Strategic Priorities

Strengthening Academic Programming

What It Means

Niagara Children's Centre School believes that all students can learn, and is committed to ensuring that each child experiences academic success. We provide the best possible learning opportunities to students by following the provincial curriculum with the breadth and depth appropriate to the learning needs of our students. We approach our work with academic rigour so that we can challenge all student's learning ability.

Why It Matters

Niagara Children's Centre School believes all students have the right to an education, including students with developmental disabilities. All students will transition back to community schools, and they need to be able to participate in classrooms when they return.

Reading, writing, mathematics, and 21st-century competencies are foundational skills that are essential learning for successful futures.

How Will We Get There?

• Create Literacy-rich environments
• Creat Numeracy-rich enriched classrooms
• Introduce 21st-century competencies in all classrooms.

Goal 1: Enhance Literacy Skills for All Students

• Establish language-rich classrooms and programs
• Develop an assessment framework
• Develop a professional learning program to prepare staff for emerging program direction

Goal 2: Enhance Numeracy Skills for All Students

• Establish a research-based approach to numeracy instruction based on best practices
• Build numeracy capacity throughout the school
• Use technology in the Math classroom

Goal #3: Develop 21st Century Competencies for All Students

• Develop instructional practices consistent with 21st Century classrooms
• Align assessment as learning with 21st Century competencies
• Emphasize communication skills by focusing on digital fluencies

Supporting Families

What It Means

Niagara Children's Centre School is committed to developing active partnerships with parents and caregivers because we recognize that families play an essential role in achieving the successful outcomes of their child's educational plan. The School will work with parents and families to build their capacity as they learn to support and extend learning strategies at home. Niagara Children's Centre School will ensure that families are enabled to offer input and provide feedback into educational plans, and into current and future School services and programs.

Why It Matters

Niagara Children's Centre School believes that parents are the first and primary educators of their children. Mutually respectful relationships and clear two-way communication are essential, as home and school share the responsibility for the child's well-being, learning and achievement.

How Will We Get There?

• Communication and engagement
• Learning and capacity building
• Modelling effective instruction and providing direct support

Goal 1: Enhance Communication to Improve Parent Engagement

• Connect parents with our school community through a variety of modes of communication
• Develop and implement parent climate survey
• Enhance school council to have a meaningful role supporting students learning, well-being and achievement

Goal 2: Provide Learning Opportunities to Deepen Parent Knowledge and Understanding

• Support parents to share information with other parents, helping their child to learn by extending their knowledge of community resources
• Establish a forum so parents can develop a deeper understanding of their child's learning needs through direct instruction

Goal 3: Model Effective Instruction and Provide Direct Support

• Create learning resources for parents to assist in their child's learning and teach parents how to support their child's learning

Extending Reach Into the Community

What It Means

The Niagara Children's Centre School is a centre of excellence in teaching children with special learning needs, and actively works to share our expertise and knowledge with other agencies and educators, both within the local community and within the community of section 68 schools. We will innovate, model and share best practices to meet the needs of students, and coach and teach other educator strategies that have been demonstrated to be effective.

We will add voice locally so community partners know that the community is better off because we do what we do.

Why It Matters

Active involvement in the local community builds awareness and understanding for the tole of Niagara Children's Centre School, providing effective, efficient and coordinated educational and therapeutic services to children with special needs. This also contributes to the range of services and supports available to children and their families within the local community. As a best practice Section 68 centre, Niagara Children's Centre School demonstrates the important contribution such schools make in establishing a broad range of educational programs, which ensures all students experience success.

How Will We Get There?

• Professional learning with educational partners
• Outreach initiatives
• Propose a Professional Learning Community within Section 68 schools

Goal 1: Partner and Provide Professional Learning Opportunities for School Instructional Staff

• Partner with DSBN to provide professional development opportunities for coterminous board
• Provide professional development opportunities for NCDSB special education consultants, Learning Support Teachers, Early Years Leads, Kindergarten teachers and Early Childhood Educators
• Demonstrate leadership with Section 68 sector

Goal 2: Enhance Communications and Coordination with Coterminous Board Partners

• Collaborate in development, distribution and in service, to implement appropriate school resources
• Pursue satellite/lighthouse opportunity

Goal 3: Establish and Lead Section 68 Core Learning Team

• Establish and facilitate a Professional Development Network

Strengthening Relationships

What It Means

Niagara Children's Centre meets the needs of our students because the members of our school community work together effectively, collaboratively sharing personal talents and unique skills to accomplish our mission. A positive work environment that ensures that staff members have input into decisions affecting school operation will strengthen engagement and encourage innovation. We will support staff in their instructional practice, facilitate collaboration and encourage a focus on student needs, academic achievement and student well-being. A strong Board of Trustees with expertise in education, accounting, marketing, communication, law, human resources and research will provide effective governance, enhance school operations, strengthen community confidence, and ensure our viability and ability to adapt in a rapidly changing environment.

Why It Matters

Niagara Children's Centre School is committed to excellence, and our ability to deliver exceptional educational programs and appropriate therapeutic supports is dependant on a high degree of collaboration and integration with both Niagara Children's Centre, and Community Health and Education partners. Our ability to maintain and resource the highest standards of programming for our students requires strong relationships with internal and external partners, and robust leadership to enable progress and innovation.

How Will We Get There?

• Actively engage staff to co-create a positive work environment
• Strengthen external relationships and partnerships
• Enhance Board governance

Goal 1: Strengthen Internal Relationships

• Co-Develop a Staff Engagement Strategy

Goal 2: Improve Communication and Enhance Working Relationship between Centre and School

• Work in collaboration with Centre managers to increase community awareness of the Centre and the Centre School work in conjunction, delivering educational programs for complex special needs children

Goal 3: Strengthening Community Confidence through Enhanced Board Governance

• Review Board Trustees to strengthen oversight