Learning Opportunities for Summer 2022
The following learning and tutoring opportunities will be provided virtually in Summer 2022 for students in the Halton District School Board. These programs are funded by the Ontario Ministry of Education as part of the Learning Recovery Action Plan to support learning recovery and mental health for students following two years of learning disruption as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Registration Information:
- The registration process for these programs varies. Please refer to the specific program for instructions on how to register.
- Tutoring services provided by community partners are run independently from the HDSB. Please register directly with the provider and direct any questions to the provider.
Programs & Descriptions
Special Education
Time Blocks
Block 1 runs from July 4 to 7 and 11 to 14
Block 2 runs from July 18 to 21 and 25 to 28
Programs run from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m.
Special Education Summer Program Offerings
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Social Thinking Through Stories
Grade 1-3 and 4-6
Offered Block 1
This program is suitable for students in grades 1-3 and 4-6 and who have a diagnosis of ASD. Students will be using stories in video, audio and written format to discuss social thinking strategies based on core concepts. Teachers will use these stories to generate conversations as well as practice comprehension skills. Each day will be a different focus and students will have the opportunity to share their thinking and understanding in different ways.
Contact your school’s Special Education Resource Teacher to discuss whether this is an appropriate learning opportunity for your child.
Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Learning American Sign Language - Beginner
Grade 4-12
Special Timing: July 12-15 & 18-22
An opportunity for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students to learn the beginner level of American Sign Language (ASL) skills, Deaf culture and history. Beginner ASL skills will encompass a basic conversation level with vocabulary for school and home. Students will gain a general understanding of the role of ASL in Deaf people’s lives and a broad introduction to the information about the Deaf community.
Contact your school’s Special Education Resource Teacher to discuss whether this is an appropriate learning opportunity for your child.
Blind/Low Vision
Summer Learning for Students with Vision Loss
Grade 1-12
Offered Block 1 Only
This program would provide opportunities for students to interact with other students who have vision loss, and to have a safe space to learn and have some fun using games and activities which are accommodated to the students' learn ing needs.
Contact your school’s Special Education Resource Teacher to discuss whether this is an appropriate learning opportunity for your child.
Assistive Technology (AT)
Assistive Technology Summer School
Grade 3-5 and 6-8
Offered Block 1 and Block 2
This program will build independence in leveraging Assistive Technology software to access the curriculum. Participants will engage in activities to gain proficiency in the use of the Google Suite (Drive, Docs, Slides) and extensions (Read & Write, EquatI0, PDF Reader) with a focus on communication, planning, and organization.
End of Summer AT Crash Course
Grade 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Special Timing: August 22 to 26
This program will provide a condensed review of Assistive Technology software available to students. Participants will engage in activities to gain proficiency in the use of Google extensions (Read & Write, EquatI0, PDF Reader) with a focus on communication, planning and organization.
Contact your school’s Special Education Resource Teacher to discuss whether this is an appropriate learning opportunity for your child.
Elementary Life Skills
Life Skills Learning
Grade 4-8
Offered Block 1 and Block 2
This program is suitable for students in Grade 4 - 8 who are currently attending a self-contained Life Skills class. The day will be a mix of real-time (synchronous) and independent (asynchronous) activities, small groups and individual time. Activities may include community circles, functional language activities, functional math activities, games, music, art, daily living skills and social skill development. The program will be customized to best meet the needs of the students who are enrolled. Students may be verbal or non-verbal, and will be encouraged to make connections with the adults supporting the class and with their peers. Let's have some fun in the summer!
Contact your school’s Special Education Resource Teacher to discuss whether this is an appropriate learning opportunity for your child.
Secondary Community Pathways Program
Community Pathways Program Learning
Grade 8 Life Skills and Secondary CPP Students
Offered Block 1 and Block 2
This program is suitable for students in Grade 4 - 8 who are currently attending a self-contained Life Skills class. The day will be a mix of real-time (synchronous) and independent (asynchronous) activities, small groups and individual time. Activities may include community circles, functional language activities, functional math activities, games, music, art, daily living skills and social skill development. The program will be customized to best meet the needs of the students who are enrolled. Students may be verbal or non-verbal, and will be encouraged to make connections with the adults supporting the class and with their peers. Let's have some fun in the summer!
Contact your school’s Special Education Resource Teacher to discuss whether this is an appropriate learning opportunity for your child.
Elementary Learning Disabilities
Structured Reading Booster
Grade 4-8
Offered Block 1 and Block 2
*ONLY for students who are ALREADY in a Structured Reading Program (with an Itinerant Reading Teacher) in Self-Contained LD classes.
Students will continue to develop their base reading skills that they have been working on all year. The Structured Reading Program will focus on two main goals:
- Strengthening phonological awareness skills (deleting and changing sounds in words)
- Learning new skills in decoding (reading)
All students will have daily, one-on-one 45-minute sessions with the teacher that targets their individual goals. Families may sign up for one or both of the sessions. Once registered, families will be contacted regarding the timing of their sessions.
Contact your school’s Special Education Resource Teacher to discuss whether this is an appropriate learning opportunity for your child.
Elementary Gifted
Structured Reading Booster
Grade 1-8
Offered Block 1 and Block 2
Working through the problem solving process with peers with Design Thinking Projects, Design and Maker, Math, coding, and creative writing challenges.
Contact your school’s Special Education Resource Teacher to discuss whether this is an appropriate learning opportunity for your child.
Welcome Centre
Grade 4-8 students new to Halton (not yet attending school but is registered to be in a HDSB school in September 2022) are invited to engage in one-hour sessions to improve their literacy and/or numeracy skills with the help from student tutors, supervised by a classroom teacher. Students can register for one-hour sessions in literacy and/or math on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday weekly between July 5 - Aug. 25 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Contact the Welcome Centre to register:
welcomecentre@hdsb.ca; 905.335.3663 ext. 3440. Once registered, families will be contacted regarding the timing of their sessions.
Students already attending a HDSB school are asked to connect with their school administrator to register for summer school learning opportunities offered at their home school or a neighbouring HDSB school.
Email HDSB Welcome Centre
Community Tutoring Supports
Free of Charge to HDSB Students
The following opportunities are provided by not-for-profit organizations who expressed an interest in offering tutoring services for HDSB students and accessing Ministry of Education funding. All programs are free of charge to HDSB students. The services are provided by the organization and all inquiries should be directed to the provider.
Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton
Learn more and register for Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton
Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton (CCAH) is offering a complimentary tutoring that will support learning recovery and renewal in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tutors will work with students to support their learning needs outside of school hours and during the summer months.
The CCAH is an active, vibrant and dynamic Afro-Caribbean based charitable organization, delivering a suite of programs within the Halton Region focusing on education, culture, harmony and community. The CCAH has a 44-year history of providing programming for children, youth, seniors and families Halton-wide and for varying backgrounds and ethnicities. CCAH programs and activities are cultural, educational and entertaining, and are embedded in the HDSB curriculum to teach students about Black History and culture.
Tutorial services can be 1:1 and/or in groups up to 10 students. Mathematics, literacy, English, French and science will be priority subjects. Students at risk whose learning has been disrupted by the pandemic will be given priority. Where possible, students will be grouped by kindergarten, primary (Grade 1-3), junior (Grade 4-6), intermediate (Grade 7-10) and senior (Grade 11-12).
In-person, virtual and/or hybrid tutoring options will be available to students and their families. In-person sessions will be held at the Queen Elizabeth Park Community & Cultural Centre located at 2302 Bridge Rd, Oakville.
If interested, please fill out the registration form:
https://forms.gle/yvgki3fojwLWQmJb9
or send an email to
tutor@ccah.ca
Register for Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton
Halton Black Voices
Learn more about Halton Black Voices
Halton Black Voices
Anti Racism Literacy Program is intended to help address barriers in the classroom and at school among Black and communities of culture. We acknowledge and support that diversity, equity, and justice are more important now than ever—and that learning about them can’t start too early. But how do you approach an anti-racist education? Our literacy program believes that one way is through age-appropriate Black literature and storytelling. Readers interact with books and create meaning in different ways that can be surprising and illuminating. By creating lessons that center on diverse books, you are implicitly saying that equity, inclusion, and diversity matter in both name and practice. Being aware of and using resources and the myriad choices of available books at all levels means the students can create and sustain an atmosphere of kindness, compassion, and empathy, one that is supportive of anti-racist education.
Register for Halton Black Voices
Learn More About Halton Black Voices
Learning Disabilities Association of Halton Hamilton
Mastering Mathematics
Grades 3-8
August 2-29
(New Dates) (1-1.5 hour daily for 4 weeks)
Online
(1 hour per day for students in Grades 3-4, 1.5 hours per day for students in Grades 5-8)
Opportunity for students with a diagnosed or suspected learning disability and/or ADHD to work in small groups (max 3:1) with students at a similar level to fill gaps in number sense and numeration, patterning, and algebra and mathematical application. This program uses multi-sensory teaching with manipulatives provided.
Completion of a 20 minute pre-and post-assessment is essential for involvement in this program.
Register for Mastering Mathmatics
Reading Rocks
Grades 1-6
August 2nd to August 22nd (New Dates)
(3 weeks) Multiple time slots are available but attendance is required every day for three weeks.
Online
This program focuses on supporting vulnerable readers, particularly those with diagnosed or suspected learning disabilities, in building essential literacy skills. Each student works 1:1 in-person with a trained tutor on phonics, sight words, and fluency, and building student motivation towards reading/writing through goal setting and success tracking. Completion of a 20 minute pre-and post-assessment is essential for involvement in this program.
Register for Reading Rocks
Social Skills Program
Grade 3-8 (New Dates) two week session from
August 2nd to August 12th or August 15th to August 26th
This program is designed for students with diagnosed or suspected learning disabilities and/or AHDD and encourages friendship, positive social/emotional behaviours, active listening, effective communication, and understanding of social norms. It is taught through group discussion, play-based activities, team-building games, and role-playing.
Classes are 1.5 hours in length and are run online, with the classes split by age (Grade 3-5 and Grade 6-8)
Register for Social Skills Program
SOAR Self-Advocacy
Grade 6-9
July 4-15 (9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Location: Burlington) and
July 18-28 (9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Location: North Halton)
Designed for students with suspected or diagnosed learning disabilities and/or ADHD, this program helps students identify their strengths and needs, understand their preferred learning style to encourage active participation, enhance self-advocacy skills and build a growth mindset. Discussion topics include strategies to develop strong study skills and healthy habits (e.g., organization, responsibility, time management, etc.) to support their learning and transition to secondary school.
Classes are one hour in length and are run in-person.
Register for SOAR Self-Advocacy
YMCA Burlington
School Programs
School-based programs are being offered at some schools for Kindergarten to Grade 5 students focusing on Literacy and Mathematics. These programs run from July 4 - 22. Please inquire at your child’s school to see if there is a program running at the school.
Summer School at Gary Allan
The Secondary Summer School Credit Program provides students the opportunity to complete additional high school credits during the month of July. Elementary students in Grade 6-8 may take programs in literacy and math. Courses are offered for students currently in grade 6 to 12 or for Adult Learners who are working towards their High School Diploma or require a course for employment/post-secondary purposes.
Gary Allan Summer School Information