Dr Lynn Joffe – Director – Specialist Learning Centre

News from the Specialist Learning Centre (SLC)

In both Primary and High School sectors, most students who benefit by Specialist Learning Centre (SLC) intervention in its various forms are thriving and often exceeding expectations – often their own! We thank them and their parents and guardians for partnering with us in areas of skill building and the social and emotional aspects that are inevitably part of the package. The input provided by external specialists is often part of the fuller program for a student. The information below speaks to this.

External Specialists on Campus

With the opening of the B’Yachad Building (aren’t we fortunate to have it!), we are now pleased that we have some flexibility in terms of teaching spaces, so will be able to accommodate external therapists on campus, within certain parameters. We thank everyone for their patience during the time that having these allied colleagues on campus was not possible.

Our aim always is to ensure that we are enabling essential intervention for our students that has the least impact on their school learning. We view the services that external specialists provide as complementary to school learning but, given that we are a school that provides exceptional teaching, we are mindful that we need to ensure that external sessions do not conflict with learning time in classrooms, as far as possible.

We are trialling a new system; we will make available suitable venues for Speech Therapists, Occupational Therapists and other specialists at the following times:

• 7.45 am – 8.45 am: Monday – Friday
• 12.45 pm – 2.15 pm: Monday – Friday
• 3.30 pm – 5.00 pm: Monday and Thursday

We would ask that parents and guardians organise sessions at these times wherever possible.

In the few cases that these times might not be workable, please let me know and we will consider what else might be possible but, please know that, even with the new building, space is limited at different times.

Although we are galloping to the end of the year, there are a few weeks of term left, so, if you require spaces for allied professional services, please contact me. Again, please opt for the times above wherever possible for the rest of this term and for 2024.

Thank you to all the students, parents, guardians, teachers and specialists who work with the SLC Team and our colleagues who teach Years K-12 for another year of mutual learning, development and progress.