May 5, 2022

KEY RESOURCES IN LANGLEY

• Links to Key Info AND Resources in Langley
• 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!
• 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 mismith@sd35.bc.ca

HONOURING TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

Metis Nation BC  Metis in BC Exhibit and Video Series
The Métis in BC video series includes an introduction to Métis history and segments on Métis Music & Dance, Traditional Craftsmanship, Beadwork, Connection to the Land and Knowledge Carriers/Keepers. The videos feature Métis artists, craftsmen, historians, and Elders who each share their knowledge and experiences of being Métis in BC.  MNBC partnered with Parks Canada to produce the exhibit, which can be found at Fort Langley’s National Historic Site. Visit the Métis in BC Virtual Exhibit

First Nations Educational Video’s latest release, “Penelakut – Returning to the Healing Circle,” follows the journey of a filmmaker who returns to an island off the coast of British Columbia twenty-five years after documenting abuse at Kuper Island Indian Residential School. The film looks at the dramatic changes on the Island and how the intergenerational survivors have dealt with living in the shadow of their parents’ trauma. Streaming costs are $189/year or $99 for the DVD. Check out the preview through YouTube!

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

Read. Speak. Champion. A Virtual Author Series: The Barren Grounds with David A. Robertson
[On-Demand Learning Feature]
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 as we learn from these diverse Canadian authors! Join David A. Robertson for two incredible sessions as he talks and reads from his book The Barren Grounds, a novel about two Indigenous children forced away from their families and communities. They are brought together in a foster home in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They each feel disconnected from their culture, and each other, and struggle to fit into their new community – until they find a secret world, a portal to Askí.

Coast Metro Elementary Mathematics Series – 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.

Now Available for Open Registration! Decolonizing Teacher Practice with Carolyn Roberts – May 11 [Register]
Please join the Langley Primary Teachers’ Association for a workshop with Carolyn Roberts on “Decolonizing Teacher Practice.”

Carolyn’s passion is Indigenous Education and history. She believes in the power of education and what it is able to provide us in moving forward in the truth and reconciliation process. It is her hope to be a part of the healing process that comes with the Truth and Reconciliation Report and calls to action. She wants to be able to support Indigenous education and to encourage the change within our communities.

We are pleased to welcome Carolyn to our district as she presents an interactive workshop with opportunities for break out group conversations and learning tools for decolonizing. Now available for open registration at a cost of $21.

SD35’s Read-Speak-Champion Virtual Author Series with Author Jeff Chiba Stearns – May 17 [Register]
Join us for an interactive session with Jeff Chiba Stearns, a Canadian author, illustrator and animator/filmmaker of Japanese and European descent. He has won multiple awards for his films as well as for his work speaking on topics of multiracial identity. Jeff will talk about his books and lead a drawing session!

NEW! CUPE 1260 Spring Conference – May 20 [Register]
Join us for a day of learning and professional development open to CUPE 1260 staff in the Langley School district.

Learn the ins and outs of the District from payroll to clerical services to benefits and leave. Get a Microsoft Office certification, learn about anxiety and deep breathing techniques, and what to expect if you are injured at work. You’ll have a chance to connect with your colleagues in CUPE 1260.

NEW! Occupational First Aid (OFA) Level 1 – May 20 [Register]
The WorkSafeBC Occupational First Aid Level 1 course is an 8-hour program, including coffee and lunch breaks and is 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.

EXTERNAL STUDENT/STAFF OPPORTUNITIES and LEARNING RESOURCES

myBlueprint – Planning Contest for Grades 6-9 Students
There is still time to enter myBlueprint’s Education Planner Pathways Planning Contest! Enter by May 13, 2022 for a chance to win:

1. One of ten $35 Amazon/Starbucks Gift Cards (added to your school’s Student Prize Draws on myBlueprint!) OR an approved School Prize worth $350
2. A $100 Amazon/Starbucks Gift Card for the winning Teacher or Counsellor
3. An honourable mention in the myBlueprint Community and Blog

The winner will be announced on May 18th, 2022. Sign up now, before it’s too late!

Vancouver Avian Research Centre
May is the perfect time of year for VARC’s Amazing Adaptations, great for grades K-4. In this virtual presentation, we explore many of the unique adaptations that birds have with an emphasis on their beaks and feet and what they can tell us about where a bird lives and what a bird eats.

Led by a knowledgeable facilitator, our programs help foster a love for birds and the environment in a fun and interactive way. Each virtual presentation includes a special Teacher Package full of videos, crafts and much more! Email us at Candace@birdvancouver.com or visit our School’s Page

Vancouver Botanical Gardens Association – Field Trip and Bursary Opportunity
Connecting Urban Youth to Nature: Our Connecting Urban Youth to Nature program provides a self-guided field trip to designated under-served schools and community groups and includes access to a range of curriculum-aligned activities and lessons. In addition to free Garden admission for students and chaperones, bursaries are available to cover up to $400 in transportation costs, and students receive a coupon for one-time free family admission.

Participating teachers can tailor the experience for their students by selecting from a menu of self-guided resources. Our hands-on activities are in alignment with the BC curriculum.

Nature Express: Booking a guided program and looking for transportation funds?  Bursaries may be available to help fund your field trip!  VBGA offers up to $400 to under-served schools to help cover bus fees.  VBGA will issue reimbursements to the school after receiving receipt of payment; VGBA does not book or pay for buses directly.

VBGA Education Bursaries: The Vancouver Botanical Gardens Association (VBGA) is pleased to offer limited financial assistance for teachers and students in support of field trips.  Below you’ll find information on our offers as well as how to apply.

Applications are processed on a rolling deadline. Bookings are available Monday to Friday year-round.  Groups awarded a bursary will be asked to complete an evaluation following their visit. Interested teachers should contact Dennis Chen at dchen@vandusen.org or call Sangeeta Thomas at 604-257-8423 to confirm availability and to apply.

Retirement Celebration for Dawne Tomlinson
After over 30 incredible years as an educator in Langley, Dawne Tomlinson recently retired from the Langley School District.  We will finally have an opportunity to celebrate Dawne’s amazing career and retirement in person on May 31 at the Langley Events Centre starting at 4 pm.  Please see the link below for more details and information on how to purchase a ticket to this event or to contribute to a gift for her to thank her for her many years of service to Langley students.