Holy Family RCSSD is moving deeper into supporting our all students and staff from the smallest learners to the adults in our buildings.
One of the new initiatives in our Early Years department is being part of the Management Committee for the new Estevan Early Years Resource Centre. Holy Family is proud to be part of the team that is committed to the development and continuous improvement of the Early Years Family Resource Centre. This centre will be a trusted place that families can access for drop-in and group programming, to reduce isolation and increase social networks, and to learn about children’s development and school readiness.
This community partnership is a compliment to Holy Family’s early years’ services that are already in place. Holy Family continues to provide services to families from birth through the schooling years;
ECIP (Early Childhood Intervention Program) offers services to families before their children get to schooling age. Holy Family’s ECIP program has continued to run creatively through the COVID-19 pandemic offering virtual visits, and outside park/driveway visits with families.
Holy Family offers three Pre K programs in Estevan and Weyburn.
Radville and Wilcox schools accept Early Entrants for students who are 3 or 4 and need some school support before they are eligible for Kindergarten programs.
New to Holy Family in 2019-2020 is the ELIS (Early Learning Intensive Supports) program. ELIS allows additional children with intensive needs into our Pre K programs. ELIS provides funding for specialized services such as Speech & Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy as well as any specialized equipment that is needed by the student.
Wrapping around all the early learners is the school Response to Intervention teams that consist of Administration, Learning Facilitators, Speech & Language Pathologists, School Counsellors, Behaviour Consultant, Occupational Therapist and an Educational Psychologist. This team of trained professionals makes the best educational decisions to support students where they are at.
For the 2021-2022 school year Holy Family is able to continue the position of Behaviour Consultant and is adding an additional School Counsellor. These two roles in particular will support student needs as they transition back to school in the fall, after a year of pandemic learning.
Supporting adults (staff) is another initiative that Holy Family is undertaking. In the Holy Family Mental Health & Well-being plan for 2021-2022, Holy Family will be implementing Not Myself Today (Canadian Mental Health Association) in all our schools:
This workplace mental health initiative helps build greater awareness, reduces stigma and fosters safe and supportive work cultures.
Holy Family School Counsellors, Senior and School Administration will lead this movement with the kick-off event in our 2021-2022 school start up plans.
In joining Not Myself Today, Holy Family will be part of the 450+ workplaces across Canada to do so.
To support this work with staff, Holy Family is excited to add some speakers to our 2021-2022 school start up. We will be welcoming Allan Kehler from Out From The Shadows Consulting, and Oaks Mental Health to guide us through learning to support our own well-being as adults and strategies to support students in our classrooms.
