The need for a team in setting up students for success
As I watched the final hockey game between the US and Canada during the Winter Olympics this past
February, I was amazed by the weaving and passing that create the plays and movement. This is teamwork at its best. Each player has a role, a plan and a connection to each other. And the success of the team relies on the contributions of so many behind the scenes: the coaches, therapists, medical professionals, families and friends.
The “game” that parents and caregivers of people with different needs play is not against another team. It is actually a push to create one, to find coaches, weave a path towards the net and, ultimately, hope for a world where our kids with special needs can contribute and be engaged in our society.
To be honest, it can be a very lonely path, fraught with barriers and bureaucracy –particularly around times of transition when the team you had changes!
This is the conversation we have at the English Montreal School Board’s (EMSB) Advisory Committee on Special Education Services (ACSES) and at the school level as well. At ACSES, we are looking at a special needs student school cycle and the transition points – the points that are most stressful – and what information exists or needs to, to help families navigate those points. The goal is to make sure updated information is available and accessible, not only for families but the whole team of educators and administrators.
While ACSES is an advisory body and can make recommendations, the EMSB and some of the schools are taking the bull by the horns and getting into action. Some of these initiatives include John Grant High School’s Spring into Support evening, and Westmount High School’s Parent Exchange series.
John Grant’s event, scheduled to take place on May 7 at the school, brings together students, families, educators and community organizations to learn and celebrate neurodiversity together. Last year it brought me so much joy to hear exclamations of “I didn’t know that existed!” and “It’s so nice to feel less alone.”
The Parent Exchange at Westmount High is a monthly series designed to bring parents together in a welcoming and supportive space. This initiative aims to strengthen school-home partnerships, empower parents with tools and insights and encourage peer-to-peer learning within our school community.
These are just two examples of efforts made at the EMSB to bring people together and create a network of support for our families and students.
As we all bemoan Team Canada’s loss during that final match at the Winter Olympics, we recognize that this too is part of the journey. I guarantee, however, that after the tears dried up, the team gathered together to figure out what went wrong and what could have worked better. That is the nature of community and the work we do to be a team. No one should feel alone on their journey.
For more information about ACSES: www.emsb.qc.ca/emsb/services/special/needs/acses.
Julie Kristof sits as parent commissioner of the Advisory Committee on Special Education Services on the English Montreal School Board’s elected Council of Commissioners. She is also a delegate to the EMSB Parents Committee and proudly chairs the Governing Board at John Grant High School. She is the mother of two.
