Welcome to a new school year!  We are looking forward to working with you and your child(ren).


The Special Education Department is designed to support students with their unique learning needs and to support staff in assisting  students with an IEP in their classroom.  Students are supported throughout the year by Special Education Resource Teachers (SERTs) who provide strategies to be used in programming and in assisting student learning.  SERTs can assist students with goal setting, self-advocacy,efficiency, resiliency, and in growing independence and confidence in their learning skills.  They work closely with students to help them understand their individual learner profile and to recognize which accommodations and resources will help them to achieve the best results.


The support can be offered through:

  • The Learning Strategies (GLE) course;
  • coaching in  assistive technology, including  Read and Write for Google,  (text-to-voice & voice-to-text) software; Live Scribe Pens, C-Pens.  Please see "Apps and Resources that can help you be successful in High School"  from the menu on the left.  
  • homework support in the Resource Room (Room 208 and 208A) from the SERT or Educational Assistant (EA);
  • support for learning, assessments and evaluations,  including writing in an alternative location;
  • development and maintenance of an Individual Education Plan (IEP).
An Individual Education Plan (IEP) is a written plan describing the special education services required by particular students, based on the student's strengths and needs and their affect on the student's ability to access the curriculum and to demonstrate their learning to their full potential.  The IEP  includes a record of the particular accommodations needs to help the student access the curriculum, across all subject areas  as outlined in the Ministry of Education's curriculum policy documents and or alternative expectations in program areas not represented in the Ontario curriculum.

An IEP is developed for every student identified as exceptional by an Identification, Placement & Review Committee (IPRC).  An IEP may also be developed for a student who has not been formally identified as exceptional but who requires a special education services when a student's achievement will be assessed according to curriculum expectations and who regularly requires accommodations for instructional or assessment purposes.

Students or parents are encouraged to contact Ms. Cronin for more information about Special Education, or regarding specific student learning concerns at cronins@hdsb.ca or by calling the school at 905 878 2839 ext. 246.