November 14, 2024

KEY RESOURCES IN LANGLEY

• Clickable PDF to Key Resources in Langley
• Instructional Services Website: For all your district-vetted resources K-12!  Check it out!
• Aboriginal Resources vetted by the District
• 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 dzurbuchenjonker@sd35.bc.ca
• District Learning Commons is a lending library of classroom and teaching resources available to all school staff in the Langley School District. All of our items are available to view and book online through the Insignia Library system. Find instructions, an area to check out new resources, request new resources and report lost or damages kits here: https://sway.office.com/qbfcZW739otNIwLe?ref=Link
  We deliver and pick up all the items you request through district mail twice per week (check with your admin assistant to see which days your deliveries are on).

MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

Interested in Becoming a Mentor?
We are in great need of experienced teachers with five or more years in the profession to support and guide newer educators as they transition into their roles.

We have many brand-new or early career teachers looking for a mentor. We need mentors at all grade levels but especially primary (K-5) and middle (6-8).

Time Commitment as a mentor: Mentors need to commit to ONE 45-minute learning-focused conversation every 3-5 weeks. There are optional workshops, networking and learning sessions available.

https://langleyteachers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Mentor-Info-Sheet.pdf

New to the District or a New Role?
If you’re a newer teacher looking for mentorship, please fill out the Mentee Information Sheet here. Once completed, email it to teachermentorship@sd35.bc.ca to join our program!

Upcoming events: 

Ongoing: Classroom Library Kits – let us know if you would like one! Fill your classroom library by borrowing books from us – Kits for K-2, 3-5, and 6-8 available!

Mentorship Session – all welcome – Early Literacy Part 1: strategies and programming – Nov. 19^th – Wix-Brown Elementary School

HONOURING TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

Beyond the Win | Supporting Truth and Reconciliation in the Classroom | More info
Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame is committed to amplifying the truths and experiences of Indigenous Order of Sport Recipients and Hall of Famers, and illuminating the invaluable lessons learned through sport. By celebrating the truths, stories and achievements of these remarkable individuals, we strive to create a lasting legacy of inspiration and understanding.
Click the link above to access 10 free educational activities developed to support discussions of Truth and Reconciliation in your classroom, aligning with subjects such as Physical Education, English Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, Mathematics, and Health Education.

UBC MOOC – Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education | More info
Enhance your understanding and knowledge of practices that advance reconciliation in the places where you live, learn, and work. This 6 week course will help you envision how Indigenous histories, perspectives, worldviews, and approaches to learning can be made part of the work done in classrooms, organizations, communities, and in everyday experiences in ways that are thoughtful and respectful. In this course, reconciliation emphasizes changing institutional structures, practices, and policies, as well as personal and professional ideologies to create environments that are committed to strengthening relationships with Indigenous peoples.

Early Learning Pro-D | UBC MOOC – Nurturing Childhoods Through Indigenous Ways of Knowing | More info
Explore teachings, strategies, and resources that guide the inclusion of Indigenous ways of knowing in early learning environments. This Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) is designed to empower and support educators, service providers and families to engage with Indigenous knowledges in early learning environments. The 6-8 week course offers a transformative learning experience, weaving together Indigenous worldviews and pedagogies with diverse perspectives. Co-created with community, educator and scholarly voices, this free, fully-online course is accessible to participants seeking to explore ways to enhance their practice and care environments through Indigenous ways of knowing. There are no admission prerequisites.

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

****  Save the Date – Odyssey on Monday February 10, 2025  ****

Odyssey 2025 | Monday February 10, 2025 | Call for Presenters
The Langley School District’s annual Odyssey Conference will be held in-person on Monday February 10, 2025.  Similar to last year’s event, the day will open with an Indigenous-focused presentation at the Langley Events Centre followed by breakout sessions at RE Mountain and Peter Ewart.  We are in the process of building the program for the breakout sessions and are seeking Langley staff who would be interested and willing to offer breakout sessions on any topics relevant to both teaching and support staff.  While there will be an emphasis on breakout sessions focused on Indigenous learning and pedagogy in keeping with our Odyssey theme, this is not a requirement for breakout sessions as we are also hoping to offer many different learning sessions that meet the need of staff across the district.

There will be two breakout sessions on that day and presenters can opt to present just once, or can offer the same breakout session two times, or even two different breakout sessions if they prefer.  Also, please remember that offering a breakout session does not require you to deliver a formal presentation – leading a breakout session can include leading facilitated conversations around a specific subject area, grade group or topic with a group of educators. Each breakout session would run for 75 minutes long.

If you would be interested in submitting a proposal to present at this year’s Odyssey Conference, please use this link. The deadline to submit a proposal is Monday December 2.

Classroom Strategies for the Unique Language Needs of ELLs | On-Demand Learning Feature
This workshop will give a brief description of the most significant needs of ELLs who are still learning social and/or academic language. It will also explain several strategies that can be used in the classroom to address these needs by helping students develop overall language awareness. This language awareness also benefits native English speaking students by helping them further advance their academic language development and it gives them a strong basis for learning a second language. Strategies are most suited for Grades three through eight.

Let’s Felt Together: A Kindergarten Teacher Workshop I December 2, 2024 I Register
Join us for a fun and creative hands-on experience where we’ll felt and weave our stories together! In this interactive workshop, you’ll craft a beautiful, felted story mat that you can use in your classroom. Along the way, you’ll build meaningful connections with fellow kindergarten teachers, sharing ideas and inspiration. Leave feeling inspired, with a unique story mat in hand and new friendships to nurture your teaching journey!

Learning in the Primary Years: A Four Part Series | December 3, 2024 and January 20, 2025 I Register
Curious educators are invited to learn and think together about the newly released “Learning in the Primary Years” Ministry document with connections to playful practice. Register for one session or all, just select the appropriate pass during registration. Dinner will be provided to those who attend in person.

Setting up an explicit Literacy Program in the Primary Classroom: A Four Part Series | Jan 15, 2025, Jan 22, 2025, Feb 19, 2025, Feb 26, 2025 I Register
Are you looking to set up an evidence-based literacy program but unsure where to start or how to support small groups? We will start with discussing the Scope and Sequence to guide your instruction, then look at assessment tools that will inform your practice and allow for creating groups based on targeted skills. Then, we will go over ways to support instruction in the different areas such as decoding and fluency. Finally, we will have a check in to see what has worked and what next steps could be.

EXTERNAL PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Free Webinar: Advance Reading Skills Through Handwriting Instruction | Nov 20, 2024 | Register
Research indicates that explicit handwriting instruction and handwriting practice have many educational benefits. Specifically, children who learn to form letters properly have more success reading and spelling than those who do not receive instruction and practice. When students learn to form letters while learning letter sound correspondences, the reading circuits in the brain that promote literacy are activated.
During this informative webinar, you’ll learn practical strategies to integrate handwriting to build overall literacy skills for Pre-K–6 students. In this 45-minute webinar, participants will:

• Explore the research connecting handwriting and reading
• Discover the connections between the Reading and Writing Ropes
• Examine strategies to integrate and leverage explicit handwriting instruction that reinforces decoding and encoding skills and other integral foundational literacy skills

Workshop: Supporting Grieving Children and Youth | Nov 21, 2024 | More info
Langley Hospice Society’s Child & Youth Bereavement team are hosting this workshop in recognition of Children’s Grief Awareness Day. Open to parents, caregivers, service providers and other caring adults, who are supporting children and youth. This will be an interactive workshop that will cover the fundamental aspects of how children grieve.

New Webinar: Strategies for Meaningful Documentation of Student Learning | SpacesEDU | Register
Whether you’re a seasoned educator or just starting with digital documentation, this brand-new webinar will give you practical strategies to help your students document their learning more meaningfully. Get ready to turn your student portfolios from simple scrapbooks into rich, personalized stories of learning and growth.

LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STAFF/STUDENTS/CLASSES

Upcoming Virtual Author Visits: Kellly Yang and Jason Reynolds | Link to Livestream
hosted by Interlink, a co-operative federation of eighteen libraries in BC, to which Fraser Valley Regional Library is a member. Both visits will be live streamed to Interlink’s YouTube page at the link above.

1. Kelly Yang | Friday, November 29, 2024
   • Ideal for grades 4 – 7
   • Award-winning author Kelly Yang will share information about her journey to becoming an author, as well as writing tips
   • Among her many accomplishments, Ms. Yang’s book Front Desk was also featured a few years ago on SD35’s Langley Book of the Year list
2.  Jason Reynolds | Wednesday, December 4, 2024

• • Ideal for grades 5 – 8
  • Bestselling, multiple award-winning author Jason Reynolds will join us to talk about his book Stamped, and discuss questions of race, racism and antiracism in his writing

SHAD Canada | Application Deadline Dec 1, 2024 | More info | Apply Now
Students have three weeks left to apply for Shad2025. Every year, Shad welcomes exceptional students from coast to coast who bring their diverse perspectives and talents to the Shad experience.
One recipient, Ada Speck, a member of the Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island, spent her Shad summer at the Carleton University campus in Ottawa. She explored her dream of pursuing a degree in Health Sciences and connected with peers who shared her love of STEAM. 85% of Shad participants said the program helped to increase their readiness for university. Shad is hosted at 26 post-secondary campuses. The program runs 24/7 for an entire month, from June 29 – July 25, 2025.

Christmas in the Country Field Trip | Dec 5-29, 2024 | More info
Join Thunderbird Show Park this December for Christmas in the Country! This indoor event offers a fun opportunity to learn about agriculture in the Lower Mainland. Get up close with an 800-pound Speckled Park cow and discover the chick hatching process through hands-on exhibits and workshops. Students can enjoy the hobby horse kids’ course and admire dazzling light displays, all while celebrating the holiday spirit!

2025 Prime Minister’s Award | Deadline Jan 15, 2025 | More info
Consider nominating an educator for a 2025 Prime Minister’s Award! Review the nomination package by visiting the website at the link above. Help celebrate those who go above and beyond to create safe spaces for their students, continue to work hard to make learning fun, and inspire the next generation to be bold innovators and creators. Prime Minister’s Awards recipients can receive a certificate from the Prime Minister and National recognition and promotion of their best teaching practices. Nominations for the 2025 Prime Minister’s Awards must be submitted to the Prime Minister’s Awards office by January 15, 2025.

SFU Linguistics invites local High School Students to join the 2025 North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad (NACLO) | Jan 23, 2025 | Poster | More info | Letter to Counsellors
Taking place at Simon Fraser University, Burnaby Campus, NACLO is hosting a Linguistics Olympiad on January 23, 2025. NACLO is a fun and educational contest for U.S. and Canadian high-school students in which contestants compete to solve compelling and creative puzzles in linguistics and computational linguistics.
Requiring no previous knowledge of linguistics, languages, or computing, the puzzles can be solved by analytic reasoning alone, and serve as a stimulating introduction to the field of linguistics. This first round is open to all high-school students!

Inside Education’s Award-winning Youth Summit is Now Open to All Canadian High Schools | March 13-16, 2025 | More info
The Youth Leadership Summit is open to all high schools across Canada! The Generate Energy & Climate Youth Leadership Summit is a four-day, all-expenses-paid (including meals, accommodations and a travel subsidy) learning experience featuring interactive tours, presentations from leading energy and climate experts, hands-on workshops, networking opportunities, and much more!
What’s Involved?

• Gain a better understanding of Alberta’s energy and climate story from experts, innovators, and young leaders.
• Participate in immersive tours, speaker sessions, and hands-on workshops.
• Expand networks and create lasting memories with like-minded students and teachers.
• Become empowered and supported to make a meaningful difference in your school and community with an environmental leadership project.

The Senate is Calling, Rise to the Occasion | Senators Engaging Youth | Application Deadline Dec 1, 2024 | More info | Apply
Do you know a post-secondary student who is passionate about Canadian politics? Encourage them to apply for Model Senate 2025! Applications are now open for Model Senate 2025! This unique and rewarding opportunity offers post-secondary students the chance to step into senators’ shoes for a weekend, gain valuable skills and network with like-minded young leaders, at the Senate of Canada Building in Ottawa.
In the last edition, over 100 enthusiastic students from across Canada took over the Red Chamber for two days. Model Senate 2025 will feature a variety of in-person activities, legislative debates and opportunities to interact with the people who support the day-to-day work of the Senate.

LEARNING RESOURCES

Coast Metro Math/Numeracy Website | Website
The Coast Metro Math Project is a great resource for all Elementary/Middle teachers (K to 8) to get started with Math/Numeracy instruction. The website provides a starting framework for teachers in developing a strong math/numeracy program with students and is full of lessons plans, ideas and resources to support numeracy instruction. Teachers can access the website at the link above. 

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Project leading to the I.D.E.A. Summit | Teacher info
As part of our ongoing commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, we are excited to reintroduce the Entrepreneur and Innovation Project with some important updates. After gathering valuable feedback from the field and carefully reviewing insights, we have made a few minor adjustments to improve the project and ensure its success both at the school level and at the IDEA Summit.
Key changes:

1. Financial Spending Constraints: Based on feedback, we’ve made a small increase to the spending limit. This new $30 spending limit will provide greater flexibility while still maintaining a focus on efficient resource management.
2. Clarity on Recycling and Repurposing: We’ve also enhanced the guidelines regarding the recycling and repurposing aspects of the project. The aim is to encourage more innovative approaches to sustainability and better define how these can be integrated into your projects.

These updates are designed to streamline the process and provide clearer guidelines without disrupting the core objectives of the project. We believe these refinements will help you achieve even greater results while supporting the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit that drives this project.

At the above link please see a teacher information sheet with ordering information from the student and teacher booklets as well key district contacts for the project. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to those contacts with any questions or if you need further clarification about the project and the updates.

TECH TIPS

Microsoft EDGE Browser
If you are not already doing so, we would highly recommend that all District Staff use the Microsoft EDGE browser as their default web browser.  Microsoft EDGE is a Microsoft product that is provided to all Langley District staff as part of the Office 365 package that is part of our District system.  As a result of it being a Microsoft product, it is therefore most compatible and easiest to use with all of the other Microsoft tools available for staff.  It is also the safest and most secure browser to be using from a privacy and protection lens as well.