Academic Support

We offer every support possible to assist our Faculty in their goals of guiding students to achieve academic excellence.

We offer state-of-the-art facilities that include The Eaton Shier Gym, The Poile Art Studio, The Pryde Science Lab, The Sullivan Music Centre, and The Cheddie and McFarlane Computer Labs. Each of these is facilitated by Specialist Teachers.

Other important resources in the day-to-day operations of our school are Resource Support, Library, and Technology and Information Communications.

Resource Support

With our focus on individual attention to accommodate different learning styles, The Sterling Hall School provides every opportunity for students to be successful. Our Resource Support is a dynamic program that helps students with varying abilities achieve their academic goals.

The department is led by a team of two full-time teachers who work with students in Grades 1 through 8. They complete informal assessments, offer information on formal assessments, provide individual and small group support outside the classroom, and provide support to individual students during regular classroom lessons and tests. The Resource teachers work with nearly every student in the school and are a common fixture in classrooms. Students in the Resource Program participate in all the regular activities and classes at SHS.

This team also coordinates the Early Success Reading Program and all of the Individual Education Profiles (IEPs).

Early Success Reading and Math Program

This program is designed for students in Grade 1 and 2 who need individualized support or extra review time to improve their reading and/or math skills. A very low teacher:student ratio of about 1:5 provides optimal individual attention. As students gain confidence and skills in this small group setting, they are integrated back into the appropriate reading group or math curriculum level in their classroom. The Homeroom teacher, with support from the Resource Support teacher, selects students who would benefit from this program and informs the parents. Students in this program are not considered to be on an Individual Education Program (IEP), nor is this an indication that they will be on an IEP in the future.

Individual Education Profile (IEP)

An IEP is a written plan that outlines specific academic and/or other strategies that may be implemented to address the unique needs of a student. An IEP may be required when concerns are raised by a parent or teacher about a student’s academic progress. These concerns are followed by a team meeting led by the Resource Support teacher, who develops an action plan to determine if an IEP is needed. If needed, an IEP is developed after informal assessments have been completed at SHS and often after the student has been assessed through an Educational Psychologist. This ensures that all the strengths and weaknesses of the student have been identified, which allows SHS to best meet the needs of the student.