Prairie Spirit School Division

Program Support Services

As part of Educational Services, the Program Support Services Administrator assists teachers, resource teachers, guidance counsellors and school administrators in implementing programs and professional development. Specific details are outlined below.
	Comprehensive Guidance and Counselling http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/specedu/guidance/comprehensive_g_c.html Prairie Spirit School Division offers comprehensive guidance and counselling programs and services are systematically planned to meet the needs of all students and are infused into the daily activities of schools. Comprehensive guidance and counselling programs and services support student learning in areas of personal/social, educational and career development. Comprehensive guidance and counselling programs and services are inclusive; they respond to the unique and special needs of all students from Kindergarten to Grade 12. Comprehensive guidance and counselling programs and services provide a range of guidance/counselling services from a developmental/preventive focus to a responsive/remedial focus Four types of services are provided: Counselling - supports and facilitates all students in developing and managing their individual personal/social, educational, and career goals and plans. Prevention - early intervention and responding to students who are experiencing immediate on-going problems, concerns, or crises which interfere with their learning. Guidance education - focuses on competencies which all students should develop in order to achieve personal success and fulfillment, and to make a contribution to society. Consultation - administrative and management activities necessary to support the guidance and counselling program, as well as activities or services provided by school counsellors to support other guidance and educational programs of the school. Prairie Spirit School Division supports a team approach, wherein all staff members have specified roles to play. The provision of comprehensive guidance and counselling programs and services is the shared responsibility of all staff. Our school counsellors play a key role in planning and implementing programs and services Prairie Spirit School Division accesses “Career Cruising”, an interactive career resource designed for people of all ages to help them find the right career, explore different career options, or plan future education and training. See your school guidance counsellor for the school’s user name and password. http://www.careercruising.com/Default.aspx Prairie Spirit School Division welcomes “Foster Counselling”, a program provided through Foster Counselling Services in Brandon, Manitoba. Counsellors visit several schools with a tailored program to assist in addressing the specific goals of that school and its students.
	Emergency Response, Crisis Intervention, Threat Assessment Schools in Prairie Spirit School Division annually review their Emergency Response Plans and Codes of Conduct. Each school has created a specific emergency plan that includes the following: Roles and Responsibilities of the School Crisis Team Controlling visitor access Communicating inside/outside the building during an emergency Emergency contacts (school, division, community, provincial) Responding to threat (weapon) Dealing with bomb threats, fires, chemical spills, weather-related emergencies Emergency evacuation procedures Composite floor plans and evacuation routes Lockdown procedures Review of procedures schedule and location of the Emergency Response plan within building Threat Assessment Teams have been established to assist in creating and maintaining an environment where students, staff, parents and others feel safe.
	English as an Additional Language (EAL) Prairie Spirit School Division is the home of thirteen Hutterian Colony schools, has welcomed numerous new immigrant families into the area, and proudly hosts International Students from many countries. Regular workshops in Prairie Spirit School Division are provided by Manitoba Education Citizenship and Youth (MECY) consultants to support teachers and provide strategies for students learning English.PowerPoint of information on K-8 and 9-12 EAL information is found in the Teacher Container in First Class.An extensive repertoire of resources are available at division office. The list of books, CDs and programs is located in the Teacher Container in First Class.http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/diversity/eal/index.html
	Early Literacy and Numeracy Prairie Spirit School Division has been in the forefront of piloting Listening and Speaking: First Steps into Literacy: A Support Document for Kindergarten Teachers and Speech-Language Pathologists. http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/ela/list_speak/index.html. The purpose of Listening and Speaking: First Steps into Literacy: A Support Document for Kindergarten Teachers and Speech-Language Pathologistsis to help Kindergarten teachers and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) enhance the oral language of all Kindergarten children within the playful literacy learning work and talk of the Kindergarten classroom. 3 times per year, Prairie Spirit School Division’s Early Literacy Team Leaders meet to discuss professional development opportunities, share strategies and collaborate on program implementation to support literacy across the curriculum. Through the Early Literacy Intervention Initiative Grant, Prairie Spirit offers ongoing support to provide early literacy intervention programs for the lowest achieving Grade One students. Reading Recovery ™ is used in schools throughout the division, having numerous teachers trained to implement the program. http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/docs/support/eli/. Teachers in Prairie Spirit School Division are supported in Early Numeracy programming through extensive and on-going professional development opportunities. Through appropriate assessment strategies, Grade 3 teachers in Prairie Spirit School Division observe students and gather samples to assess the critical numeracy and literacy competencies of all Grade 3 students. Each fall, data is gathered and reported to the school division and Manitoba Education Citizenship and Youth. These results are communicated to parents by the end of the first reporting period of the school year. http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/assess/gr3/
	School Readiness In collaboration with the Resource Teacher, Kindergarten Teacher, Speech and Language Pathologist, and other services such as OT/PT, Prairie Spirit School Division provides the school-based opportunity for Pre-Kindergarten screening. This enables new Kindergarten students to transition into a school-based setting with the programming supports they need.Prairie Spirit works in conjunction with the local RHAs to provide opportunities for preschoolers and their parents to attend Preschool Wellness Fairs in their area. Here, children and their parents can access screening services such as Speech and Language, Audiology, and Occupational and Physical Therapy at an early stage where intervention programs are key. Manitoba Education Citizenship and Youth has extensive resources listed on their website. http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/Information specific to parents is found at: http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/info_parents.htmlInformation specific to students is found at: http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/info_students.html

As part of Educational Services, the Program Support Services Administrator assists teachers, resource teachers, guidance counsellors and school administrators in implementing programs and professional development. Specific details are outlined below.