Psychology / Sielkunde

PSYCHOLOGY

Prospectus Novus School offers specialised education to learners with specific learning difficulties, who do not benefit from inclusion in mainstream schools.  The term Specific Learning Difficulties (SLD) refers to learners who present with the following:

  • An average intellectual profile
  • Underachievement in scholastic development
  • An discrepancy between learner’s potential and actual achievement
  • Struggling to acquire or maintain specific learning skills in reading, writing, spelling or Mathematics
  • Development delays
  • Co-morbid conditions can occur such as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

Prospectus Novus cannot accommodate learners with:

  • Severe intellectual difficulties (SID)
  • Mild intellectual difficulties (MID)
  • Behavioural conditions such as Oppositional Deviant Disorder (ODD) and Conduct disorder (CD)
    (Please note:  It is not in a SLD learner’s best interest to change their language of learning and teaching (LOLT))

INTER-DISCIPLINARY TEAM

At Prospectus Novus School we follow an inter-disciplinary team approach to support learners holistically.  The team consists of the following professionals:

  • Occupational Therapists Grade R-3 (Individual), Grade 4-5 (groups)
  • Speech Therapists Grade R-3 (Individual), Grade 4-5 (groups)
  • Social Worker
  • Medical Nurses
  • Peadiatrician (once a week)
  • Educational Psychologist

ROLE OF THE EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST AT PROSPECTUS NOVUS SCHOOL

The Educational Psychologist acts as co-ordinator of the inter-disciplinary team and has the following focus areas:

  • New application assessments as referred to the school via the District Office;
  • Redirecting learners to educational settings according to relevant individual exit plans;
  • School Based Support Teams (SBST) discussions;
  • Monitoring learners’ individual support plans (ISP);
  • Parent guidance;
  • Short-term therapeutic interventions with learners as needed;
  • Identification of learners in need of intensive therapeutic intervention:  If a child is in need of intensive therapeutic intervention (as well as additional assessments), the child will be referred to a private specialist.
  • School-Base support Team sub-coordinator.  Please contact Mr S Dippenaar at psychology@prospectusnovus.co.za.

ADMISSION PROCESS

The admission process at Prospectus Novus School is District managed.  This means that the instruction to assess and admit a learner into the school programme has to come directly from Tshwane North District office.  Here follows a brief explanation of the process that should be followed to admit a learner at Prospectus Novus School:

  • Parents request their current school to assist them with application of Learners with Special Education needs (LSEN);
  • The mainstream school completes the relevant documentation according to national policy (SIAS – Screening, Identification, Assessing and Supporting);
  • This include the Support Needs Assessment Form (SNA 1 & 2) with evidence of special needs;
  • The current school hands documents over to their district office, which in turn will hand it over to District Tshwane North
  • Parents’ consent and signatures are required on Form DBE 123a, Form 120 and SNA 1;
  • Required attachments to the application:
    Copies of Parents / Guardians ID documents (Legal documents needed in case of divorce or adoption)
    Proof of residence
    Copies of child’s birth certificate, vaccination record, recent school report, and previous year’s report
    Other relevant reports from specialists, that will aid the application
    IQ scores are required and should be included in a psychology report
  • Parents can also contact the psychologists at District Tshwane North directly by appointment:  Me Sesi Dlamini Sesi.Dlamini@Gauteng.gov.za.
  • Note: no applications can be handled directly at Prospectus Novus School.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SOCIAL WORKER AT PROSPECTUS NOVUS

GENERAL

  • Participating in special education assessment meetings as well as individual
  • Working with those problems in a child’s living situation that affect the child
  • Counseling (group, individual and/or family)
  • Mobilizing family, school and community resources to enable the child to learn as effectively as possible in his or her educational program.
  • Assisting in developing positive behavioural intervention strategies.

SERVICES TO LEARNERS

  • Providing crisis intervention.
  • Assisting with conflict resolution and anger management.
  • Helping the child develop appropriate social interaction skills.
  • Assisting the child in understanding and accepting self and others.

SERVICES TO PARENTS / FAMILIES

  • Working with parents to facilitate their support their children’s school adjustment
  • Alleviating family stress to enable the child to function more effectively in school and community.
  • Assisting parents to access programs available to students with special needs.
  • Assisting parents in accessing and utilizing school and community resources.

SERVICES TO SCHOOL PERSONNEL

  • Providing staff with essential information to better understand factors (cultural, social, economic,familial, health, etc.)  affecting a student’s performance and behaviour
  • Assessing students with mental health concerns
  • Assisting teachers with behaviour management
  • Providing direct support to staff
  • Identifying and reporting child abuse and neglect

SCHOOL COMMUNITY LIAISON

  • Obtaining and coordinating community resources to meet students needs
  • Helping school districts to receive adequate support from social and mental health
  • Advocating for new and improved community / school service to meet the needs of students and families
  • Helping the system respond effectively to each child’s needs

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SIELKUNDE

Prospectus Novus Skool bied gespesialiseerde onderrig aan leerders met spesifieke leergeremdhede (SLD), wat nie baat vind by inklusiewe onderrig in hoofstroom skole nie.  Die term Spesifiek Leergeremdheid / Specific Learning Difficulties (SLD) verwys na leerders wat as volg presenteer:

  • Ten minste gemiddelde intellektuele profiel;
  • Onderpresteer in skolastiese ontwikkeling;
  • Groot diskrepansie tussen die leerder se potensiaal en werklike prestasie;
  • Uitdagings om spesifieke leesvaardighede in lees, skryf, spelling en Wiskunde te bekom;
  • Ontwikkelingsagterstande in areas soos motoriese en perseptuele funksionering;
  • Meegaande kondisies kan voorkom bv. ADHD (Aandagafleibaarheid, Hiperaktiwiteit en Impulsiwiteit).

Prospectus Novus Skool kan nie die volgende leerders akkommodeer nie:

  • Ernstige intellektuele geremdheid / Severe intellectual difficulties (SID)
  • Matige intellektuele geremdheid / Mild intellectual difficulties (MID)
  • Gedragsversteurings (Oppositional Deviant Disorder (ODD)) en Conduct Disorder (CD))
    (LET WEL: Dit is nie in ‘n SLD leerder se beste belang om hul taal van onderrig te verander nie.)

INTER-DISSIPLINÊRE SPAN

By Prospectus Novus Skool volg ons ‘n inter-dissiplinêre spanbenadering om leerders holisties te ondersteun.  Die span bestaan uit die volgende professies:

  • Arbeidsterapeute Graad R-3 – (Individueel), Graad 4-5 (groepsterapie)
  • Spraakterapeute Graad R-3 (Individueel), Graad 4-5 (groepsterapie)
  • Remediërende Onderrig (Graad 3-5)
  • Maatskaplike werker
  • Verpleegsters
  • Pediater (een keer per week)
  • Opvoedkundige Sielkundige

TOELATINGSPROSEDURE

Die toelatingsprosedure by Prospectus Novus Skool is ondergeskik aan die Distrikskantoor.  Dit beteken dat die Tshwane Noord Distrikskantoor die instruksie gee rakende assesserings en opnames van leerders.  Hier volg ‘n kort beskrywing van die opnameprosedures wat gevolg moet word om ‘n leerders by Prospectus Novus Skool te laat opneem:

  • Ouers versoek die huidige skool om hul in die aansoek te ondersteun;
  • Die hoofstroom skool voltooi die relevante dokumentasie volgens die nasionale SIAS beleid (Policy on Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support, 2014);
  • Dit sluit die SNA 1 & 2 vorms in (Special Needs Assessment Forms 1 & 2);
  • Die ouer se toestemming en handtekeninge word vereis op Form 123a, Form 120 en SNA 1;
  • Die huidige skool oorhandig die nodige dokumentasie aan hul eie distrikskantoor, wat dit dan weer aan Tshwane Noord Distrikskantoor sal oorhandig;
  • Vereiste aanhangesels tot die aansoek:
    Kopie van ouers / voogde se ID dokumente (Wettige dokumentasie is nodig in die geval van egskeiding of aanneming)
    Bewys van verblyf
    Kopie van kind se geboortesertifikaat, inentingsrekord, onlangse skoolrapport en vorige jaar se
    skoolrapport
    IK-Tellings soos saamgevat in ‘n sielkundige verslag
    Relevante verslae van ander spesialiste
  • Ouers kan Tshwane Noord Distrikskantoor se sielkundiges direk kontak: Mev. Sesi Dlamini Sesi.Dlamini@gauteng.gov.za.
  • Let wel:  Geen aansoeke word direk by Prospectus Novus Skool hanteer nie.

DIE ROL VAN DIE OPVOEDKUNDIGE SIELKUNDIGE EN OPVOEKUNDIGE SPESIALIS BY PROSPECTUS NOVUS SKOOL

Die Opvoedkundige Sielkundige tree op as koördineerder van ‘n interdissiplinêre span wat bestaan uit Spraakterapeute, Arbeidsterapeute, Remediërende Onderwyser, Maatskaplike Werkster, Suster, Pediater en Onderwysers. Die Opvoedkundige Sielkundige is ook betrokke by die volgende dienste by Prospectus Novus Skool:

  • Koördineerder van aansoeke
  • Opname evaluasies soos verwys deir die Distrikskantoor
  • Spanbespreking en opstel en monitor van individuele ondersteuningsplanne
  • Ouerbegeleiding
  • Korttermyn terapeutiese insette met leerders soos nodig
  • Indien ‘n kind intensiewe terapeutiese insette benodig (of addissionele assesserings), sal die sielkundige die kind verwys na ‘n privaat spesialis
  • Opstel van individuele skoolverlatingsplanne en verwysing na relevante alternatiewe LSEN skole waar nodig
  • SBST sub-koördineerder

POSBESKRYWING VAN DIE MAATSKAPLIKE WERKERBY PROSPECTUS NOVUS SKOOL

ALGEMEEN

  • Deelname in spesiale onderwys assesseringsvergaderings sowel as individuele
    opvoedkundige beplanningvergaderings
  • Werk aan leerders se probleme (huis, skool en gemeenskap) wat hom/haar affekteer
  • Berading (groep, individueel en/of familie)
  • Mobilisering van gesin, skool en gemeenskaphulpbronne om die kind in staat te stel om so effektief as moontlik te leer in sy of haar opvoedkundige program
  • Hulp in die ontwikkeling van positiewe gedrag intervensiestrategieë

DIENSTE AAN LEERDERS

  • Die verskaffing van krisisintervensie
  • Die ontwikkeling van intervensiestrategieë om akademiese sukses te verhoog
  • Hulp met die oplossing van konflik en woede bestuur
  • Die helpende kind toepaslike sosiale interaksie vaardighede te ontwikkel
  • Bystand aan die kind in die begrip en aanvaarding van die self en ander

DIENSTE AAN OUERS / FAMILIES

  • Werk met ouers om hul ondersteuning in hul kinders se skoolaanpassing te fasiliteer
  • Verligting van familie spanning om die kind in staat stel om meer effektief te funksioneer in die skool en gemeenskap
  • Bystand aan ouers om toegang te verkry tot programme wat beskikbaar is vir leerders met spesiale behoeftes
  • Bystand aan ouers in die toegang tot en benutting van die skool en die gemeenskap se hulpbronne

DIENSTE AAN SKOOLPERSONEEL

  • Die verskaffing van noodsaaklike inligting aan personeel (kultureel, maatskaplik, ekonomies, gesondheid, gesinstatus), om sodoende begrip te hê vir leerders se gedrag en vordering
  • Assessering van leerders met geestelike bekommernisse
  • Om onderwysers by te staan met gedragbestuur
  • Die verskaffing van direkte ondersteuning aan personeel
  • Die identifisering van en verslagdoening oor kindermishandeling en verwaarlosing

SKOOLGEMEENSKAP SKAKELING

  • Verkryging en koördinering van gemeenskap se hulpbronne om aan leerders se behoeftes te voldoen
  • Help skooldistrikte om voldoende ondersteuning te ontvang van sosiale en geestelike gesondheidsagentskappe
  • Voorspraak vir ‘n nuwe en verbeterde gemeenskap / skooldiens om te voldoen aan die leerders en families se behoeftes
  • Help om die stelsel effektief te laat reageer op die behoeftes van elke kind.