CQSB is ahead of many other school boards when it comes to including special needs students in regular classes. As I often tell my French counterparts : it is not because we are better than the other school boards - it is because we had no choice. We did not have enough special needs students to make specialized classes.This being said, over the years we have not only developed an expertise when the time comes to include all students in our classes, we have come to embrace inclusion. To include handicapped students in a regular classroom is very demanding but it is also very rewarding. The more we work as a team to include special needs students, the better it will be for all, staff and student. Each student is everybody's student.

Gina Farnell

Given the current events swirling around us, it is safe to say that the world is becoming less and less accepting of differences. How refreshing that at Central Québec School Board ALL of our students and staff are able to learn and play together in an environment that not only preaches, but practices inclusion. In my long career in education I have experienced the pride as teacher, administrator and director of seeing students with significant challenges either physical, emotional or cognitive persevere to finally walk across the stage to receive a diploma and the recognition that their effort was worthwhile. To see a school community rally around an openly transgender or gay student to defend their rights is proof that inclusiveness can be contagious. I congratulate the staff of CQSB for making this little corner of our world a better place to be.

Mark Sutherland

INCLUSION: a Collaborative Process

“No one can do everything,

but everyone can do something.”

Max Lucado

Inclusion means making the learning in our schools engaging, respectful, collaborative and challenging for all learners. In brief, inclusion means all students are educated together , in a general education classroom and are part of the social and academic life of the classroom.

Jennifer Katz

Inclusive educational settings focused on success for all, supported by their community, where people learn to be civic-minded, creative, competent, responsible, open to diversity and fully engaged in social, cultural and economic life in Québec

Let us know how you make your school an inclusive place. Send us pictures, drawings, texts, videos etc. showcasing the great projects, activities, initiatives which take place at your school.

http://cqsb.lib.overdrive.com

Have you ever tried an audiobook or an e-book? The CQSB Digital Library offers a collection of quality, professionally recorded and produced e-books and audiobooks for all learners.

Audiobooks can:

• Increase reading accuracy
• Expand vocabulary
• Teach pronunciation
  
• Increase student motivation
  
• Improve fluency
  
• Help us become better listeners
  
• Benefit auditory learners

The majority of the e-books in our collection provide:

• Built in dictionary for easy word look-up
  
• Ability to change the font size and shape
  
• Bookmarks
  
• Notetaking
  

Many Read-Along titles are also available in the digital library. These titles provide text and audio support simultaneously to the reader.

With the CQSB digital library, positive reading experiences are possible for all of our students. Please contact me with any questions or problems accessing your CQSB Digital Library account.

Chelsea.Baker@cqsb.qc.ca

Topic: Validation Process, IEPs, Modified Instruction Level, Q&A

Audience: Principals, Resource Teachers and Professionals

Date: October 26th

Time: 10:00-11:30

Format: BlueJeans

Topic: SACCADE networking session

Audience: Staff trained in SACCADE

Date: November 3rd

Time: TBA

Format: Onsite and BlueJeans