CASS eLeadership Guide Reflection Companion

Optimum learning for all students occurs when inclusive education, student well-being, and system partnerships function as a coordinated continuum of supports. For system education leaders, strengthening this continuum requires intentional leadership across multiple levels of the education system. It involves aligning policies, partnerships, and practices so that supports for students are coordinated, responsive, and sustainable. This companion is designed to support reflection, connection, and application as you engage with the eLeadership guide. Throughout the guide you will find reflection questions designed to accompany the relevant section of the eLeadership Guide. Space has been provided for you to capture your reflections and learnings as you work through the guide.

eLeadership Guide Reflection Companion

CASS Strengthening System Education Leadership in Support of Student Mental Health and Well-Being Guide

Across Alberta school authorities, student mental health and well-being continue to emerge as central to achieving optimum learning for all students. System education leaders are increasingly called to design, align, and sustain a coordinated continuum of supports that integrates prevention, early identification, and responsive intervention.

This guide is intended to support system education leaders in moving from learning to strategic action. Drawing on themes that emerged across Alberta school authority practice and mental health leadership discussions, this guide is designed to support deeper reflection of system coherence, continuum design, partnerships, and leadership decision-making.

System education leaders may choose to engage with this guide individually, collaboratively with leadership teams, or within Communities of Practice to identify strengths, surface tensions, and determine focused next steps within their local contexts.

eLeadership Guide Reflection Companion

Golden Hills School Division – Linda Tucker, Director of Learning and Deborah Nunziata, Student Services Coordinator; Featuring – Jeff Grimsdale, Superintendent and Laurie Huntley, Board Chair

Golden Hills School Division has developed a comprehensive, system-wide approach to student mental health and well-being, grounded in the belief that well-being is foundational to learning. In response to increasing student complexity and barriers to accessing care, the division has embedded mental health supports within a broader framework of Powerful Learning. A tiered continuum of supports, combined with multidisciplinary school-based teams and strong community partnerships, enables coordinated and responsive services. Through a shared language, professional learning, and integrated approaches to social-emotional learning and mental health literacy, the division has strengthened system coherence, reduced barriers, and created conditions that support belonging, connection, and optimum learning for all students.

Story of Practice  Slideshow

Rocky View Schools – Lori Meyer, Associate Superintendent of Learning and Sherri Black, Director of Learning Supports

Rocky View Schools has strengthened system-wide supports in response to rapid growth and increasing student complexity. Rather than relying on isolated initiatives, the division embeds proactive, trauma-informed approaches across all aspects of its system, emphasizing that consistent, relationship-based responses are central to effective practice. A layered, multi-tiered continuum of supports, supported by shared language, clear processes, and multidisciplinary teams, creates predictable and coordinated pathways for staff. Division-wide expectations, professional learning, and data-informed decision-making reinforce coherence and responsiveness. This work highlights that sustainable system improvement depends on intentional design, strong relationships, and consistent processes that enable staff to respond effectively to diverse student needs.

Story of Practice  Slideshow

Wetaskiwin Regional Public Schools – Kristien Holtby, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services

This story of practice highlights Wetaskiwin Regional Public Schools’ implementation of the Integrated School Support Program (ISSP), a collaborative, multi-agency initiative designed to provide early intervention and wrap-around supports for elementary students. The program integrates education, mental health, and community partnerships to address student well-being through a coordinated continuum of supports. Key components include nutrition programs, after-school supports, positive police engagement, and access to a full-time Mental Health Practitioner using a tiered service model. System-level structures, partnership approaches, and data-informed practices that strengthen access, responsiveness, and student outcomes within a cohesive and supportive learning environment are evident throughout this story of practice.

Story of Practice  Slideshow