Academic Ambition
The Learning Forum
The Learning Forum at TFS is responsible for supporting each student’s learning journey. The Learning Forum staff includes resource teachers, educational technology (edtech) integrators, guidance counsellors, social skills consultants and librarians, all of whom specialize in the unique needs of students at every age and stage.
What is a Learning Forum?
At TFS, the Learning Forum is a department of people, places and programs that enhances our care for the whole child, including their academic and social-emotional well-being. It’s where people and ideas meet to improve learning. Our support experts and teachers work in the Learning Forum centres in branch libraries, classrooms and outdoor learning spaces to provide a variety of activities and programs. These programs implement research and best practices about how to learn well and support personalized, or differentiated, instruction to students with specific learning profiles.
A focus on wellness and building social-emotional skills is foundational to all our programs. Socio-emotional skills include self-management, self-awareness, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making. We know that these skills are as vital to everyday life as they are to becoming an engaged learner.
At the Learning Forum, we know your child, we know how your child can become a better student (all students can become better learners!), and we have the support in place to make it happen.
A focus on wellness and building social-emotional skills is foundational to all our programs. Socio-emotional skills include self-management, self-awareness, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making. We know that these skills are as vital to everyday life as they are to becoming an engaged learner.
At the Learning Forum, we know your child, we know how your child can become a better student (all students can become better learners!), and we have the support in place to make it happen.
Resources for Resourceful Learners
Learners need access to the right tools of the trade. At TFS, our edtech integrators and tech support team work with classroom teachers and students, supporting technology innovation.
Our youngest students learn to use tools for digital collaboration and they develop skills for effective digital citizenship as part of the support services provided through the Learning Forum.
Students as young as five and six are introduced to 21st century skills like computational thinking, as students take on the challenge of robotics and web-based coding using Scratch. Students learn to create using audio and video production equipment, with dedicated media projects, and state-of-the art software and equipment.
TFS students can access dozens of web-based educational software subscriptions, complementing the traditional classroom and giving students a blended learning experience from support for language and music, to math and science. Our library services are developed to support research and reading skills for all our students.
Our youngest students learn to use tools for digital collaboration and they develop skills for effective digital citizenship as part of the support services provided through the Learning Forum.
Students as young as five and six are introduced to 21st century skills like computational thinking, as students take on the challenge of robotics and web-based coding using Scratch. Students learn to create using audio and video production equipment, with dedicated media projects, and state-of-the art software and equipment.
TFS students can access dozens of web-based educational software subscriptions, complementing the traditional classroom and giving students a blended learning experience from support for language and music, to math and science. Our library services are developed to support research and reading skills for all our students.
Guiding students on their journey to university
Assisting our students in making the right university match is a high priority at TFS. Our guidance program is integrated with university relations.Read about University Relations at TFS
The growth mindset
The growth mindset is at the heart of the Learning Forum. We believe that in order to promote our students’ academic ambition, we need to nurture a growth mindset by instilling in them a belief that consistent effort and use of optimal strategies will determine their success in learning.Students with a growth mindset embrace challenges, take risks and are always hungry for new knowledge. They use constructive feedback to develop critical thinking and reflection skills.
