May 8, 2020

The Purpose of the Day:

• • • • To explore ways of integrating Indigenous worldviews and perspectives into learning environments.
      • To explore ways of enhancing Indigenous student achievement through creating a sense of belonging for all.

 The Why:

1. The Langley School District has made a firm commitment to reconciliation.
2. The District is focused on these areas as they align with our District Goal of having “all students successfully transition secondary school with dignity, purpose and plan for the future (with a focus on improving results for Aboriginal Students, Students with Diverse Needs, and Children in Care).”
3. In compliance with the Ministry School Calendar Regulation: “In each of the 2019/20, 2020/21, and 2022/2023 school years, a board must schedule at least one non-instructional day for the purpose of providing teachers with an opportunity to participate in discussions and activities that focus on both of the following:
   a. Enhancing Indigenous student achievement
   b. Integrating Indigenous worldviews and perspectives into learning environments”
4. Aboriginal worldviews and perspectives is an important component of the redesigned curriculum K-12. An important goal in integrating Aboriginal perspectives into curricula is to ensure that all learners have opportunities to understand and respect their own cultural heritage as well as that of others.

DISTRICT-VETTED RESOURCES

There are many district-vetted resources being added to the Channels within the TCS Teams. The TCS Teams are collaborative spaces where you can find resources, share resources and ask questions regarding resources and tech platforms.  All educators have been added to these Teams. We have the following 3 Teams: StrongStart – Grade 3, Grade 4-8 and Secondary. You can also participate in more than one team.

LEARNING RESOURCES

Resources from WE Schools
WE Schools has organized a HUGE range of resources to support K-12 online learning. The WE Schools @home program provides weekly lesson packages that include interactive and curriculum based resources with an emphasis on social emotional and service learning. There are 10-45 minute daily virtual lessons that include activities for your students to complete plus links to support further learning. This link also provides information on a DAILY live show (through Facebook) that features inspiring guests, experts and celebrities … each show also includes curated resources and more videos. This program also provides access to a number of issue based discussion and activity cards to help students explore social issues (from discrimination to cyber-bullying). Each card has corresponding online resources where students are prompted to find more context and information on each topic. To access all this information and MORE, please click here.

Every year since 1951, Canadians have come together at the start of May in support of Mental Health Week. And this year, mental health awareness is more important than ever in light of the transition for many students to a remote learning environment.

A variety of new, free, virtual educational resources have been launched to support the social and emotional well-being of students, parents and educators during this time. Among them is the WE Schools @home program. Developed in partnership with the Ministry of Education, B.C. educators and mental health professionals, this program is aimed at youth who are experiencing anxiety and social isolation. Accessible in both English and French, the program provides educators for grades 4-6 and grades 9-12 with a wealth of valuable resources aligned with B.C.’s curriculum.

Also available to parents and caregivers is the new EASE (Every Anxiety Strategies for Educators) at Home program for grades K-3 and 4-7. EASE includes five weeks of daily activities that focus on tips and strategies to create calming routines for children and help them talk about difficult emotions and manage their anxiety.

A comprehensive list of resources and immediate helpline contacts can also be found on the Ministry of Education Mental Well-Being Information and Resources web page.

Now Available: POPEY’s Home Learning Menu #5
POPEY has created more supplementary resources for children and families: The Word Families Chart supports our Word Family Poems activity in Menu #5, and there are two guides for caregivers to help support beginning readers and writers at home. These can all be found in the Additional Documents & Resources column of our Home Learning Page. Click here for access.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, all of our upcoming events have been cancelled, rescheduled, or moved to an online platform.

Going Online
Do you have a workshop idea that you’d like to host online? We can support you with registration for your digital event! Send us a workshop proposal at thinklangley.com or email us at thinklangley@sd35.bc.ca for more information.

STUDENT and STAFF OPPORTUNITIES OUTSIDE OF DISTRICT

Restorative Action Scholarship
Community Justice Initiatives Association (CJI) is pleased to be able to award a scholarship to 1-2 Langley Grade 12 students who have completed the Restorative Action Peer Mediator training, and are applying for post-secondary education. Application deadline is May 29, 2020. Please click here for application details.

Teen Imagine Contest
The Fraser Valley Regional library is holding its annual youth creativity contest. Show us your creative writing, display your artistic skills, build a robot, write a song, loop a video! It can be anything you put your mind to. More prizes added, enter for a chance to win one of 12 Visa gift card prizes. For contest details and to enter visit FVRL’s contest click here.

Ted Leavitt Parent/Teacher Education Sessions
Hosted by the Langley Children Committee, these two FREE upcoming webinars with Ted Leavitt are being offered virtually. To find out more and register, please click on the links below.