When St. Anthony’s School was built, the design for Student Services had one concept in mind, open and inviting.
“Our school is designed to be very inclusive,” said Kelly Timmons, learning support coordinator at St. Anthony’s School.
The student services area is wide open in the center, intended with areas for small groups to have one on one time with an educational assistant or teacher. There are also six service rooms, enabling students to receive individual help if needed. These rooms are set to provide programs such as the early reading intervention, a communications room for students who are a little behind, and again they are designed to give students a boost when they need a little extra help.
There is also a life skills room, which has cooking, laundry, and is set up to be a concession as well.
“It’s set up so students can sort of work on those real life skills,” said Timmons.
Student Services is also working on a “sensory” or “break” room. This will be a space designed for students when they need to self-regulate or just need a little break.
“We will have some things for them to do there. Some balanced activities, some lights, some music, and things like that,” said Timmons.
Student Services will also be able to offer speech therapy in this area.
Timmons said what is also very nice about this area, that differs from the old school, is that the family school liason also works right in the student services area.
“She would be considered a counsellor. She works on more of the emotional and behavioral area of the students needs. We found that we didn’t overlap before,” said Timmons.
Timmons said now that they are able to work collaboratively, a student that has an emotional concern that may also have an academic concern, Timmons and the school liason can identify the best support that student will need.
“Part of our motto is educating the whole student,” said Timmons.
