Welcome to STS Learning Supports
Sarah Thompson's Learning Support team includes our Learning Support Teachers, Shelagh Winkler, Alison Saunders and our Child Development Advisor, Sheena Noppen. Our roles within the learning support team are collaborative in nature, as we continually work together to support student's academic and social-emotional well-being. Literacy intervention is a component of our learning support services to students in grades 1-5. Students have access to small group, daily, individualized literacy support, as needed. Our roles also include: individual student programming, Student Success Plans (formally IPP's) and coordination and consultation with outside services such as: Learning Specialists, Psychologists, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Pathologists, and Physical Therapy, on an as needed basis.
Our Team
Hello! My name is Alison Saunders. I have been teaching as a Learning Support/Literacy teacher at Sarah Thompson since it opened and have also taught grades 2-5, Junior High Humanities, and French as a Second Language. I currently work part-time providing literacy intervention four mornings a week. I love supporting our students on their journeys to becoming competent, confident, and enthusiastic readers. I live in Calgary with my husband and kids (who are six and eight). I am excited to be supporting students in their literacy and numeracy development this year!
Hello, my name is Shelagh Winkler and I am a Learning Support/Literacy teacher here at Sarah Thompson School. I have been a part of the STS staff for the past 4 years and have enjoyed being a part of such an amazing and caring school community. My husband and I have 3 children and have lived in the Langdon area for 25 years. I have taught within Rocky View Schools for over 25 years as a classroom teacher in grades 2-5, Early Literacy teacher and most recently a Learning Support teacher for grades K-5. Over the years, I have gained extensive experience and a passion for supporting students with the complex process of learning to read. I consider it such a pleasure to work with our young readers and writers each day!
Literacy Intervention
Effective early intervention can change the path of a child's journey to literacy. Literacy Intervention is a foundational support provided to students who are struggling with the reading process. Learning to read is a complex and often difficult process for many students and through intensive, individualized, small group support, students are provided with strategies and skills to support their reading development. Mrs. Saunders and Mrs. Winkler provide daily, focused, small group sessions to students using a balanced and multi-sensory literacy approach to supplement the instruction provided in the classroom. Through a variety of research-based methods and resources, we work intensively with students for 30 min sessions from Monday to Thursday each week. Our program includes: building foundational phonemic awareness skills, developing decoding strategies, sight word knowledge, fluency and comprehension skills. Parental support and guidance in completing home reading each week is crucial and much appreciated!
Students will be assessed on a regular basis upon entering the program and enrolment will be fluid with students exiting the program when they reach grade level benchmarks. The Literacy program generally targets grades 2-5 at the beginning of the year and integrates grade one students as the year progresses.
If you have any questions or concerns about your child's learning needs, please feel free to contact us at asaunders@rockyview.ab.ca or swinkler@rockyview.ab.ca. We can also be reached by phone at 403-936-6141, Mrs. Winkler (Ext#- 5028) and Mrs. Saunders (Ext. #5026).