Student Services

Kindergarten - Grade 8 Learning Resource Support Services at CIS

        At CIS, we have two Learning Resource teachers in Kindergarten through Grade 8. The goal of our Learning Support Department is to utilize each child’s strengths to help them thrive and reach their optimal potential. There is a range of services offered by our learning support team including; academic support, extension of learning, and explicit social skills instruction. The levels of support differ depending on the student’s needs. The learning resource teachers collaborate with classroom teachers, administrators, the ELL coordinator, the guidance counselor, and parents to ensure overall success. 

        Grades 9-12 Learning Resource Support Services at CIS. At CIS, we have a Learning Resource Teacher who services students from Grade 9 through to Grade 12. The goal of our Learning Support Department is to utilize each child’s strengths to help them thrive and reach their optimal potential. There are a range of services offered by our learning support team focusing on; academic support, pathways planning for students and their families as well as in-class and withdrawal support for students. The levels of support differ depending on the student’s needs. The learning resource teacher collaborates with classroom teachers, administrators, the guidance counsellor, and parents to ensure overall success.

English Language Learning (ELL) at CIS

        For information on English Language Learning (ELL) at CIS, please click HERE.

Guidance Counselling Services at CIS 

       Guidance Counsellors at CIS provide a full range of programs and services to support students' academic, personal, social, and emotional growth and development, including child protection lessons that are provided annually to all CIS students. Services provided by our counsellors include individual and small group student counselling, classroom lessons, staff professional development, parent workshop programs, and collaboration with all stakeholders including families, teachers, administrators, and outside mental health service providers. Ms. Melissa O’Leary is the Guidance Counsellor for the Secondary school. Ms. Carly Svenstrup, LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) is the Guidance Counsellor for the Kindergarten, Primary, Junior, and Intermediate divisions. 

University and Academic Counselling at CIS

        We provide a range of academic and university counselling for students in secondary school informed by both the Ontario Guidance Curriculum and IB guidance training and protocols.  Grades 9 and 10 students are introduced to career counselling through the Learning Strategies and Careers courses, where both the classroom teachers and the Guidance Counsellor work together to encourage students to begin thinking about their post-secondary pathways.  At this stage, students are counselled on course selections and making appropriate choices for their future post-secondary pathways. 
        Grade 11 students start seeing the counsellor more often for individual academic and university counselling and all Grade 12 students spend at least one period a week with the Secondary Guidance Counsellor in the University Application Club, in addition to small group application sessions and individual appointments.  We work closely with parents, particularly in Grades 11 and 12, to support the student in reaching their post-secondary goals. 
        Year-round University and Academic counselling events for students and families include lunch-time university visits and university information sessions as well as a co-hosted city-wide university fair with other international schools each September. CISS also hosts its’ own CISS University and College Fair each October for students in Grades 9-12 which recently featured 55 universities and colleges from 9 different countries. 

Student Health Services at CIS

        CIS has a health clinic staffed by a full-time registered school nurse who provides health care to all students through assessment, intervention, and follow-up within the school setting. The school nurse is the first responder to all student health-related issues that occur within the school and she collaborates with educators, school officials, and families in addressing students' health problems. The school nurse also provides health education including information about immunization against preventable diseases. The school nurse maintains a confidential and comprehensive database of all of the students' health-related information. Parents are notified in the event that their child experiences any serious illnesses or injuries. CIS students in Kindergarten through Grade 12 are provided an annual health check, vision screening, hearing screening, and Body Mass Index (BMI) test by an outside government agency. The parents are notified of these test results. CIS staff are also offered CPR and First Aid training. 

Community Referrals to Outside Service Providers

        Members of the student support staff often make referrals to outside service providers when it’s recommended they receive assessments or services that are beyond what the student support team can provide. The student services staff must request permission from the individual students’ guardians for information to be shared between the student support staff and any outside service provider. Upon admission to CIS, parents/guardians should include when, where, and what services their students received from outside services providers as well as any relevant reports from previous outside service providers.  

Student Services Contact Information: 
CIS Academic Service: (028) 54 123 444

Student Services Team at CIS: