February 11, 2021
DISTRICT PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES and RESOURCES
Speak Out
Speechfest has a new look and feel, and while we are not organizing a district-wide event this year, some great changes have happened to the new “Speak Out: Create Share Inspire” initiative. There is absolutely no pressure for teachers to participate – it is an invitation only for those that want to try something different. Please click the links to the one-sheeter or the powerpoint for teachers (everything they need to get started). The original powerpoint will be posted in the TCS sites– general post – for you to download if you like.
CONNECTING TO OUR COMMUNITY
Opportunity to Help our Community
It’s cold out there, and on February 20, a number of our staff members are supporting the Langley Community Action Team to help do something about it. The Langley Community Action Team is a group of organizations and community members taking action to address the overdose crisis in our community. Together with thousands of Canadians across the country, they’re walking and fundraising to support and serve people and families experiencing homelessness, hurt, and hunger in our community. Funds are being raised in Langley for the Salvation Army’s Gateway of Hope. Donations can be made directly to the Langley Community Action Team. Search for the team page at: The Coldest Night of the Year https://cnoy.org/home. For more information please contact Dana Dmytro ddmytro@sd35.BC.ca.
OTHER EXTERNAL STUDENT/STAFF OPPORTUNITIES and LEARNING RESOURCES
Creating Connections to “The Hill We Climb”
“Inspiring,” “historic,” and “unforgettable” are just a few adjectives used to describe 22-year-old Amanda Gorman’s inaugural poem at U.S. President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, Jan. 20, 2021. PBS has created a lesson plan for teachers, “The Hill We Climb.” The lesson aims to help students create connections between the moment in history, the poet’s messages, and their own lives.
SOGI Resources and Information
The SOGI 123 Network current newsletter focuses on elementary resources and ways to include SOGI-inclusive education from the start. Here are some great ones…. View Newsletter and Resources HERE.
Also, there has been some collective support from the SOGI Collaborative regarding the media attention that circulated recently. Reg Krake, the Executive Director for the ARC Foundation wrote an article explaining why the need for SOGI-Inclusive education in schools. Click here to find one of several articles published.
Outdoor and Environmental Learning
6 new teacher resources to help teachers take their learning outside in deeper and more meaningful ways. These include resources focused on early years, experiential learning, place-based learning, math, science, sustainability, and stewardship. Learn more here… CBEEN has several after school free virtual pro-d opportunities including workshops on inclusion, the early years, strategies for taking learning outside, and opportunities to learn, share and connect with other educators around the province. Learn more here…
UBC Make, Play, Connect Series – Online Workshops
Registration is now open for the UBC Make, Play, Connect Series. These 3-hour workshops are designed as a lead up for the UBC Computational Participation & Competencies Program (CP2). The first workshop is on Feb. 27th. Participant and school teams can sign up for just one or all three.
Power Smart for Schools
This month, our friend and colleague Dave is challenging students to help conserve our clean energy, water. Dave’s Conservation Challenge has lots of activities to get your class conserving like Power Smart champions. Each week a new challenge, concluding with a quiz in March to test your classroom’s knowledge and be entered into a draw for a BC Hydro prize pack. French worksheets and slideshows are available too.
Children of the Street Workshops
Children of the Street provides free educational workshops for youth aimed to educate and raise awareness on issues of sexual exploitation and human trafficking. TCO2 (Taking Care of Ourselves and Taking Care of Others) has been presenting to schools across BC for over 25 years. We speak to youth in grades 4-12 and, on average, we present around 500 workshops to 25,000 + participants each school year. These interactive presentations focus on the prevention of sexual exploitation of children and youth by educating them on recent trends of in-person and online exploitation, and how they can keep themselves and others safe. The workshops are designed for youth and use multi-media to encourage students to talk about this issue, as well as walk away with practical tips for real life scenarios. Students are left with knowledge, tools and resources on how to recognize, report and help prevent sexual exploitation. Click here to find out more.