Skip to main content Skip to footer

Search for something

Special Education Department

The Special Education Department provides assistance and resources for exceptional students.  Special Education Resource Teachers monitor identified students, coordinate the Individual Education Plan implementation and review and provide strategies to be used in programming and assisting student learning.

The Special Education Department provides a variety of programs to assist students identified as exceptional by an IPRC and to those students who have needs beyond those that are met by regular classroom instruction.  Programs and services are provided through both individual and group approaches. Our staff focuses on assessment, remedial work, and development of learning skills. 

In addition, a learning strategies course (offered to students in grades 9-12), is available through referrals by the Dr. Frank J. Hayden High School Resource Team and/or recommendations from feeder school staff. 

Secondary Gifted Cluster - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 

All students who are identified as Gifted by the Halton District School Board's Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) have access to a range of options according to their needs. Secondary Gifted Cluster (SGC) is one of those placements for gifted students in Halton's secondary schools.

 

This placement provides gifted students at the secondary level with the opportunity to be in gifted 'cluster' classes, grouped together with their peers. The curriculum in these classes can be differentiated in breadth, depth and pace from the curriculum being offered in the other sections of the same course. Students are free to choose which courses they would like clustered and which they would not.

 

If you have a child that was identified as Gifted in another board (Catholic, private, in another area), and you would like your child to attend the SGC at Abbey Park, please email me to get the process started. It will involve review of the psycho-educational assessment that identified them originally.

 

Identified gifted students receive the same resources that any other student with an Individual Education Plan (IEP); they have a dedicated Special Education Resource Teacher monitoring their progress, and advising their teachers of any special needs or supports required.

In order to be identified as Gifted in Halton, a student’s Full Scale IQ score on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V) must be at the 98th percentile or higher.

- Grade 9: Science, Math, English and Geography

- Grade 10: Science, Math, English and History

- Grade 11: Functions (Math), Biology, Chemistry, Physics and English

- Grade 12: Advanced Functions, Calculus and English. AP courses are also available at the grade 12 level, and provide expanded content, but they are not differentiated like a typical gifted cluster class would be.

Transportation is available to identified gifted students living in the Abbey Park feeder area, and outside of walking distance (i.e. 3.2 kms) from Abbey Park. To check if your child is eligible for transportation, visit HaltonBus.ca.

Students at APHS regularly participate in a great number of diverse enrichment opportunities available at our school. Please consult the school website for more information.

This website uses cookies to enhance usability and provide you with a more personal experience. By using this website, you agree to our use of cookies as explained in our Privacy Policy.