrichment opportunities for credit in post-secondary,
there is transition support:
Holistic planning for students’ pathways (pre-requisite
courses);
Staff are available to provide support for post-secondary
expectations, when required;
Should students choose to take an IDC 4U (T) course,
they have the opportunity to learn from post-
secondary mentors; design own course, involve
mentor/community member, experience higher-order
thinking and higher-education to support
transition/pathway for the future
11. Large-scale enrichment conferences and
opportunities are provided to spark students’
interests and help to provide pathways for them
for their next phase of their lives;
Students receive transition support through
various conferences/opportunities at local
educational institutions and experience what
“learning like a post-secondary student” is like.
