October 21, 2021

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
As we continue our individual and professional commitment to Truth and Reconciliation, her are two SORA recommendations to further deepen and engage with learning/teachings from Indigenous authors. Access instructions on how to use the SORA app here. Special thanks to the Aboriginal Department for the curated resources they have made available to all staff and students in the Langley School District.

Tilly and the Crazy Eights by Monique Gray Smith
Form: Novel, Length: medium, on SORA in ebook and audiobook
About: When Tilly receives an invitation to help drive eight elders on their ultimate bucket-list road trip, she impulsively says yes. Before she knows it, Tilly has said good-bye to her family and is on an adventure that will transform her in ways she could not predict, just as it will for the elders who soon dub themselves “the Crazy Eights”.

77 Fragments of Familiar Ruin by Thomas King
Form: Poetry, Length: short, on SORA in ebook
About: Timely, important, mischievous, powerful: in a word, exceptional. 77 single page texts that take on government, climate change, worldview, racism and our own mortality. Thomas King at his best, you will read it in a single sitting, but it will stay with you for much longer.

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

Attention teachers: Grades 4 and 7 FSA coding (marking) will occur on Saturday, November 20. If you are interested in helping mark, please use this form to apply. Teachers will be compensated for their work (information is included on the form). Deadline for application is Friday, November 5. Please direct any questions to Alexandra Baxfield at abaxfield@sd35.bc.ca

SD35’s Read-Speak-Champion Virtual Author Series with Author David A. Robertson
October 28 [Register]
Join us for an interactive virtual session with David A. Robertson, Norway Cree House member, award winning educator and author of the Misewa Saga! He will be chatting about his award-winning book The Barren Grounds and responding to student questions. All are welcome!

Katie White | Elementary & Secondary Assessment Professional Development Series
Secondary Educators: October 28, November 4, and November 18 [Register]
Elementary / Middle Educators: November 1, 8, and 15 [Register]
Join Katie White as she explores how to “Soften the Edges” of assessment practice so that teachers and learners benefit. By the end of this three-part series, participants will be able to design more inclusive assessments and be able to apply new assessment strategies to a broader scope of learners. You’ll walk away with practical examples, guidance on things to try now, and ways to support one another in keeping the momentum.

Math Place: A New Math Resource for Grade 1-3 Teachers
NEW DATE November 10 [Register]
Math Place is a newly approved Math resource for Grade 1-3 teachers. This September, each school will receive 1 kit per grade of the NUMBER and OPERATIONS set. Join Diane Stang, the author of Scholastic Math Place, as she goes through the kits and shows you how this new resource aligns with the BC curriculum and how you can use it as part of your math instruction. This is a great way to start building number sense in your students right at the beginning of the year.

ICBC’s Educational Programs for Road Safety
November 16 [Register]
We invite you to attend an overview of ICBC’s Educational Programs for Road Safety. Road Safety Learning Resources – These age-appropriate online resources are available for free and are aimed at children in K-10. The Road Safety Speaker Program is aimed at students in grades 11 & 12, and we’ll share the steps for schools/facilitators to book a free road safety speaker presentation.

Digital Numeracy Skill Builder
November 23 and 30 [Register]
Finding, evaluating, organizing, creating and communicating information is what math is all about! In this workshop, you will learn how to incorporate digital tools to help students demonstrate their learning in math and numeracy. We will be using different activities and games to illustrate number concepts, patterns, geometry, and number sense. Attendance at both workshops is recommended!

Creating Community with Green Screens (for the Holidays)
November 24 [Register]
Just in time for December activities! Come learn how easy green screens are to use. This hands on workshop will walk you through how to use the green screen kits available for booking from the District Learning Commons.

DISTRICT LEARNING RESOURCES

Welcoming Library – District Learning Commons
The Langley Literacy Network, Township of Langley, Langley City and the Province of British Columbia have partnered to support “Welcoming Libraries” . Welcoming Libraries are touring collections of new arrival and new Canadian picture books. Highlighted in a pop-up display unit, the books have embedded discussion questions written by I’m Your Neighbour Books.

The 2 kits are available for sign out in our District Learning Commons. Click here to find out more information about the kits and click here to find more information on how to sign the kits out by using the DLC

This is the DLC write up about the kits:

Welcoming Library – A pop up conversation about immigration and belonging. That conversation is driven by a collection of acclaimed picture books featuring New Arrival and New Canadian communities to create a dialogue about immigration, welcoming and belonging. Readers of all ages “meet” these families on the page and explore the commonalities shared by all families. This exploration is done with I’m Your Neighbor Books-created discussion questions as well as companion programming and education materials. The collection — with its pop-up display unit — packs into two crates and travels between schools, libraries, and community centres in Langley, building an environment of welcoming and belonging.

Contents: 30 books: When I Get Older / My Two Blankets / Wherever I Go / Joseph’s Big Ride / The Suitcase / Together We Grow / Story Boat / My Day with Gong Gong / The Doll / Two Drops of Brown in a Cloud of White / Watercress / Priya Dreams of Marigolds and Masala / Wishes / A Different Pond / Here I Am / Where Are You From? / Alma and How She Got Her Name / Nieve en la Jungla/Snow in the Jungle / Two White Rabbits / Somos Como las Nubes/We are like the Clouds / Auntie Luce’s Talking Paintings / I’m New Here / Someone New / Stormy Seas: stories of young boat refugees / Big Red Lollipop / Mustafa / Salma the Syrian Chef / In my Mosque / Silent Music: a story of Baghdad / Stepping Stones

EXTERNAL STUDENT/STAFF OPPORTUNITIES and LEARNING RESOURCES

Are you looking for myBlueprint refresher training? more info
Don’t worry, you’re not the only one who was too busy with the start of the school year to dive in head first with myBlueprint! Now that you’ve settled into your school routine, we are excited to share our fall webinar offerings with you! These webinars will support you in implementing myBlueprint school-wide or at the classroom level, including topics like subject-based portfolios for documenting student learning, goal setting for student success, and discovering future pathway possibilities.

BC Hydro’s Conversation Hub
Conversations about climate change are happening around the world. We are now in a climate crisis but it’s not too late – let’s educate students about energy conservation and sustainability, to learn how to protect our world and their future.

To help you get started, explore our Conservation Hub for interactive videos, quizzes, blog posts and engaging curriculum-aligned activities. Your class will learn how to make clean energy choices at home, in school and in their communities.

Small energy conservation actions can create a big impact. Inspire your students to enhance their knowledge and understanding of energy conservation, so we can fight climate change together.

Professional Development Opportunity from UBC
The Digital Learning and Pedagogy program is an online professional development opportunity, bringing together university researchers, leading edge technology research, and K-12 experts. This 5-month program is cohort-based and designed for educators looking to build current and relevant design-based pedagogies and programs for classrooms, schools, and school districts. Participants will engage in a series of digital ateliers to explore how certain tools can be leveraged to break new ground in their own teaching contexts.

PROGRAM DETAILS:
Start Date: December 2, 2021
Length: 5 months
Format: Online | non-credit
Application deadline: November 22, 2021
Cost: $175+GST per person | $500+GST for a team of 3 people

This program is being offered at a reduced cost due to the generous support of the Edith Lando Virtual Learning Centre. Program spaces are limited, so please plan to apply early.