Schedule



8:00 - 9:00 am
Welcome and Keynote Address by Kurtis and Lorna Hewson
(founders of Collaborative Response)

In the welcome and opening address, Kurtis and Lorna Hewson kick off the 2025 Collaborative Response Virtual Summit, providing an overview of Collaborative Response. Kurtis and Lorna share 1) why EVERY school needs four layers of collaboration and what these layers look like, 2) why we should stop focusing on the same students in every layer, 3) how data and evidence can be used to focus on students who have not driven our discussions in the past, and 4) why schools need to stop tiering students!

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9:15 - 10:15 am
Breakout Session #1
A1: Unleashing the Power of the Team (HW Pickup School)

Being a school leader is a daunting task. Leaders are innovators, problem solvers and in many ways the heart of their schools. Creating a school environment where purposeful collaboration is the driver of instruction, assessment, inclusion and school culture is of utmost importance. The journey to the creation of a robust and purposeful collaboration plan can be fraught with messiness, creativity and learning for everyone. Come join us as we take a candid look at how collaboration can support you as you draw together the power of your team to meet the needs of your students at all levels- whether in your classrooms, as a school, or at divisional level.

Presenters: Keri Card-Esau and Kim Wedman

A2: Timetabling to Facilitate Collaborative Response (Brooks Junior High School)

Discover how a thoughtfully designed timetable can transform collaboration and improve both teaching practices and student outcomes. This session will explore the innovative approach taken at BJHS to facilitate the successful implementation of Collaborative Response. Whether you’re a school leader, teacher, or educational planner, this session will provide practical insights and actionable strategies to design schedules that prioritize collaboration and foster meaningful results.

Presenters: Jaret Hofer and Robyn Jensen
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10:30 - 11:30 am
Breakout Session #2
B1: Collaborative Response - Implementing a Systemic Vision (Year 2)

The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) initiated a partnership with Jigsaw Learning in 2020 and continues on a journey to implement Collaborative Response as strategic support for every student across every CBE school. In creating a systemic vision, we looked at what layered structures would be required for a successful rollout. This included clarifying and communicating our vision, creating professional learning sessions, and developing CBE defined documents to aid in bringing cohesion to the work being taken up in schools. A key consideration for us was the current context in schools related to effectively determining goals, timelines, and communication for this work to gain traction in our schools. In this session, we will share what we have learned along the path of enacting our vision in both our first and second years of systemic implementation.

Presenters: David Dyck and Chris Radu
B2: Nurturing Executive Functioning for Academic Success (École James S. McCormick School)

The high demand for social-emotional support is leading to academic and behavioural challenges in elementary school settings. We understand that students cannot learn effectively if their basic needs are unmet, as emotional stability is essential for learning and overall well-being. To address this, we are collecting data on the effectiveness of our Tier 1 and Tier 2 strategies in fostering executive functioning for all students. This involves classroom observations, supervisory visits, discussions during PD, CTM and Intervention team meetings with teachers and support staff. By intentionally embedding Tier 1 and Tier 2 supports into our daily practices and deepening our understanding of executive functioning we aim to provide more effective supports to meet the needs of our students. Embracing a team mindset; recognizing that it truly takes a village to raise a child, ensures that we can holistically support our students' growth and success.

Presenters: Melissa Rogers and Kacey Oehlerking

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12:30 - 1:30 pm
Breakout Session #3
C1: Unlocking Our Instructional Toolboxes: Exploring the Collaborative Team Meeting

Believe it or not, it is possible to get excited about a meeting! Collaborative team meetings are at the heart of a school's Collaborative Response and can truly have a transformative impact on the culture of an entire school. In this session, Kurtis will share the 6 critical structures and 3 conversational processes that start and end with the student in mind, but really place the focus on classroom practice...not only exploring but deepening the instructional toolboxes of everyone at the table. Leave with the understanding (and all the resources) necessary to facilitate these transformative meetings that not only can impact student success, but build exceptionally high levels of collective efficacy across your organization!

Presenter: Kurtis Hewson
C2: Using WeCollab to Enhance Your Collaborative Response Efforts

Trevor Van Someren joined Jigsaw Learning in August 2025 as a WeCollab Lead and is excited to share the WeCollab software! This session will offer an overview of the WeCollab platform and it's features, demonstrating the boards and team meeting features, and will answer any questions about the WeCollab platform, including how it can support collaboration in your school or district. As an experienced WeCollab user as a school principal, he is able to offer first hand experience and advice on how to optimize collaboration using WeCollab to augment and support Collaborative Response.


Presenter: Trevor Van Someren

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1:45 - 2:45 pm
Breakout Session #4
D1: Building School Culture Through Collaborative Response

Creating a thriving school culture requires more than isolated initiatives—it demands a collective commitment to shared values, purposeful collaboration, and strategic leadership. This session explores how Collaborative Response can serve as a powerful framework to foster a positive, inclusive, and high-performing school culture. Discover how Collaborative Response can transform school culture by fostering collective efficacy, trust, and shared leadership. This session offers practical strategies to build inclusive, high-performing environments through clear communication, aligned priorities, and collaborative structures that support every learner.


Presenter: Darrin DeForge

D2: Aligning a Vision within a Division

Northern Gateway Public Schools has been using Collaborative Team Meetings and Collaborative Response for many years, but recognized they needed to align the roles and responsibilities of Inclusive Education Facilitators (IEF) within our school division. This session will describe 1) how NGPS began the alignment within the division, using Collaborative Response as our basis, 2) how NGPS have used Collaborative Team Meetings to support the Inclusive Education Facilitators and 3) how they continue to build robust supports for students.

Presenter: Bev Cotton

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3:00 - 3:30 pm
Closing Address and Prizes