September 16, 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 dzurbuchenjonker@sd35.bc.ca or request to be added in Teams.

DISTRICT TEACHER MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

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.
We have a number of early career teachers looking for a mentor.  We need mentors at all grade levels but especially primary (K-5). Please contact Gwen Thornburn, District Teacher for Teacher Mentorship Programs, gthornburn@sd35.bc.ca

DISTRICT LEARNING COMMONS (DLC) NOW OPEN

The DLC is open and ready to lend you items from our lineup of amazing teaching and learning resources. You can find all the information about using the DLC by following this link https://sway.office.com/qbfcZW739otNIwLe?ref=Link&loc=play or by connecting with your school’s teacher librarian.
A couple things to note:
DLC items are booked through your school’s Destiny Library System https://library.sd35.bc.ca/. Be sure to click on your school, then press login in the top right corner. Your login is the first part of your email address before the @ symbol. ie. jfernandes would be my login, password is my email password OR in some cases it could be your employee number
Resources are delivered via District Mail to your school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You return them to the same spot you picked them up (check with your admin assistant to find out where your district deliveries go). For more info be sure to check with your school’s teacher librarian

HONOURING TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

Kevin Lamoureux: Ensouling our Schools Webinar Series (more info)
As we approach September 30 and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, this is just a reminder that ThinkLangley has all of last year’s sessions with Kevin Lamoureux available for teachers to access through the On-Demand section on the thinklangley.com website.  Due to the late re-scheduling of Kevin’s last session on Indigenous Pedagogy and Wellness last spring, some staff were not able to view this one.  This was a very powerful session with a specific focus on trauma, its impact on wellness and the importance of every individual working on reconciliation and with Indigenous students being trained in trauma informed practice. This is an excellent link to the work our District is doing with Ukeru Training this year.  We would highly recommend all staff watch this session leading into September 30.  

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

Barren Grounds: Teacher Resource Guide Exploration with Lesley Gunning & Nadine Keyworth [On-Demand Learning Feature]
“Welcome to Misewa” – David A. Robertson’s book The Barren Grounds and the fantasy world of Misewa is making a splash in the Langley School District! This Canadian contemporary Indigenous text has been selected for the Middle School Read Aloud, and as a new potential text for Grade 8 high school classes. Come to this session to: +Explore the locally developed Teacher Resource Guide for the novel + Engage with strategies that promote Indigenous pedagogy + Participate in some of the activities from the guide that have been developed for multi-classroom contexts. Recommended teacher audience Grade 6 and up, Teacher Librarians, ASWs.

Exploring Indigenous Worldviews & Perspectives Through Graphic Novels September 21 [Register] This virtual session will introduce the 6 Graphic Novels that have been shared with all Secondary English Departments. These classroom resources have been curated with the new Indigenous Graduation Requirement in mind. Classroom activities, resources, and ideas on how to use the graphic novels will be shared. Teachers are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the graphic texts prior to the session, but this is not a requirement to attend.

NEW! Green Screens for Halloween October 3 [Register]
Prepare for the making of a Hallowe’en video using green screens. During this session we will discuss the preparation and execution in creating a magical video: you will prepare your laptop (Mac) or iPad with files, and plan the timeline to get everything in place with your class.

Read. Speak. Champion Virtual Author Series – Leonarda Carranza October 4 [Register]
As contemporary educators, we have a responsibility to share diverse stories and varied perspectives with our students. The Read. Speak. Champion Virtual Author Series is dedicated to spotlighting Canada’s BIPOC and LGBTQ2IAS+ authors.
Join Leonarda Carranza as she talks about and reads from her book Abuelita and Me, her picture book debut that explores a child navigating racism amid daily errands with her beloved abuelita’s support. Born in El Salvador and currently living in Brampton, Ontario, part of the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, Leonarda Carranza has a PhD in Social Justice Education from the University of Toronto and has won multiple writing awards, including Room’s 2018 short forms contest for her piece, “White Spaces Brown Bodies”.

Indigenous Course Learning Community – October 12, November 30, January 18 & March 1 [Register]
This is the second year of this Professional Learning Community, and we are excited to invite returning teachers back, while also extending the invite to any high school teachers interested in being part of this community! This learning group strives to explore curriculum, content and teaching strategies that pertain to Indigenous Studies courses- specifically EFP 10-12, BCFP12 and CIS12. This teacher space will identify needs and specific areas of focus and then meet through the school year to learn with and from one another. Teachers are encouraged to commit to all four sessions. The meetings will occur at REMSS in the Library from 3:30 to 6:00pm. Dinner will be provided; gluten free and vegan options will be available.

Don’t Miss Out! Connecting the Pieces: Pre-K and Kindergarten October 21 [Register]
Connecting the Pieces: Pre-K and Kindergarten Conference is our annual conference dedicated to professional development for kindergarten teachers and early childhood educators.
Our workshop line-up includes local and internationally recognized experts selected to share their innovative and practical ideas for working with young learners.

 Don’t Miss Out! Katie White: Standards-Based Assessment Practices October 21 [Register]
In an educational world that is brimming with uncertainty and change, it is hard to know where to focus our attention. We feel pulled in many directions and sorting through the noise sometimes feels impossible. When we think about assessment, it is hard to imagine a paradigm where it could actually be at center of the clarity we are searching for…but it can!
Join Katie White and the SD35 Secondary Instructional Services Team as we explore ways individuals can investigate the connection between assessment, curricular competencies, and the decisions we make every day in our classrooms.

NEW! Capturing Student Learning using Digital Portfolios: Primary Focus October 24 [Register]
Digital portfolios are excellent ways for students to show their learning and growth over time! As the way we communicate student learning changes and evolves, digital portfolios are proven to make capturing and sharing student achievements easy, fun and informative.
This session is focused on having primary students use myBlueprint: All About Me to develop their K-12 learning journey portfolio, student-self assessment and student-goal setting.

 NEW! Capturing Student Learning using Digital Portfolios: Intermediate/Middle Focus November 7 [Register]
Digital portfolios are excellent ways for students to show their learning and growth over time! As the way we communicate student learning changes and evolves, digital portfolios are proven to make capturing and sharing student achievements easy, fun and informative.
This session is focused on having intermediate/middle years students use myBlueprint: All About Me to develop their K-12 learning journey portfolio, student-self assessment and student-goal setting.

Provincial Pro-D Day | Friday, October 21

EXTERNAL PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

POPEY (Provincial Outreach Program for the Early Years)
Series One: The Foundations of Literacy Learning
Join POPEY as we explore the scope and sequence of foundational literacy skills
over three sessions, including phonological awareness, letter knowledge, letter-
sound relationships, vocabulary, spelling patterns, and word structure. We’ll look at
how to design effective lessons for integrating phonics and vocabulary study
across your literacy block.
This series of workshops will be held from 3:15-4:15pm (PST) on the following dates:
Wednesday, September 14th – Phonological Awareness
Wednesday, September 21st – Phonemic Awareness
Wednesday, September 28th – Phonics

LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STAFF/STUDENTS/CLASSES

LEARNING RESOURCES

Learning for Good: Kids Boost Immunity
Kids Boost Immunity (KBI) is a World Health Organization accredited online educational resource for schools that pairs local learning with a global citizenship: vaccines for children in need through UNICEF. Founded in British Columbia, KBI has over 350 free online lessons on a broad array of subjects for grades 4-12 that align to learning outcomes from BC’s provincial curriculum. Offered in both official languages, each lesson includes a quiz to help reinforce learning, while enabling students to earn and donate a vaccine for a child somewhere in the world in support of UNICEF Canada.  The more lessons and quizzes students do, the more vaccines they earn for children in need. To learn more and register for this free resource, go to www.kidsboostimmunity.com.

KBI Focus: How to Handle Your Shots Like a Champ
KBI’s How To Handle Your Shots Like A Champ learning module helps students become better informed about the routine vaccines they receive in school in grades six and nine. The learning module empowers students to employ specific strategies to ensure a positive experience on vaccination day. After the lesson, students do a quiz to boost their confidence about getting vaccinated while earning a vaccine for a child somewhere in the world in support of UNICEF.  For more information, go to KBI’s one page flyer that includes more detail on how teachers can sign up and get started.

SunSense Registration Now Open (more info)
The Canadian Cancer Society’s SunSense program registration is now open in British Columbia for the 2022-23 school year! With a goal of reducing skin cancer rates in Canada, SunSense supports elementary schools to create a sun safe environment that protects staff and students from harmful ultraviolet radiation.  

3 easy ways to get started with myBlueprint this school year (more info)
1. Identify ONE new myBlueprint resource to implement in your classroom this fall
2. Sign up for a live webinar, or review our videos and pre-recorded sessions
3. Build relationships and learn more about your students:
Education Planner Expectations Activity
Education Planner Who Am I Portfolio Checklist
All About Me Portfolio Activities Package