Student Support Services

At Thalun we recognize the diverse needs of students, both as individuals and their developmental process from early childhood to high school. As a smaller school we do not yet have full time counselors on staff, but this does not hold us back from working hard to identify and support students towards personal and academic success.

The following are some of the services we provide to enhance student achievement and adjustment during their time here.

English as an Additional Language (EAL/ESL):

EAL support is available for non-native speakers who are not familiar with, and need additional support in an English-medium school. These students are identified during the application and placement process, and are supported in developing both social and academic language directly linked to their grade level curriculum.

Currently, students receive support in small pull-out groups where an EAL specialist works with them to provide guidance and one-to-one support. As our EAL support program grows we will be moving towards a co-teaching model where EAL specialists will work with students (primarily in the middle and high school level) and co-teach with the classroom teacher. All EAL students are immersed within the mainstream classroom and student population. EAL support is available through to grade 10, after which the rigor of high school courses require that students have a high intermediate level of English language proficiency.

In addition to working with outside specialists who do on-site assessments, we provide staff and teacher training in the elementary grades on how to support students with self-regulation and life skills. One example of this is Kelso’s Choice, a program that supports confidence and self-regulation in elementary students. All our elementary staffs have received training in how to utilize this, and to support students in having a stable progression through their elementary school years.

In middle and high school all students are required (up until grade 9) to participate in a PSE (Personal and Social Education) curriculum. PSE education is a planned program to help children and young people develop fully as individuals and as members of families and social and economic communities. Its goal is to equip young people with the knowledge, understanding, attitudes and practical skills to live healthily, safely, productively and responsibly.