Who Do we Support?

SERTs support students who have diagnosed Exceptionalities, examples of which include:

Learning Disabilities

Behaviour

Language Impairment

Physical Disability

Vision Impairment

Deaf-and-Hard-of Hearing

Giftedness

** The Special Ed. department requires formal paperwork from a Professional (ex. Psychologist, Medical Doctor) to support the diagnosis/Identification

How Do we Support our Identified Students?

SERTs create the IEP along with parents/students.  The IEP contains the Accommodations in-place in school, in order to support the educational success of Identified students.

We offer a Learning Strategies course in each grade, offering different curriculum to help students optimize their learning skills. 

SERTs offer in-class Resource Support in certain classes and for certain students.

SERTs also monitor the progress of the students on their case load.  At Interim and Midterm Report card times, SERTs check in with teachers, students and parents in order to mediate an improvement in course performance, if need be.

Acronyms related to Special Education:

SERT - Special Education Resource Teacher

IEP - Individual Education Plan

IPRC - Identification, Placement and Review Committee

Community Classes Currently at Westmount C.I.:

• students are chosen by YRDSB staff in Grade 8, after SERT has submitted an Application for Placement
• for grades 9 and 10
• for students with a Language-Based LD, working on de-streamed and academic, grade-level curriculum
• max. 8 students in the class
• Community Class for Math, English, Science and Learning Strategies in Grades 9 and 10
• teachers of these 4 subjects have additional training in Special Education and cater the lessons to students with language-based needs
• all other classes (ex. art, phys. ed., electives) are mainstream classes (max. 28 - 31 students)
• a student may take 1 of the core subjects outside of the Community Class (for example, if math skills are lower, and the student wants to take Essential level math, they can do that for 1 subject only)
• transportation is not provided for students in this program
• students not in the area can stay at Westmount C.I. for grades 11 and 12

2) Developmental Disabilities

• students are chosen by YRDSB staff in Grade 8, after SERT has submitted an Application for Placement
• for grades 9 -12 (students can stay until the year they turn 21)
• for students with a Developmental Disability, working from a Modified and/or Alternate curriculum
• max. 10 students in the class
• students may be integrated into elective subjects (ex. phys. ed., art)
• additional Support Staff work in the classroom to support the students' needs
• subjects taught may include Literacy, Mathematics, Life Skills, Culinary Skills, Transportation Skills, Physical Education
• students may participate in a Work Experience (supported work) Program
• transportation is provided for students in this program

​ ​3) Autism Spectrum Disorder

• students are chosen by YRDSB staff in Grade 8, after SERT has submitted an Application for Placement
• for grades 9 -12 (students can stay until the year they turn 21)
• for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, working from a Modified and/or Alternate curriculum
• max. 6 students in the class
• additional Support Staff work in the classroom to support the students' needs
• subjects taught may include Literacy, Mathematics, Life Skills, Culinary Skills, Transportation Skills, Physical Education
• students may participate in a Work Experience (supported work) Program
• transportation is provided for students in this program