Student Services
Our Mission
At Rundle, the Student Services team is committed to providing personalized support that nurtures every student’s well-being and academic success. We address individual needs across mental and physical health, academic strategies, and targeted interventions. Our team assists with course selection, ensuring students are well-prepared for high school and post-secondary opportunities. Additionally, we offer career counselling and guidance through the post-secondary application process, helping students explore career paths and make informed decisions about their futures.
We enhance our student support through two specialized programs: PEAC and Traverse. PEAC supports students who, due to co-curricular commitments, medical needs, or other circumstances, require flexibility in their learning. Traverse is a robust coaching model designed to guide students as they transition into post-secondary education, equipping them with the skills and confidence to thrive.
Rooted in Rundle’s commitment to helping students discover their potential, our mission is to empower them to flourish in an ever-changing world by fostering growth, resilience, and success at every stage of their journey.
overview
At Rundle, the Student Services team plays a vital role in supporting the holistic well-being and success of our students. With significant staffing and resources dedicated to mental health, physical wellness, and academic growth, our team is an integral part of all Rundle programs: Academy, College, and Studio. While some staff work exclusively within a specific program, others contribute across multiple locations to ensure seamless support.
REPORT IT!
If something is bothering you, making you feel unsafe, or impacting safety at school, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
Report It! is a safe, anonymous, and confidential way to share your concerns. You don’t have to include your name unless you want to. Once submitted, your report will be sent to the right person at the school, who will work to resolve the situation and ensure support is available.
Important Reminders:
If this is an emergency or someone is in immediate danger, please call 9-1-1 right away.
Reports are reviewed during school hours. They may not be received on holidays or when the school is closed.
We care about your well-being and want to help create a safe and supportive school environment. You are never alone—reach out whenever you need to.
The Team
Within the Student Services departments at the Academy and the College, there is a team of qualified, knowledgeable, and skilled counsellors, learning strategists, a registered nurse, and student support personnel. They share some roles and have specialties within their school departments.
services & support offered
Social/Emotional Counselling at Rundle
Students are able to access our Counsellors for help with personal, social, and emotional concerns. Short-term, supportive, solution-focused counselling is used along with strength-based interventions. Counsellors also collaborate with outside supports, triage, refer to external resources, and liaise with these referrals when needed.
Areas of support include:
students who are experiencing personal or emotional challenges
provide short-term, solution-focused counselling
coordinate referrals to external resources if needed
liaise between the school and outside supports and community agencies
crisis management, intervention, and support
help students improve social skills, peer relationships, and managing conflict
Career Exploration and Post-Secondary Advising at Rundle
Areas of support include:
help prepare students for career exploration and post-secondary planning
conduct personality assessments and interest inventories to guide students in career exploration
provide parents and students with information seminars in the areas of course planning, post-secondary programs, scholarships, and career exploration
work with individual students to research "best fit" programs at universities of their choice
assist students with short and long-term academic and career goals
assist students in selecting appropriate academic courses.
Canadian post-secondary admissions:
Advisors provide ongoing support for students in career exploration and post-secondary planning starting in grade 9.
Information on academic averages, university applications deadlines, and scholarships is posted on Student Services Canvas Pages.
Advisors support students through the application process.
International post-secondary admissions:
Advisors arrange exam invigilation and delivery for students bound for post-secondary, including PSAT (grade 11) and SAT and ACT (grade 11 & 12).
Advisors provide individual consultation with students and parents on the application process.
Students are supported by building their personal portfolio in the following ways:
MyBlueprint is a comprehensive career and post-secondary online planning tool that allows students to set their own goals, record their activities, and plan their future.
Students from grades 9 to 12 utilize this tool to assist with career exploration and post-secondary planning. Students are able to search for careers and get valuable information about educational requirements, wages, and labour market information.
Students can also record their high school plans, resume, activities (e.g., volunteer hours), and career and post-secondary plans.
Academic Support at Rundle
Accommodations are employed at the school based on external or internal professional recommendations. These may include extra time, frequent breaks, use of a computer, and reduced distractions (via personalized carrels and ear defenders) at the College.
At the Academy, accommodations and learning strategist support is extensive given the fact that all students have detailed individualized education plan (IPP).
Supports include:
support the development of students’ executive skills including organization, time management, study skills, planning, and prioritization
support teachers in the classroom using evidence-based practices
set personal goals and develop advocacy skills
provide recommendations and referrals for students with learning difficulties, anxiety, or attention issues
provide students with best practices approaches and skill development including ongoing student learning and practice utilizing the specific tools and strategies presented
ongoing attention to the development of students’ executive skills is of paramount importance
Parent Education
Evening presentations for parents are run for the Rundle community. Examples include drug awareness, adolescent brain science, cyberbullying, screen time with teens, and post-secondary information nights. Counsellors also encourage parents to use the counsellor’s expertise, experience, and knowledge — rooted in the latest psychological research — for individualized parent coaching and guiding.
Health Services
Our registered nurse works with students and staff to meet individual health needs. Whether it is an injury, health-related questions or an illness our registered nurse uses an evidence-based approach to complete a nursing assessment and create a plan to best meet the needs of the individual through in-school management or an external referral.
Health services do not stop at the individual level. Our registered nurse also provides community-wide health services and promotion through in-class teaching, school clubs, parent information sessions, and contributing to healthy school policy.
Crisis Response Team
Counsellors support administration in the handling of crisis situations by providing support during difficult situations and initiating the coordination of additional support from external counselling colleagues, if needed. Counsellors connect students with other community agencies and follow up to ensure support is provided.
Student-Led Leadership
Student leadership opportunities through Student Services include the following: Peer Support, PASS (People About Standing Up for Social Change, and the HEART Committee.
Counsellors are actively involved in supporting student leadership groups within the school whereby students take on initiatives in the areas of wellness, diversity and inclusion, bullying prevention, and academic support.
The school nurse facilitates a health-related student leadership club called, HEART Committee, at the Academy and College senior high. This club is ideal for students looking to pursue a career in health care or public health. The students can work through the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation stages of meaningful community health promotion initiatives.
Here is a sampling of some initiatives that these student leadership groups have organized:
diversity awareness days
stress busters week
day of silence
wear Pink Shirt Day
bullying prevention week
mental health awareness month
suicide prevention month
March nutrition month
Hearty lunch with HEART
Mindful eating
Digital health week
Healthy alternative recipes
Our Counsellors
The overall focus of a school counsellor is to enhance students' development, to support an inclusive school culture, and to empower students toward positive change. Our counsellors provide social and emotional counselling on a short-term basis for students in a number of different areas, but not limited to anxiety, depression, grief and loss, transitions, and work relationship concerns. They work closely with administration on school-related matters, such as tracking student progress, monitoring academic and personal development, and crisis intervention.
Our School Health Nurse
The school health nurse provides individual health support and school-wide health promotion. The nurse works with students, their families, and community healthcare providers on comprehensive nursing health assessments pertaining to concerns about physical, emotional, or social well-being. Our nurse actively participates in school safety plans, school health policy and assesses the school environment to prevent injury and to promote student well-being.
The school nurse uses a comprehensive school health approach to facilitate health promotion activities throughout the school community. In the case of communicable disease outbreaks, our nurse helps monitor, report, and respond to communicable disease outbreaks within the school community and work alongside AHS Public Health.
Academy Student support
Overview
Rundle Academy Learning Strategists support students who require additional support with remediation, strategy development, or explicit accommodation training. Requests for this support are initiated by the teacher and the student services team determines the length of support and availability based on the student’s need.
How to Access Services
Students and parents have several ways to access the school nurse and counsellors. Students are able to drop in, email, phone, or book a time through their teacher. Parents can reach our nurse or counsellor by phone or email.
College student support
K–6 Overview & Access
The K–6 student support team provides early literacy intervention and targeted reading, writing, and executive functioning sessions in both one-on-one and small group settings. The team works collaboratively with staff to identify needs and support both the students and teachers by providing research-based instructional strategies and individualized programming. Students are supported as they transition from grade to grade and the length of service is based on student needs and teacher requests.
Teachers access services on the student’s behalf. Students can drop in to see the student support team or the nurse during the school day or email the team directly. The K–6 school does not have a counsellor on site but referrals are made to outside services as required.
7–12 Overview & Access
Academic support is offered to students through homeroom teachers, subject teachers, and/or individual sessions. There is also significant support offered to teachers to aid students’ academic development in the classroom. Parent support and resources are offered to support parents in helping their child reach their full potential.
Students and parents have several ways to access services. Students are able to drop in during office hours, email, or phone a member of the team. Students can also use the self-referral form that is housed on the Student Service Google Classroom. Grade 12 students have access to an online booking system to schedule sessions with Ms. Dunsford.
Parents are welcome to make appointments through email or by phone.
studio student support
Overview
Working closely with Rundle Studio teachers, Student Services supports students on school-related matters such as academic and personal development, emotional and physical wellness, and crisis intervention.
A school counsellor is available to virtually meet with students to assist with
• social-emotional counselling
• academic support
• parental consultation
• peer conflict
• connections to external resources
How to Access
Students and parents can access the school nurse and counsellor by email, phone, or book a time through their teacher.
School Profiles
For our grade 12 students looking to apply to any post-secondary education institution in the United States and internationally, the document below will need to be submitted along with your application. The information is provided in a format required by these institutions.