Student Support Services
- English Learner
- Gifted and Talent Development
- Instructional Clerks
- Special Education
- Interventionists/Reading Recovery
- Family Supports
English Learner
The English Learner Program (EL) at Greenleaf provides instruction and support to students who are learning English. The focus of language instruction for students centers around reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.
At Greenleaf, we celebrate multilingualism. We welcome the diversity and value the unique language experience our EL students bring to our school. There are more than 18 different language spoken in our school community!
Students in our EL program come with their own individual abilities. The goal of our program is to help students reach their full potential. We encourage parents to continue reading and supporting their child's first language skills at home, as first language literacy helps build and deepen English language literacy.
If you have any questions about our EL program, or about ways to support your child at home, please call, email or visit us.
EL Teachers
Gifted and Talent Development
The Gifted and Talent Development (GTD) Program extends educational challenges for intellectually and academically gifted students.
Gifted and talented children are those students with outstanding abilities and capable of higher performance when compared to others of similar age, experience and environment. They have significantly different educational needs from their peers and require educational differentiation as a regular part of their school day to ensure they reach their full potential. District 196 uses multiple criteria to help identify gifted and talented children.
GTD Program Information
Identification Process
District 196 conducts universal screening at a district level to find students who are demonstrating outstanding abilities and are capable of higher performance when compared to others of similar age, experience and environment. We use multiple criteria for a strengths-based identification of gifted and talented students. We screen and identify students annually in grades 2 through 5.
Service Model Goals
- Enrich, enhance, and extend core classroom curriculum and instruction within the literacy workshop and math workshop blocks. Staff utilize critical and creative thinking strategies, problem-solving and inquiry to help students become independent investigators. (NAGC standards 3.4)
- Engage and empower learners across the full day
- Equip PLC (professional learning community) teams and individual teachers
- Empower collaboration among classroom teachers, GT specialists, coaches, parents, students, and community
Flexible and Fluid Tiered Service Model
- Tier 1, Core classroom - Core classroom teacher, grade level PLC team, and GT Specialist
- Tier 2, Guided groups - Core classroom teacher, grade level PLC team, and GT Specialist
- Tier 3, 1:1 - Focused on individualized need - Core classroom teacher, and GT Specialist
Students whose needs extend beyond the tiered service model may be referred for single subject and/or grade level acceleration.
Instructional Clerks
Special Education
Greenleaf Elementary provides a special education program for eligible students. The goal for all special education students is to have them participate with the general education students as much as possible.
Evaluations for special education are available through Greenleaf and are done through a comprehensive process with a student's classroom teacher and licensed special education teachers.
Special Education Staff
Links of Interest
Interventionists/Reading Recovery
Title One is a federally funded program whose purpose is to improve achievement in the basic skills of reading and math and help students succeed in the regular classroom. Basic Skills is a similar support program but is state-funded. All Greenleaf Title One and Basic Skills teachers are certified teachers.
Students in kindergarten through grade five are eligible for these programs. Student selection is based on reading, writing and math assessments and teacher recommendations.
Students who qualify for these services receive additional instruction in reading or math. Some may receive help in both subjects. This service is either provided to a small group outside the classroom or to an individual student/small group in the regular classroom. Students do not miss special classes such as music, physical education, library, technology, or art. Most students will get Title One/Basic Skills instruction five days a week. Students are re-evaluated throughout the year and may exit service if adequate progress has been made.
Parents are an important part of the Title One/Basic Skills team and their involvement with their child's education can be a key to their success.
Title One/Basic Skills Teachers
Family Supports
The overall goal of the elementary school social work program is to work directly with students, their families, school staff, and the community to provide guidance, support, and nurturance so essential to academic success and sound life decisions.
School social workers are licensed mental health professionals trained to provide support and interventions to children and families proactively and in times of emotional/mental health crisis. They do this by providing individual, small group and family support.
School psychologists work with a team of people to help students succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. School psychologists are trained in both education and mental health to know how to identify and lower barriers to learning.
For more information about school psychology, visit the National Association of School Psychologists website.
Resources for families are also available through the National Association of School Psychologists.