Contact Us

Waterloo Catholic District School Board
35 Weber St. W., Unit A
PO Box 91116
Kitchener, ON, Canada
N2G 4G2 Tel. (519) 578-3660

Gerald Foran – Superintendent of Learning – Special Education, Monsignor Doyle Family of Schools
Waterloo Catholic District School Board
gerald.foran@wcdsb.ca

Erin Lemak – Principal of Student Services and Education and Community Partnership Programs
Waterloo Catholic District School Board
erin.lemak@wcdsb.ca

Tee Battistella – Senior Manager, Learning Services – Student Services
Waterloo Catholic District School Board
tee.battistella@wcdsb.ca

Erin Schreiter – Lead Social Worker, Learning Services – Student Services
Waterloo Catholic District School Board
erin.schreiter@wcdsb.ca

Julie Sommerville
519-578-3660 Ext. 2346

Nancy Brandolisio
519-578-3660 Ext. 2203

Maria Carvajal-Grajales
519-578-3660 Ext. 2260

Roles & Responsibilities Contact

Alivia Ditmars
Julie Mackenzie
Morgan Hayhurst
Lauren Amyot
Caylie Bogdan
Colleen Stotesbury

Role Description

As a member of the collaborative team, a Behaviour Analyst is assigned a family of schools and can be accessed through a formal referral process. Details and requirements of the process can be outlined by your schools Special Education Liaison.

With the guidance of Universal Supports and the implementation of a variety of evidence-based ABA strategies, Behaviour Analysts focus on building capacity with school staff to assist with student skill acquisition that will allow the student to increase independence across all school environments, as well as participate with their peers in a socially significant and inclusive manner. Through data collection, review and analysis, Behaviour Analysts strive to determine the “why” (i.e., the function) behind behaviour(s). Behaviour Analysts will make recommendations based on function, to help:

  1. Decrease an unwanted behaviour(s) while teaching socially significant replacement skills.
  2. Increase, maintain and generalize existing skills and/or teach new skills.

This could include the use of visual supports, reinforcement, prompt and prompt fading, data collection, environmental manipulations etc., transition support and coaching/modeling of recommended strategies. A Behaviour Analyst can also provide a variety of ABA based training and education opportunities for school staff and assist in goal setting and measurement of goals relevant to the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP).

Connections 4 Students Program and Services:

  • Acts as the WCDSB contact for the Central West School Support Program-Autism Spectrum Disorders (CW SSP-ASD) services provided by Erinoak, Autism Intervention Program (AIP) and the family when a student with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) begins the Ministry-mandated transition-to-school process (Connections).
  • Consults and collaborates with the CW SSP-ASD Transition Consultant on a case-by-case basis
  • Provides support to Principals and school staff related to transition of students with ASD into their schools from publicly-funded IBI programs
  • Collaborates with and supports the school-level Transition Team as required for students involved with the Connections process.
  • Provides/coordinates ASD/ABA training and resources to schools/school board staff
  • Provide families with resources on Autism Spectrum Disorder

Consultation for Services

  • Consultation includes a review of ABA strategies (i.e., the use of prompts/prompt fading and reinforcement to support independence building) and other strategies to support programming.
  • A summary of recommendations/strategies will be presented to the school team and the report will be placed in the OSR and sent home to the students’ family. The Behaviour Analyst will follow up with the school approximately two weeks after the initial consultation.
  • Further support may include a Collaborative Team Observation which may include one or more of the following: the Special Education Liaison, Family of Schools CYCW, Behaviour Analyst, Speech and Language Pathologist and Autism Support Facilitator. A written report including recommendations to support the student’s needs will be presented to the school team and placed in the OSR and sent home to the students’ family.

Filomena Cruz

Role Description

  • To familiarize teachers, students and parents with the transition planning process
  • To provide detailed information about the range of services and programs within the community to support the students transition
  • To assist students in making a successful transition from school to work, further education and community living.
  • To establish a working relationship with representatives of agencies and or organizations that will be providing support after the student leaves school.

For further information see Community Resources, Links and Partnerships with WCDSB Section

Michelle Freitas

Gifted Programming

Students who are identified as Gifted as per WCDSB’s protocol will have an Individual Education Plan created for their specific academic program.  Classroom Teachers, in consultation with the school Special Education Teacher and Special Education Liaison, will assist in developing an educational plan geared at addressing the student’s individual strengths and needs.  Furthermore, students will be invited to attend regular gifted enrichment programs held throughout the school year by the Innovation Consultant.  Additionally, students will be made aware of other enrichment opportunities offered throughout the school board and neighboring community.

Andrea Snyder

Role Description

Supporting Teachers/Educational Assistants/Administrators:

  • Implement the board-wide strategy to promote wellbeing and build protective factors in all students via a universal prevention approach
  • Support the development and implementation of programming designed to strengthen socio-emotional literacy and self-regulation skills
  • Provide and/or coordinate professional development opportunities to strengthen the capacity of all staff to build resilience and support students with mental health concerns
  • Consultation with regard to the design of school-specific mental health initiatives
  • Share information and resources from School Mental Health Assist

Supporting Students:

  • Prevention and skill-building presentations to groups of students on wellness and mental health related topics
  • Conduct focus groups to collect student input to shape mental health initiatives

Julyanna Martin
Sarah Moffat

Role Description

Supporting Students:

  • Direct instruction during class hours to students to support the curriculum expectations or their specific expectations as outlined on their I.E.P.
  • Provision, support, monitoring and repair of FM amplification equipment as required
  • Monitoring of personal hearing aids
  • Teaching of various strategies to deal with the effects of hearing loss
  • Advocating for the student as well as teaching self-advocacy skills
  • Teaching and supporting speech and language skills
  • Provide in-class explanations as needed of hearing loss and its effects, including FM equipment, etc.
  • Identify and monitor the emotional and social development of students with hearing loss in the integrated setting

Supporting Teachers/Educational Assistants/Administrators:

  • Assist in the development of the I.E.P.
  • Assist in developing and implementing appropriate accommodations and modifications
  • Provide in-service workshops related to hearing loss
  • Provide FM amplification equipment through SEA funding
  • Monitor and manage FM equipment
  • Provide resource material on hearing loss and its impact
  • Provide strategies for dealing with a child with hearing loss or central auditory processing problems
  • To act as a resource for annual reviews, case conferences, etc.

Supporting Parents:

  • To consult and communicate with parents regarding their child’s hearing loss and educational implications
  • To act as a resource for information regarding the impact of hearing loss, educational implications, teaching strategies, available community resources, agencies, etc.

Anna Bowers
Mary Goerzen-Sheard
Mandy Hurst
Diane Stewart
Elise Gammie

Role Description

Psychological Services staff collaborate with school staff and parents in order to support the academic, social and emotional development of students. The services that are provided include:

  • Individual psychological assessment to determine cognitive ability, academic achievement, adaptive and social/emotional functioning
  • Consultation with school staff and parents to program effectively based on students’ strengths and areas of need
  • Consultation with school staff and parents to assist in managing behaviour issues
  • In-service programs for school staff regarding child development, behaviour management and learning difficulties
  • Assistance with accessing community agencies or specialists

Confidentiality:

  • Information about the psychological intervention with a student is discussed only with parents and the people directly involved. This is done carefully and with the intent to help the student.
  • Any reports will be stored in the confidential Psychological files with one copy placed in the student’s Ontario Student Record (OSR).
  • Parents can request additional copies that will be provided to them by a member of the Psychological Services Staff. No information will be released to anyone outside the Waterloo Catholic District School Board without written informed consent, except where required by law.

Alison Messmer
Amanda Warne
Cathy McDonald-Reis
Erin Schreiter
Jessie Grosz
Jodie Allen
Kara Samuels
Marlene Maddocks
Miguel Guayasamin
Nicole Stewart
Sandra Ayerst
Sharon Porty
Veronique Ribeiro

Role Description

The responsibilities of the role include:

  • Providing needs assessment and brief therapeutic intervention (where appropriate) to students as it pertains to the four domains of service: Crisis Response, Attendance, Mental Health Concerns Impacting School, Family/Adjustment Concerns Impacting School.
  • Providing Staff and system level consultation related to the four service domains
  • Responding to crisis situation such as suicidal ideation, self-harm and other mental-health related crises.
  • Providing support and resources/connections to community agencies for students who have experienced/or are at risk of sexual assault or human trafficking.
  • Supporting school attendance at the elementary and secondary level, particularly as it relates to mental health and family issues.
  • Providing support, consultation and referrals/connections to community resources for students experiencing mental health or family/adjustment challenges that impact their daily functioning at school.
  • Supporting school communities during tragic events and other critical incidents.
  • Participating as a member of the multi-disciplinary Collaborative Team.
  • Assisting with the multi-disciplinary Violence Threat Risk Assessment process.

Ewelina Mazan

ILDI KLOBER  – Itinerant Assistive Technology Trainer

Role Description

  • Coordinate the Ministry of Education Special Equipment Amount (SEA) process at a system level
  • Facilitate in-service and ongoing training of Board personnel in the use of assistive technology and integrating assistive technology into student programs
  • Maintain school staff knowledge of assistive software programs and hardware requirements needed for each program at the school level

Nada Offak
Justine Jacob
Antonietta Leonardo
Johanna Dreyer
Laurie Smits
Jennifer Van Trigt

Role Description

  • Facilitate the transition of students with special needs into and within our system
  • Work in conjunction with school personnel in a variety of ways in the development and implementation of Individual Education Plans (IEP) and educational programming.
  • Function as a resource to schools for Special Equipment Amount (SEA) claim preparation and coordination.
  • Function as a resource to Principals, Special Education Teachers and Classroom Teachers on all matters related to Special Education.
  • Provide ongoing professional development to Special Education Teachers and Educational Assistants through in-services and school visits.
  • Member of a Collaborative Team along with a Social Worker, Behaviour Analyst, Speech-Language Pathologist, Psychoeducational Consultant and Child and Youth Care Worker to provide support and assistance to school staff for student programming, assessment and strategies.
  • Liaise with community agencies in relation to services for students.

Cara Cressman
Maria Ashworth
Vicki Miles
Stephanie Ashe
Krista Krevs

Communicative Disorder Assistants

Dianne Foster-Comeau
Donna Oberholzer
Alyssa Paterson
Lanique Samuels
Chelsey Dejong

Role Description

The goal of Speech and Language services is to facilitate effective student communication for classroom participation. Services are provided in WCDSB by registered Speech-Language Pathologists and Communication Disorder Assistants. A communication problem can affect a child’s ability at school to listen, speak, read, write and interact with teachers and peers.

Speech-Language Pathology  staff provide a range of services according to the needs of the student:

  • collaborative assessment
  • tiered intervention (individual, group, in class)
  • consultation and provision of  instructional strategies for parents, teachers and other educational staff
  • support for Individual Education Plans and the SEA equipment process
  • mediator based training
  • monitoring of progress
  • provision of public education
  • delivery of professional development
  • liaison with other professionals involved with our students
  • participation on collaborative and school teams
  • engagement in community partnerships
  • mentoring of graduating Speech Pathology and Communication Disorder Assistant students
  • professional research as needed

Shirley Luvisa
Linda Wiegers
Andrew Townshend

Role Description

  • Provide direct instruction and evaluation for Pre-braille, braille literacy, self-advocacy, and vision-related technology skills.
  • Facilitate in the creation/modification/accommodation of tactile, low vision and braille materials.
  • Conduct Functional Vision Assessments with students, as required.
  • Interpret professional vision reports/documentation to determine the vision needs of students within the school environment.
  • Collaborate with teachers and support staff about students’ academic/educational programming (including IEPs), provide specific teaching strategies and ensure implementation of recommendations from vision reports.
  • Consult and communicate with parents regarding their child’s vision loss and its education implications.
  • Facilitate assessments and training for Orientation and Mobility Instruction, and assist in ensuring safe and appropriate learning environments for students.
  • Provide in-services and education about students’ vision diagnoses to school staff, students and parents.
  • Collaborate and participate in team meetings, case conferences and IPRCs.
  • Compile, complete and manage ­SEA Claims for specialized vision equipment and vision aids.
  • Consult/liaise with community-based agencies and practitioners (i.e., CNIB, Provincial School for the Blind, optometrists, ophthalmologists, University of Waterloo Low Vision Clinic, etc.) regarding vision needs of students.

Donna Watkinson
Certified Braille Transcriber/Alternative Format Resource Specialist

Role Description

  • Coordinate with Vision Itinerant Teachers and provide input and expertise as needed in the production and development of alternative format material
  • Transcribe teacher generated material into accurate Braille Code (Unified English Braille, Music Braille, Technical Braille)
  • Accommodate teacher-generated material into large print or other alternative format (e-text, audio)
  • Produce tactile maps, graphs, diagrams, charts, pictures and line drawings
  • Provide ongoing technical support to Vision Services Itinerant Teachers with regard to Braille, assistive technology or other programs frequently used by Vision Services Students (UEB Braille, Music Braille, Technical Braille, JAWS Screen Reading Software, Kurzweil Text to Speech Software, Google Read and Write, Word, PowerPoint)
  • Test iPad apps individually and against other apps/programs to determine suitability for Vision Students
  • Contact publishers regarding copyright approval for textbooks, novels, etc.
  • Manage deadlines, quality and delivery of material to school or Vision Itinerant Teachers management of Vision Services facility, maintenance and repairs to equipment

Maria Debrouwer

Role Description 

  • Responsible for the supervision and management of all Educational Assistants.
  • Facilitate and support the Educational Assistants and in their delivery of special education services to students through selection, training and on the job assistance.

Hollie Rau

Role Description 

  • Responsible for the supervision and management of all Child and Youth Care Workers.
  • Facilitate and support the Child and Youth Care Workers and in their delivery of special education services to students through selection, training and on the job assistance.