Our Programs
Diverse Learning Needs
The CBE provides appropriate programming for students with diverse learning needs in all of our community schools. In some cases, students may be referred to our specialized classes and/or unique school settings to meet their needs. We provide programming at various sites to meet the specialized needs of some students with:
- Autism Spectrum, Cognitive/Developmental Disabilities, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
- Blind and Visually Impaired
- Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH)
- Giftedness
- Gifted and Talented Education
- Learning Disabilities
- Mental Health and Wellness (social/emotional/behavioural challenges)
- Physical and Medical Disabilities
Attending Dr. Oakley School
Students who attend Dr. Oakley School have complex learning disabilities and significant learning gaps (more than 2 years) in reading and writing. All students meet the special education coding criteria (code 54) and have specified learning disabilities in the areas of reading and writing.
How Do I Get My Child Into Dr. Oakley School?
Decisions around a child coming to Dr. Oakley begin with a child's school and parents in a School Learning Team conversation. The Area Learning Team will need to be involved in a conversation around the child's needs and areas of growth. Only through a group decision may an application be made by the school. Students will be brought forward to a placement meeting for consideration. Placement meetings generally occur in February and March of any given year. Students accepted via the process will be offered placements for the following August.
Class Organization & Student/Teacher Ratio
Students at Dr. Oakley are organized into multi-aged teams that allow for flexible, personalized learning. Each elementary team of approximately 24 students benefits from two teachers and learning spaces, creating an environment where students receive frequent individual attention and support within flexible groupings. In junior high, students work with specialized teachers in small groups for Humanities and Math/Science, ensuring focused instruction in core areas.
In addition to classroom teachers, students have access to specialists in Physical Education, Math/Technology and 2 Literacy teachers who collaborate and teach with teams daily. This additional expertise further enhances individualized support and helps maintain small instructional groups, especially during literacy and numeracy learning.
Academics
Curriculum accommodations are implemented based on the individual needs of each student. Instructional emphasis is placed on the English Language Arts and Literature and Mathematics curricula; literacy is also taught through topics of Social Studies and Science. A response to intervention approach is implemented for students who may require additional resources to support their progress and staffing allows for small, flexible instructional groups throughout each school day.
Technology
A designated laptop provides students consistent access to the assistive technology tools they need to support decoding, comprehension, written expression, and overall independence. Students frequently use the G Suite and access Inclusive Technology including speech-to-text (Voice Typing) and text-to-speech (Read & Write).
Homework
Parents play an important role in supporting their child’s learning. We encourage families to talk about daily school activities and establish home-based literacy routines. Each day, students will come home with a literacy bag, full of books and practice activities for the skill that your child is working on. These activities should be familiar and are meant as additional review. Research shows that children learn to read by reading (Kenneth Goodman), and regular practice is critical to growth as a reader and writer.