Resource Department
Thank God that He loves your child and He holds your child close to His heart, and that He will provide you the wisdom and guidance you need as a parent. "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” Isaiah 40:11
-
Our main building is one floor, easily accessible to all. Elevators are available to get to the lower levels.
-
St. Jude has an active parent committee that believes in the mission of the Bessette Scholar Program. They meet with administration and the Resource Team to discuss program improvements, fundraising, and how to support one another.Our Resource Team attends Parent Teacher Conferences. They are also included in the admissions process and they are happy to help address prospective parent questions or concerns.
-
St. Jude is open to partnering with third-party centers. We currently have therapists from Virtus, Logan and Journeys in our building. We also have services in our building through South Bend Community School Corporation such as Title 1, a speech therapist, an occupational therapist, and a physical therapist, and in addition we have access to an autism consultant.
-
We have 4 full time Resource Team members, one with a special education license. We have 8 teaching assistants that work in all classrooms, a part-time counselor and a school nurse.
-
For our students who need additional support in reading we utilize the Fountas and Pinnell Reading Intervention Program, Wilson Foundations and the Lipps Program. We have an adaptive Religion program. For math we are currently exploring math intervention programs. The general education teachers and our Resource Team collaborate weekly to modify curriculum and assessment for our Bessette Scholars. Our Resource Team also provides lessons in life skills.
-
At St. Jude there are weekly collaboration times established for teachers to meet with the Resource Team to set goals and modify curriculum and assessment. All of our teachers receive ongoing professional development in areas related to serving students of diverse abilities. Teachers have received training from The Program for Inclusive Education (PIE) from the University of Notre Dame. Teachers have been trained in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) which provides a framework for teachers to meet the needs of all learners in their classrooms.
Bessette Scholars Program
The Bessette Scholars Program at St. Jude opens doors by providing modified instruction that is tailored to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability. Whether the disability or challenge is of a physical, intellectual, or emotional nature, a personalized plan is adapted to his or her needs. Success demands a team approach – all parties working closely including the family, therapists, teachers and doctors to ensure the child’s social, emotional and academic needs are fulfilled to his or her potential.
Each challenge can differ in its severity, or in how much it impairs learning. Therein lies the personal approach that our Bessette Program offers: personalized curriculum, smaller class sizes, welcoming outside therapists and nursing aids, comprehensive resource room, and learning aids.
We know a child, especially in the early developmental years, can ebb and flow with growth at different rates, so our Bessette Program offerings are not one size fits all and are instead a living and breathing plan that needs review and adjustment often.
Our Resource Team offers push-in and pull-out academic support for students with documented disabilities and/or students who need a little extra help to flourish. We partner with parents, classroom teachers, on-site therapists, and the South Bend Community School Corporation to provide accommodations and modifications to qualifying students.
What is Resource?
“It is with the smallest of brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures” - St. Andre Bessette
