Lower Primary School Parent Handbook - DragonNet - Hong Kong ...

Student Services
Center
SSC Program objectives
• Provide learning opportunities
where students can achieve
success.
• Link student need with appropriate
support.
• Management of Individual
Educational Plans and Individual
Accommodation Plans.
• Increase student self-awareness
of individual learning strengths
and challenges as well as skills of
self-advocacy.
• Serve as a resource to provide
strategies, alternative curriculum,
information, and supplementary
materials to students, parents,
staff, faculty, and administrators.
• Monitor student progress
(academically, socially, emotionally)
to allow for maximum classroom
participation.
• Facilitate transition for students with
learning differences from Lower to
Upper Primary.
We believe that all students need opportunities, experiences and the necessary support
to be successful and to reach their full potential. Individual learning differences are
acknowledged and supported. Early intervention and prevention as well as researchbased
practices are critical. We provide a continuum of services, which includes pull out
services for direct intervention through to push in services for academic support in the
class. Such a supportive learning environment allows students with learning differences
to develop the skills and characteristics of a successful student and a life-long learner.
The SSC staff provides additional support for students’ individual needs in partnership
with classroom teachers and parents. The staff includes guidance counselors, learning
specialists and an early childhood language specialist, who are all professionally
qualified to work with students with unique learning needs. The program includes
counseling, guidance and learning support. Students who receive pull out support will
have a learning plan developed which will state their academic goal. Students receiving
in class support do not have a learning plan. Decisions in regards to student services
and the interventions provided to individual students are made with parents. Student
Review Team meetings, as well as parent-teacher meetings are held to develop the best
educational plan needed to support a child's individual learning plan.
Guidance and Counseling Program
Our Counselors teach Guidance classes to each grade on a regular basis and in this
way, they get to know each child personally. The goal of these classes is to enhance
each child’s personal, social and educational development and to build skills for
effective living. Our school wide Student Learning Result in the area of Character
Development is that our students will demonstrate responsible behaviors and caring
attitudes at school and in the community, as well as the integrity and courage to stand
up for what is right. The following are the main lesson topics:
• Acceptance of self and others • Positive risk taking
• Cooperation • Good judgment
• Responsibility • Facing frustration positively
Other counseling interventions include social skills groups, individual counseling, and
small groups for children in transition. Counselors meet with “New Students Groups” to
focus on the adjustments new students might be experiencing, how to make friends,
and to whom they can go if they should need help. Counselors also meet with “Goodbye
Groups”, which are designed for children who are leaving HKIS. Discussions may
include what the children will miss from the present setting, what they are looking
forward to in the new location, and how they will go about keeping in touch with old
friends, as well as how they will make new friends. Counselors facilitate Systematic
Training for Effective Parenting (S.T.E.P.) classes, and are available for consultation with
parents.
Parents are encouraged to contact teachers, administrators, and the counseling staff
as family needs arise, so that we can work together with you to meet the needs of your
child. The counselors also collaborate with the multi-disciplinary team and teachers as
needed, to ensure that the most appropriate services are provided for the child.
Learning Specialist Support
Learning Specialists are teachers who work alongside classroom teachers to identify
and assist children who require additional support in their learning. Services are
provided to meet specific needs for students who learn differently, or for those children
identified as requiring additional or alternative instruction in reading, writing, math and
fine motor development. Specialized programs may be provided for children who require
extra assistance to achieve academically. These programs are generally short term
and regularly reviewed and evaluated. Our Learning Specialists and Counselors also
work closely with outside professionals, such as Speech and Language Therapists &
Occupational Therapists.
Lower Primary Parent Handbook 11