In The Loop – April 1, 2022

March 31, 2022

KEY RESOURCES IN LANGLEY

 

HONOURING TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

Kevin Lamoureux – 4th and Final Session – Indigenous Pedagogy and Wellness (more info)
Please see the attached poster for the final presentation by Kevin Lamoureux which will be held on Wednesday, April 20th from 3:30pm – 5:00pm with the opportunity for you to collaborate over dinner until 6:00pm. The poster includes links to prior sessions.

Prior to contact, there were education systems in place that allowed Indigenous people to grow into and thrive as healthy adults living in balance with the land. This session will explore teachings and insights from that pedagogical practice. Please put your teams together in preparation.

REEL CANADA livestream: Celebrating Indigenous Stories – Wednesday, April 20 (more info)
This FREE livestream event for Grades 9-12 students will showcase the exciting new Indigenous-made thriller Night Raiders, nominated for 11 Canadian Screen Awards including Best Picture.

After watching the film, students will engage in insightful conversation with the filmmakers, as they respond to questions from students across the country. The event is dynamic and interactive, allowing for engagement through our online platform in live polls, chat, quiz questions, and extensive discussion boards.

Teachers will also receive lesson plans and support resources geared specifically toward this event, to enrich student learning. Best of all, it’s entirely free of charge.

Land Acknowledgements – why do we do them? UBC Webinar – April 12 at 5pm (more info)
Although it’s now the norm to begin speeches and events with land acknowledgements, not everyone may understand the significance of these formalities. Interested in learning more? At this inclusive and bridge-building webinar, everyone is invited to deepen their understanding by listening to panelists from different Indigenous nations/bands who will discuss the purpose and meaning of these important customary statements. Have something you’re wondering about? Bring your questions — a short Q&A session will also be held.

 

DISTRICT PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
To see our full calendar of offerings, visit www.thinklangley.com

Tell Us a Story with Daren Patterson [On-Demand Learning Feature]
Who doesn’t love a great story? Students love to listen to and tell a variety of stories. This workshop will capitalize on that enthusiasm as participants learn a variety of techniques that will assist students in planning and creating their own stories about themselves, their families, and community. During the session, participants will have an opportunity to explore the use of a variety of manipulatives such as puppets, storyboards, toys along with digital tools to support your student’s storytelling skills. Come and be ready to engage in the story.

EASE K-7 and EASE 8-12 Training – April 4, April 12 [Register]
Everyday Anxiety Strategies for Educators (EASE) is a collection of school-based, evidence-informed, anxiety management and resilience-building resources for use by educators with B.C. students. EASE helps educators teach students strategies to address the thoughts, feelings and behaviours associated with everyday anxiety, while also supporting social and emotional learning and mental health literacy of educators.

NEW! Bite-size Pro-D: Excel in your Math Classroom – April 5 [Register]
Learn quick ways to start using Excel spreadsheets in your Math lessons to develop student skills in problem solving, computational fluency and computational thinking. You’ll learn how to teach your students how to make graphs and calculate algorithms.

La collaboration en immersion française (M-7e)
April 12 (Kindergarten), April 19 (Gr. 1-3), April 26 (Gr. 4-7) [Register]
Veuillez nous joindre en avril! Collaborez, partagez, apprennez, questionnez et mangez! Les séances sont organisés par niveau et nous allons discuster les sujets suivants: la progression des sons, les mots fréquents, le vocabulaire commun, la progression de la grammaire, les livres pour nos élèves (étude de roman, cercles littéraires), les resources utiles, et les autres items que vous aimeriez discuter et/ou partager. Public: Enseignants de James Kennedy et Belmont.

Coast Metro Elementary Mathematics Series – April 19, May 10, May 24 [Register]
The three-part online afterschool series will develop teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge through open questions and use of visual representations and materials. Each session will highlight one mathematical content area and feature a keynote presentation by Dr. Marian Small.

Following the keynote, participants will be invited to choose a grade-grouped cross-district breakout room. These breakout rooms will be facilitated by educators from the Lower Mainland Math Contacts network. Participants will engage in mathematical thinking, problem-solving, connection-making and relationship-seeking in mathematics. This series provides an opportunity to build an elementary mathematics community of educators across the Coast Metro region.

NEW! SD35’s Read-Speak-Champion virtual author series With Author Jasmine Kaur – April 26 [Register]
“Gut-wrenching,” “awe inspiring” and “captivating” . . . Register your grade 10, 11 and/or 12 classes for an interactive, live session with Jasmin Kaur, a Vancouver-based author, poet and school teacher. During this interactive session, Jasmine will talk about her poetry collection and verse novels, her writing and respond to student questions.

NEW! Creating Stronger School-Based Teams – April 27 [Register]
This workshop is a space for resource teachers, classroom teachers, and other educators who are interested in improving their school-based team (SBT). During this workshop, I will share our school’s process of SBT, including referral forms, organizing the meeting, taking SBT minutes, and supporting action plans following the meeting. Time will also be provided to share your own experiences and successes with SBT. Let’s help each other create stronger and more effective school-based teams.

NEW! Assessments to Guide Our Teaching of Literacy – May 3 [Register]
Join us to take a closer look at using literacy assessments to guide our next steps in teaching whether it be phonic skills, writing and reading behaviours, fluency or comprehension. We will look at phonics screeners, running records, F&P Benchmark Assessment System and other assessments teachers will find helpful to direct their teaching focus for whole class, small group or individual students.

To see our full calendar of offerings,visit www.thinklangley.com

 

DISTRICT LEARNING RESOURCES

Do you have more than 5 years teaching experience? Do you love to help others grow and learn? The Teacher Mentorship Program needs you!
The mentorship program is looking for mentors! A mentor is a teacher with more than 5 years of classroom experience who understands the needs and challenges of the early career teacher, a reflective practitioner who analyzes his own teaching, someone who is involved in ongoing personal and professional development, and a collaborative educator with strong interpersonal skills willing to provide professional guidance to a colleague. Meeting and training times are very flexible.

We have a number of early career teachers looking for a mentor. We need mentors at all grade levels but especially primary (K-5) and Elementary French Immersion. If you have any questions or are ready to get involved, please email Gwen Thornburn.

Secondary Teachers: #ForYou A Game to learn about Algorithims
From video sites to job applications, algorithms have become an inescapable but often invisible part of our lives. MediaSmarts’ research shows that while Canadian youth are familiar with the idea of algorithms, they have little understanding of how they actually work.

MediaSmarts has designed #ForYou: A Game About Algorithms, a new educational card game for grades 9 to 12 to simulate the different roles that recommendation algorithms play in delivering videos and ads online.

#ForYou is accompanied by both a lesson plan (for classroom use) and a discussion guide (for use in a home, workshop or community group). We’ve also created a video to help explain the gameplay and walk you through the discussion questions. As with all MediaSmarts classroom resources, the lesson is linked to curriculum expectations in each province and territory.  Find out how to order free sets of MediaSmarts’ #ForYou cards to use in the classroom here.

Looking for some great health lessons for Grades 4 to 8?
Remember the Middle Years development instrument that students in grade 5, 6 and 8 did last school year? The Middle Years Development Instrument (MDI) is a self-report questionnaire completed by children in Grades 4 through 8. It asks them how they think and feel about their experiences both inside and outside of school. Both the Grade 4/5 questionnaire and the Grade 6/7/8 questionnaire include questions related to the five areas of development that are strongly linked to well-being, health and academic achievement.

  • Physical Health & Well-Being: Children evaluate their own physical well-being in the areas of overall health including emotional well-being, physical activity, nutrition and sleeping habits.
  • Connectedness: Children are asked about their experiences of support and connection with the adults in their schools and neighbourhoods, with their parents or guardians at home, and with their peers.
  • Social and Emotional Development: Children respond to questions about their current social and emotional functioning in 7 areas: optimism, self-esteem, happiness, empathy, prosocial behaviour, sadness and worries.
  • School Experiences: Children are asked about their school experiences in 4 areas: academic self-concept, school climate, school belonging, and experiences with peer victimization (bullying).
  • Use of After-School Time: Children are asked about the time they spend engaged in organized activities such as sports, music and art, as well as the time they spend watching TV, doing homework and playing video games.

Here are some lessons to consider. You can find the Langley data here or check with your principal for your school data.  If you have any questions or would like some support with these lessons please connect with Gail Markin or with Tamira Burton at Fraser Health.

Live It Earth (more info)
The Langley School District is beginning a Pilot Project with Live It Earth. This is an engaging, place-based resource that publishes resources (videos, slide shows, STEM challenges, inquiry guides, self-assessments and more) in French and English for students from Kindergarten to Grade 8.

Live It Earth has 100% Canadian content and is based in Nelson, BC. It features authentic Indigenous perspectives and is cross-curricular (connected to BC curriculum) and flexible. Please see the link below for more information. Teachers must sign the consent form and send it back to Alex Spence in order to gain access to the site. Please contact Alex Spence, or Jennifer Fernandes with any questions. Please be aware that there are options to use Twitter to connect with subject specialists. No student identifying information can be shared.

*Teachers who use the resource will be asked to complete a short survey providing feedback to Live It Earth at the end of the Pilot Project.*

 

EXTERNAL STUDENT/STAFF OPPORTUNITIES and LEARNING RESOURCES

Consultation on Proposed 2022 School Food Guidelines
The Ministry of Health is seeking feedback on the proposed 2022 School Food Guidelines. The Guidelines were last updated in 2013 and are being revised to align with the 2019 Canada’s Food Guide. The proposed Guidelines reflect current national and provincial nutrition recommendations and address implementation challenges with the 2013 version. Visit Education Sector Consultation on Proposed 2022 B.C. School Food Guidelines to learn more and provide your feedback.

YOU dance Livestream on May 20, 2022 (more info)
The National Ballet of Canada is pleased to offer school boards across Canada the opportunity to join us for a livestream direct from our rehearsal studios in Toronto on May 20, 2022 from 12:15 to 1:15 pm ET. Advance registration by each individual teacher will be required and curriculum-based resources will be available.

Students will enjoy repertoire specially selected for grades four to six, performed by the National Ballet’s talented Apprentices and company members. The livestream is hosted by Lisa Robinson, Senior Manager, Education and Community Engagement and Associate Artistic Director Christopher Stowell.

In addition to the wonderful dancing, the livestream includes interviews, pre and post-performance discussions with the artists as well as an opportunity for the entire class to get moving. And new this year, we will share a piece created virtually with students from three different classrooms across the country.

Outdoor Education Workshops (more info)
View the following list of free upcoming outdoor learning professional learning events on behalf of our Canadian Outdoor Learning Partners. These are also all listed on a shared calendar.

LEGO Replay for Schools (more info)
Win up to $1,000 for your School’s Environmental Initiatives!

This Spring, elementary school classrooms across Canada are challenged to use LEGO bricks and/or other materials to creatively illustrate their understanding of environmental protection, waste reduction, and circular economy. At the end of the challenge, students and schools who are finished with their LEGO bricks can donate them through LEGO Replay. Schools are encouraged to post photos/videos of their creations on social media and engage with their local communities. Participating schools could be showcased on LEGO.com!

All participating schools could win up to $1,000 to support environmental initiatives in their school community. Prizes are awarded to schools/classrooms who creatively show their understanding of environmental protection and sustainability by sharing photos/videos of their creations. In addition, all participating schools will be entered into a draw to win 1 of 3 participation prizes.

Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame – Beyond the Win Education Programs (more info)
Did you know our best storytelling happens through our Beyond the Win Education Programs? These programs are designed to support and reinforce curricula, without duplicating in-class learning, through unique storytelling, inspirational Hall of Famers, and one-of-a-kind artefacts.

Check out some of the FREE resources below that will spark conversations in your classroom!

Indigenous Sport Heroes Education Experience is the first of its kind educational exhibit that shares the stories of 14 Indigenous Hall of Famers and recent Tom Longboat Award Winners. Educational activities and lesson plans are available as entry points into integrating Indigenous Ways of Knowing & Being into your classroom.

Conversation Starters recorded videos tackle a variety of societal issues. These videos act as a curriculum-aligned entry point to introduce conversations about racism, Indigenous ways of knowing and being, nationalism, Canadian identity, sense of belonging, and the experiences of newcomers to Canada.

Future Ground Prize (more info)
Do you want to help reward youth involvement in green initiatives? Share with them the David Suzuki Foundation’s Future Ground Prize and the chance to win up to 5,000 and a meeting with David Suzuki and Severn Cullis-Suzuki. Applications are open until April 10! Don’t miss it!

Let us continue to encourage the younger generations and their amazing work that will shape our future, and for that don’t hesitate to share this email with any organization, school, group, people who will benefit from it and spread the word as well!

Prime Minister’s Youth Council (more info)
On March 10, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, along with the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Youth, launched a recruitment campaign to find new members for the Prime Minister’s Youth Council (PMYC).

Established in 2016, the PMYC is a group of young Canadians who provide non-partisan advice to the Prime Minister and the Government of Canada on issues of importance to them and to all Canadians.

We therefore ask you to encourage youth between the ages of 16 and 24 to apply for this opportunity to ‘be the change’ they want to see in Canada. We’re looking for Canadian youth from every region, background and lived experience who are excited to help shape a more equal, diverse and inclusive future for all Canadians. Apply by April 10 to be considered for this opportunity.

Instructional Services | #Think35

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