April 23, 2021

DISTRICT  RESOURCES K-12

• Instructional Services Website: For all your district-vetted resources K-12!  Check it out!
• Aboriginal Resources vetted by the District
• District Learning Commons – K-12 Resources to book out! Kits, Lit Circle Sets and more!
• Diversity District Binder of Resources
• TCS Sites (TCS SS-grade 3, 4-8, Secondary): Key resources are still being placed in these Teams. If you need access to one of these Teams, please email karinwright@sd35.bc.ca.

ANTI RACISM FOCUS

Accountability, Justice and Healing after Derek Chauvin’s Trial
Help students reflect on the verdict in Derek Chauvin’s trial while exploring the complicated concepts of justice, accountability and healing. Click here for more information.

Some thoughts as you consider dialogue around this:

• Do not be afraid to start a thoughtful conversation in your class
• Please be sensitive to the weight of the trial for some–not everyone will want to engage.
• Keep in mind that BIPOC students and staff should not be made to do the work of explaining and defining the trial…or racism or anti-racism, for that matter.
• It is all our responsibility to be educated and informed.

This resource is available along with a huge variety of other materials related to diversity and anti-racism is in the Diversity Binder. 

DISTRICT PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES and RESOURCES

NEW CUPE1260 & 1851 Pro-D Conference
Friday, May 21^st  [Register]
CUPE 1260 & 1851 have organized an exciting ProD Day on May21st! Check out the wide range of workshops being offered for a great day of learning! This Pro-D will be hosted virtually on Teams.

NEW Clerical Pro-D
Friday, May 21^st  [Register]
IT and Finance are coming together to offer ProD to our school clerical staff.  We are offering training on the new phone systems being implemented in all schools, KEV year-end and MyEd year-end. This Pro-D will be hosted virtually on Teams.

NEW OFA LEVEL 1
Friday, May 21^st [Register]
The WorkSafeBC Occupational First Aid Level 1 course is an 8-hour program designed to provide life-saving first aid skills to workers in industry. Successful candidates must demonstrate competency in practical skills and achieve 70% or higher on a multiple-choice exam. Certification is valid for three years. This is IN PERSON training. Space is very limited.

NEW District Digital Reading Platform for Secondary Schools!  
Did you know that SD 35 has a new audiobook library to support student learning? Learn how to access it! The Sora by Overdrive app grants students access to eBooks and audiobooks purchased by departments, school libraries and the district as well as the Fraser Valley Public Library’s extensive eBook and audiobook collection. Click here for more information and see below.

Tutorial for School Leads
Wednesday, April 28^th [Register]
This session is for school leads interested in learning more about managing Overdrive and supporting teacher and student use. Topics addressed will include: the different lending models, searching and purchasing titles, assigning titles to students and how to add others as leads (i.e. able to search, purchase and assign eBooks and audiobooks).

Tutorial for Middle & Secondary Teachers
Wednesday, May 5th  [Register]
This session is for all teachers interested in learning more about how to access eBooks and audiobooks through Sora. In addition to an overview of what is already available, topics addressed will include: logging in, searching for titles, setting preferences, borrowing, placing holds, making notes and highlighting texts and how to access the public library collection.

Kids These Days: A Game Plan for (Re)Connecting with Those We Teach, Lead, and Love
April 27, May 25, and June 15 [Register]
We have the potential to make a huge impact on a student’s wellbeing. But are educators okay? Let’s explore how we as educators can look after ourselves to ensure that we are okay, so that we can show up for our students and connect with them. This is a book study for educators: the teachers, bus drivers, administrators, educational assistants, custodians- anyone who leads, loves and supports kids.

SD35’s Read-Speak-Champion virtual author series with Author Sarah Suk
Tuesday, May 25th  [Register]
As contemporary educators, we have a responsibility to share diverse stories and varied perspectives with our students. To do so, it’s integral that we first listen to and learn from those voices ourselves. Join us to learn from Sarah Suk, a Canadian Korean Young Adult Author, about her author journey, diversity in kidlit, and how WE can support diverse authors in our educational spaces.

HR Post & Fill Information Meeting
Monday, April 26th,  3:30 to 4:30 pm
Mark Petrik, our District Human Resources Office, will explain the process and protocols for applying for postings, attending interviews, and accepting jobs for the upcoming school year. There will be an opportunity to ask questions. If you need any further information, please contact Brenda Barlow. Attend the meeting using this link.

OTHER EXTERNAL STUDENT/STAFF OPPORTUNITIES and LEARNING RESOURCES

Microsoft Certifications for Canadian Educators
In partnership with Microsoft, CCI Learning is offering ConnectEd 2021 attendees the chance to earn Microsoft Certifications for FREE from the comfort of their homes. Click here to find out more and register.

Microsoft, with their partner Logics Academy, is providing Canadian teachers with access to the second annual Canadian Minecraft Challenge. Last year, the Canadian Storytelling Challenge was a great success with tremendous fun and learning. You can see the winning entries here. This year the theme is Future Frontiers – Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond!

BackyardBio – May 2021 Educational Event
This event encourages students to get involved in nature and outside taking pictures of their local flora and fauna and sharing their pictures with other schools globally. Click here to find out more.

Elephant Education
Elephanatics has created a free, online educational program for teachers titled Elephants: The Need for Their Survival. Students will learn why elephants can help correct global warming and how they can bring awareness to their importance. Click here for lesson plans, videos and more.

UBC Summer Institutes – Newsletter

COVID-19 and the Impact on Children’s Mental Health – Research Report (BC)Newsletter

Free Engineering PD For Teachers
Engage with science and engineering practices of NGSS through real-world applications of engineering and hands-on activities you can incorporate in your classroom.

Who should attend? Grades 6-12 teachers and pre-service teachers with an interest in science, engineering, industrial, career and technical education. Click here to register and here for more information.

NSERC Science Odyssey
This is a science themed treasure hunt for kids ages 8-12. There will be a different activity presented everyday and the topics of the activities are from the BC curriculum. We will host live sessions and also provide pre-recorded videos of the activities and instructions to all schools that register. Click here to sign up. Go here for more information.

CKSTEM Summer Contest
CKSTEM (Competitive Kids Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) is hosting summer contests for Math, Computing and Debate during June 2021 to August 2021 for holistic development of the students. Contests are designed by the well-established educators and industry experts to encourage problem solving and critical thinking. These contests are made free for all Canadian students. We also have school awards for participating schools. Click here for more information.

National Gallery of Canada: Free Distance Learning
From April 27 to May 14, try one of our FREE popular webinars in a condensed version! In less than 30 minutes, your students will discover some of the masterpieces from the National Gallery of Canada’s collection. Different artworks are presented at each session. Visit our website to register and to obtain more information on dates, themes, and age groups.