Clearview Public School Release 11/15/2020 @ 8:36am published at 8:55am
Starting in the 2020-21 school year, the Board of Trustees approved two additional staffing positions to ensure supports are in place for students that need speech language services and occupational therapist supports. After significant consultations with school principals during the spring of 2020, and following the dissolving of the regional support model by the Alberta Government that previously provided similar supports, Clearview showed strong leadership and a proactive approach to make sure our students continued to receive the supports they need to be the best learners possible.
Through conversations with multiple stakeholders and leaders, a new model for services emerged during the strategic planning in the spring of 2020 that will see Clearview hiring staff to provide must-needed student supports instead of relying on Alberta Health, consultants, or outside agencies. This will allow effective planning for where the supports are most needed and more control for how those supports will be provided, representing an increased effective use of tight budget resources and better services to students.
“We are grateful to the Board of Trustees for understanding the importance of having these professionals in our school division so that our students and families don’t have to make trips outside of our area, or be on long wait lists to get these much needed services. Having these professionals as part of our education team means we can provide even more services to your student’s learning team. “ Superintendent Brenda MacDonald
We are very excited to introduce our new professional staff that started this year and will be providing direct services to our schools and to our students. Please join us in welcoming our new Occupational Therapist and our new Speech Language Therapist!
Alana Ell, Occupational Therapist (OT)
Alana is a new graduate from the University of Alberta's Occupational Therapy program. Initially from Clive, Alana has been working towards her goal of becoming an Occupational Therapist with a special interest in child development. After completing her bachelor's degree at Augustana in Camrose, she went on to complete her Masters in Edmonton where she sought out opportunities to further her knowledge and skills in Pediatric Occupational Therapy. Outside of the world of OT, Alana enjoys spending time with her husband and their brand new puppy named Arlo, riding horses, gardening, and reading. Alana is overjoyed to join Clearview public schools and looks forward to being a resource that fosters the most supportive environment for students.
Jennifer Brown - Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP)
Jennifer Brown is the Speech-Language Pathologist for Clearview School Division. Prior to this position she worked for Alberta Health Services, in the "Health Unit" days providing services to pre-school and school age children. She then chose to enter private practice, and delivered services by contract to students receiving Early childhood Services Funding (aka PUF) to several school divisions, including Clearview. Jennifer’s greatest reward is watching children succeed with the support of their school teams! She truly enjoys being given the opportunity to work with students across all grades across the entire school division. Jennifer’s family lives between Big Valley and Byemoor on a mixed farm giving me the opportunity to enjoy all that country living (and driving) has to offer.
Thank you to both Jennifer Brown and Alana Ell for choosing Clearview Public Schools, and for your work in ensuring the professional supports are available so students can be the best versions of themselves!