The Peace River School Division believes that every child should have equitable access to the supports they need to be successful. We support inclusive classrooms, and inclusive schools. For the PRSD, inclusion is not just about learners with special needs; inclusion is an attitude and approach that embraces diversity and learner differences and promotes equal opportunities for all learners.
Every student has unique needs which must be met with flexible and responsive learning goals and environments. Peace River School Division strives to support students’ academic, behavior, and social/emotional needs through a continuum of supports in a variety of school settings.
Flexible and responsive supports include:
- Universal supports – strategies and supports incorporated into the environment for all learners, such as flexible learning resources and technologies, differentiated instruction, and positive behaviour supports.
- Targeted strategies or interventions – for learners who need more specialized learning opportunities or access to more targeted support, such as writing accommodations, explicit instruction, or reading intervention.
- Specialized or Individualized supports – supports that directly relate to individual learning needs and may involve external expertise such as the use of alternate and augmentative communication systems (ACC), or mental health support.
All Peace River School Division schools have dedicated Inclusive Education time. If your child needs further support, please contact your local school.
Inclusive Education Coordinators & I-Coaches
Early Learning Program (Formerly known as PUF)
What does PRSD offer:
The Early Learning Team, led by the Early Learning Coordinator, supports children in their emotional, social, intellectual and physical development through play-based environments. We support equitable opportunities for children to participate in early learning experiences that include early intervention.
The Early Learning Team is responsible for providing educational programming and support services for children 2 years, 8 months to 6 years of age. Specialized and targeted programming for children is inclusive within our kindergarten programs.
Services Available:
- Early Learning Intervention
- Early Literacy and Numeracy
- Early Learning Coordinator
- Psychologist
- Occupational Therapists
- Physical Therapists
- Speech And Language Pathologists
- Professional Learning
- Transition Planning
Click HERE for more details regarding Kindergarten and Early Learning
Project Peace Success Coaches
Project Peace is an Alberta Health Services Mental Health Capacity Building Project. It is a 12-month program focused on universal supports for the promotion of positive mental health. This program is funded in Peace River and Grimshaw and is managed by a Program Manager who works out of Central Operations.
The program deploys Success Coaches Success Coaches who work with children, youth, and staff in schools. Success Coaches provide universal programming in the areas of mental health, addictions, and social/emotional learning to students in the following schools:
- Springfield Elementary School
- TA Norris Middle School
- Peace River High School
- Grimshaw Public School
To learn more about Project Peace Success Coaches and their available programming click HERE or visit their Facebook page HERE.
Student Support Workers
Student Support Workers work with children, youth, and staff in schools, and they focus on universal supports for the promotion of positive mental health. This program is funded through Alberta Education through the Mental Health in Schools Pilot Program.
To Learn more about the Student Support Workers click HERE or visit their Facebook page HERE.
Student Support Workers provide universal programming in the areas of mental health, addictions, and social/emotional learning to students at the following schools:
- Menno Simons Community School
- Worsley Central School
- Hines Creek Composite School
- Fairview Jr./Sr. High School
- Manning Elementary School
- Paul Rowe Jr./Sr. High School
- Dixonville School
- Nampa Public School
- Lloyd Garrison School
- Red Earth Creek School
Community Helper's Program
School Social Workers
Peace Collaborative Services
Peace Collaborative Services (PCS) is a regional collaborative service delivery system coordinating support for six Northwest Alberta school jurisdictions, including:
- Grande Prairie Public School Division
- Holy Family School Division
- Northern Gateway Public Schools
- some Northland Schools
- Peace River School Division
- Peace Wapiti Public School Division
Each year, Alberta Education provides funding to school jurisdictions to access multi-disciplinary services. The six participating school jurisdictions have pooled their funds in order to support access to the PCS multi-disciplinary team. The PCS team endeavors to help build capacity and support specialized assessment, consultation and programming, while supporting teachers, educational assistants, and other professionals better understand and adapt to the unique needs of their students.
The PCS team consists of teachers, therapists and allied rehabilitation personnel who will provide support such as assessment, consultation, counselling and therapy for students who require those services to promote their educational success.
Assistance is available in:
- Occupational Therapy
- School environment (e.g., desks/chairs, classroom design) and routines
- Organizational skills
- Self-regulation and sensory programming
- Play with toys and peers
- Printing and assistive technology for literacy (i.e., reading and writing)
- Functional life skill programming and transition planning
- Self-help skills (e.g., dressing for recess, eating)
- Psychology
- Helping others understand child development and how it impacts learning and behaviour
- Developing strategies/interventions for classroom management, behavioural support, and academic programming
- Comprehensive assessments that identify a student’s strengths and challenges in such areas as learning, behaviour, and social-emotional development
- Providing training and resources on a number of topics such as child trauma, various developmental challenges, social skills, emotional control and mental health issues
- Assisting school communities in responding to crisis situations
- Providing professional development opportunities tailored to meet the needs of staff and/or students
- Physical Therapy
- Mental Health
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Phonemic awareness and Language in the Classroom
- Assistive technology
- Augmentative communication.
- Programming for students who are deaf, hard of hearing, and/or visually impaired
**Referrals for PCS supports are made through educational staff such as teachers, learning coaches, administrators or PCS professionals.
Services are provided in the school setting. For more information, please contact the I-Coach at your local school.
Learn more about PCS by viewing our digital brochure HERE.
View current PCS job opportunities HERE.