Northland School Division No. 61 provides a wide range of special education services to the students it serves and strives to ensure inclusive educational principles are keystones in all educational programs.  This usually includes in-classroom support which can consist of individualized program plans, special teacher assistant support, material support, and technological support.  As well, many schools have special education teachers on staff to support the special needs students and the classroom teachers.  Some schools supplement in classroom services with resource rooms intended to provide intensive support for students on a short term basis.  Additional support is supplied by the Supervisor of Special Education Reg Bellefontaine and Denrick Richardson the Special Education Coordinator.

Various needed specialized professional services are regularly contracted by the Division.  In exceptional circumstances, Northland School Division No. 61 provides support for our students attending specialized programs outside of the Division.

Although Northland School Division Special Education staff focuses primarily on students identified as having development delays and disabilities as well as gifted students, regular students who need extra assistance from time to time are often given the needed extra assistance from special education staff.

In Alberta, students with developmental delays or disabilities participate in an assessment process if their parents consent to the assessment.  An assessment clearly describes the child’s particular strengths and weakness and provides teachers and parents with important information to consider when planning education programs for the students identified as special needs.

Northland School Division No. 61 schools also receives support from their local Student Health Initiative Partnerships (SHIP).  Our school division is geographically spread out over much of northern Alberta and we are members of 5 SHIP partnerships.  Each SHIP develops their own annual service plan based upon the needs of the various partners.  The mandate of SHIP’s is to enhance the services already supplied by Alberta Education, Child and Family Services and the Regional Health Authorities.  These services most commonly include psychology/counseling services, speech/language services, occupational therapy services and physical therapy services.

The Student Health Initiative Partnerships (SHIP) we are members of and the schools they serve are listed below.

As well as a strong partnership with other community agencies, a strong Parent/Teacher partnership is critical to the success of the children we serve.  Although this is true for all our students, it is particularly true for our children with special needs.  The Special Education Department actively promotes the establishment and maintenance of strong partnerships between the parents and teachers of our students.

Contact: Reg Bellefontaine