Learning Support Handbook
SAIL and Counseling Services
Whitby inspires a passion for learning and empowers each child to take responsibility as an open-minded, principled citizen in a global community.
The Whitby mission statement is the foundation for our learning support handbook. With the increase of inclusive practices and a growing awareness of the rights of students and parents, perceptions of learning support are changing in the wider community and in education in particular. In line with current practice learning support most often occurs in an inclusive manner.
The learning support handbook aspires to fulfill each aspect of the mission statement as follows:
Whitby inspires a passion for learning:
The learning support handbook endorses an awareness of the diversity of learning styles. We support the educational, social, emotional and behavioral needs of all our students, helping each student to become an independent and healthy life-long learner. Our learning community inspires a passion for learning through supporting each individual student to reach their full potential. This matches well with the Montessori and International Baccalaureate philosophies as they place the student at the center of learning and consider the whole child.
At Whitby School the classroom/subject teachers are collaboratively supported by single subject teachers and the support services team: Special Assistance in Learning (SAIL), nurse, School Counselor, and English as an Additional Language (EAL) Coordinator. This collaborative approach ensures that students receive what is required to be successful in their learning environment. External professionals may also collaborate to support student learning following the implementation of the referral process.
Empowers each child to take responsibility as open-minded, principled citizens in a global community:
The student is at the center of all learning support and this handbook validates the equal status of all learners and the context and cultures from which they have come. Our learning support handbook ensures that our policies sustain the whole child and his/her family as we support the child’s learning journey. Our referral process ensures a collaborative approach where there is a sense of responsibility being shared by all who are part of a student’s education, including the student.
This learning support handbook is a working document developed by faculty and administration. The handbook is consistent with the stipulated principles and practices of Montessori and IB.
The purpose of this learning support handbook is to outline the structures and supports in place to serve students along their learning continuum while at Whitby. Students may be supported via direct instructional support, indirect professional collaboration, differentiation within the curriculum, and access to social, emotional, and behavioral scaffolds within the classroom. Through the learning support program, students have the ability to highlight their true potential.
The handbook also provides an overview and guiding principles for learning at Whitby that permeate the entire school curriculum through authentic contexts in a culturally rich and diverse environment. This handbook is a statement of agreement – one to which the faculty and the Whitby community are asked to commit to so that our school can achieve its mission.
We believe it is the responsibility of all those who interact with students to provide a supportive environment, focusing on the unique talents, abilities, and needs of the whole child.
We believe effective learning support utilizes a collaborative approach, supporting students, teachers, and parents in developing an environment that results in optimum learning. It is the responsibility of all teachers to ensure that support is relevant, contextual and consistent with the school curriculum, occurring inclusively wherever possible.
The Whitby School complies with all applicable federal, state and local laws prohibiting the exclusion of any person from any of its educational programs or activities based on a student’s race, color, national origin, sex, disability or other protected characteristic.
Accordingly, the Whitby School does not discriminate on the basis of disability and will accept students with learning differences, learning or other disabilities, provided that a student is able to otherwise meet the School’s academic, behavioral and social expectations with or without reasonable accommodations.
Students who have, or may have, the need for accommodations should be referred to a Learning Support Team for determination of whether a student requires additional support and/or accommodations beyond the School’s regular programs and if so, the extent to which the School is able to provide reasonable accommodations. All decisions shall be made on an individualized basis.
The Learning Support Team, which may draw upon the resources of the Division Head, Department Head, and teachers including those involved in the School’s Special Assistance in Learning Program (SAIL), counselor and outside evaluators, is responsible for determining whether a student requires accommodations and if so, what accommodations and/or additional supports are necessary and available within the School.
Students referred to the Learning Support Team may include those who have:
In an effort to accommodate and support students with learning differences, the Whitby School provides additional academic support through its Special Assistance in Learning Program (SAIL). SAIL support is available on a case-by-case basis for a limited number of students throughout the School, subject to current enrollment, and based upon the recommendation of the Learning Support Team. The SAIL Team consists of learning specialists, counselor and other consulting professionals who work with students, faculty and families. The mission of the SAIL Team is to be proactive in identifying possible learning differences including social, emotional and behavioral challenges; to provide referrals for diagnostic evaluations; to support the educators and families of children with learning differences and to provide intervention programs for students diagnosed with different developmental profiles. The School’s SAIL team functions to support teachers and students, to coordinate support, and provide academic support either on a one-to one basis, in small groups, or within the classroom. It is intended that SAIL will supplement and support Whitby’s existing regular educational programs and will not be expected to replace or modify academic or other standards for the Whitby School.
Whether part of SAIL or not, the Learning Support Team may refer students suspected of having a disability, or otherwise in need of additional supports, for outside services and evaluations to be provided by parents and/or families.
The Whitby School hopes that with reasonable accommodations, enrolled students will be able to meet the academic, behavioral or social expectations of the School. Under certain circumstances, it is possible that even with such accommodations and supports, students may be unable to achieve academic or other expectations or exhibit behavior that is disruptive to the learning of other children. In such cases, students may be counseled to seek alternative schools or in some cases, denied re-enrollment based on the School’s inability to reasonably accommodate student needs.
Any decision to counsel a student to seek an alternative school or not to re-enroll such a student should consider input from the classroom teacher(s), the carefully considered recommendation of the SAIL members (where applicable), and consideration of any available evaluative information, with the final approval to be provided by the Head of School.
Reviewed by Faculty Leadership Feb., 2012 Reviewed by attorney JC – Shipman and Goodwin Feb., 2012 Approved by SAIL March, 2012 Approved by Bryan Nixon March, 2012 Approved by HMC April,2012
Whitby provides specific accommodations to tests. Accommodations are defined under federal, state and individual school policies as changes in the timing, formatting, setting, scheduling and manner of presentation or response to questions. Accommodations require students to complete the same assignments as all other students, and do not modify the test content or what a test measures. The aim of accommodations is to ensure that all students are fairly tested under conditions that do not limit or penalize an individual’s participation in spite of learning differences.
For a student to qualify to receive any accommodation, Whitby must have received explicit documentation of need. This documentation can be in multiple forms: a neuropsychological evaluation conducted by a professional psychiatrist or other medical doctors; an active and updated IEP or 504 accommodation plan; or a summary of medical needs and related accommodations.
Whitby school aims to provide the accommodations listed within these professional reports to the extent that it is feasible within the program. Once a student has been deemed eligible for accommodations, each student’s official record will record specific accommodations that have been provided.
Teachers at Whitby work in collaboration to differentiate the learning for students in their class. In order to assist in appropriate differentiation strategies, the teacher may require the knowledge and support of the SAIL team to develop an understanding of:
The SAIL teacher is pivotal in ensuring the success of students with learning needs along their educational pathway. This role may change as a student progresses through the school and increases his/her independence in learning. At every stage, communication to relevant class/subject teachers regarding a student’s needs and background is an essential component of the SAIL Teacher’s role.
Collaborative planning between the SAIL teacher and the class/subject teachers is essential. This includes designing and differentiating units of work, co-teaching, introducing specific learning skills and/or strategies, facilitating and organizing cooperative group learning, or implementing support plans.
The IB Approaches To Learning (ATL) are essential to the growth of all children. The SAIL department assists with the development and reinforcement of these skills to provide a solid foundation for learning.
The class teacher is responsible for understanding the needs of each individual and catering to his/her learning style within their class. The relationship between class/single subject teachers and other support services within the Children's House and Lower School is seen as being collaborative and cooperative where all are actively involved in the planning processes that support teaching and learning.
Early intervention is a critical aspect in the development of effective learning for some students. Regular assessments of a student’s development, both formal and informal are essential to planning effective intervention. Development during the early years is seen as a process influenced by a number of factors. Therefore, collaborative support between class/single subject teachers, SAIL teachers, the School Counselor, parents and related professionals ensures that all relevant factors are taken into consideration to promote the success of the child.
Interventions designed to decrease risk factors and strengthen resilience provide a firm basis for strong future development along the educational continuum. These strategies will be age-appropriate, research-based, and reflect the needs, interests, and talents of the student.
Our Middle School offers the IB Middle Years Program (IBMYP). During these years it is the teaching and consolidation of approaches to learning strategies that will enable all students to achieve successful outcomes.
It is important that procedures and processes are put in place to support students as they pass through Grades 5 to 8. This may involve differentiating the curriculum, creating and implementing support plans, providing in-class or pull-out support from the SAIL team, using particular teaching strategies (such as scaffolding to enable students to access the content in various subject areas), and the use of assistive technology.
Students in Middle school are supported as much as possible through an inclusive approach. Where it is deemed appropriate and necessary, students may be pulled out 1:1 or in small groups to work on specific goals. The level of support is determined through the Whitby SAIL Referral Process.
The Middle School focuses on the development of effective learning strategies to facilitate learning, as well as to prepare students for a successful transition to high school.
A history of each student requiring SAIL support will be well documented and maintained by the SAIL Coordinator. All personal data about students receiving support will be treated with the appropriate level of confidentiality. Data will be processed discreetly and all files will be in protected locations, both physically and digitally. Further, information will only be obtained for specific reasons and only by personnel who directly support the child. All personal information will be kept in accordance with the data handling laws of the local, state, and federal laws.
A student may enter the SAIL program through four pathways: parent referral, faculty referral, assessment-based referral, and via an existing, documented need. Once identified, students may receive a range of academic support, referred to herein as “tiers” of support. Students may also receive counseling support if warranted. Just as a student can be referred to SAIL, a student may also exit the SAIL program if such support is no longer necessary.
Tier 3 Support
This level of support is intended for students who require supplemental instruction from a SAIL teacher to access the Whitby curriculum. In Children’s House, supplemental instruction is limited to Primary 3 students and is only offered in the area of early literacy development. In Lower School, supplemental instruction is typically in the area of early literacy development or early math skill acquisition. In Middle School, supplemental instruction typically supports executive functioning and development of academic strategies.
Tier 3 support:
Tier 2 Support
This level of support is intended for students who require additional accommodations or instruction within the classroom setting (push-in support) from a member of the SAIL team to access the curriculum. Push-in support is intentionally inclusive.
Tier 2 support:
Tier 1 Support
This level of support is only applicable to students with an existing evaluation (dated within three years) that outlines necessary accommodations and recommendations.
Tier 1 support:
It is often the case that students benefit from counseling support alongside academic support. The School Counselor is the primary point of contact for faculty, parents, and the student when discussing social, emotional, and other counseling-centric support. The School Counselor works closely with the other members of the SAIL Department to ensure cohesive support across the continuum of a student’s needs.
Occasionally, a faculty member may note a minor area of concern for a student and simply wish to reach out to a member of the SAIL Department to discuss various supportive strategies. Such collaboration does not constitute a SAIL referral and, as such, the student is not formally “in the SAIL program”. If the area of concern persists, the faculty member should follow the appropriate process for faculty referral as outlined below.
Faculty members in Children’s House and Lower School should follow the appropriate protocols located in the Appendix.
Faculty members in Middle School who note a consistent area of concern should raise that concern formally at the appropriate grade-level team meeting, including adding notes to the week’s agenda. If the faculty member does not feel that a public forum is the appropriate venue, any faculty member can reach out directly to the SAIL Coordinator and/or School Counselor with concerns. After the initial mention of concern, the student will be discussed at more length at a future grade-level team meeting (with the School Counselor and/or SAIL Coordinator present) where all faculty who teach that student will be asked to share their feedback verbally and in writing on the week’s agenda. A plan for next steps will be determined and noted during that meeting.
If a student enters the SAIL program without a preexisting neuropsychological evaluation, psychoeducational evaluation, IEP, or medically documented need, it is possible that the student’s family will be asked or advised to seek out an evaluation. The primary goal for this type of assessment is to provide a very detailed look at a student’s academic, cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral strengths and needs. Secondly, these evaluations provide necessary insight into the modifications, accommodations, and classroom recommendations that will support the student’s access to the curriculum. This information is valuable for the family, the student, and the school.
A referral for an evaluation should take place via a conversation between the SAIL Coordinator/School Counselor/Head of School and the student’s family.
Whitby School and the SAIL Department do not provide Speech-Language, Occupational, Physical, and/or Behavioral Therapies including 1:1 paraprofessional support. However, the SAIL Department maintains a list of professional contacts and will gladly provide a professional referral.
SAIL support is provided during regular school day hours and not as supplemental after-school programming.
Additionally, any class-specific tutoring recommended by faculty must be privately sourced by the student’s family.
The ultimate goal of the SAIL program is to support students, families, and faculty as students with extenuating needs gain the skills necessary for success at Whitby School.
The following circumstances may lead to a student exiting the SAIL program:
This handbook was reviewed during the 2022-2023 school year. It will be reviewed every three years to reflect best practice and the needs of the Whitby School community.
