September 3, 2021
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.
Resource Evaluation
Wondering if a resource is a good fit for your classroom? First check if it is a provincially evaluated resource at Focused Education here. If not, learn about the Langley School District resource evaluation process here
For questions or inquiries contact DStokesBennett@sd35.bc.ca or lgunning@sd35.bc.ca
TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION
Truth and Reconciliation Week
Be sure your Gr. 5 to 12 teachers sign up for Canada’s 2021 Truth and Reconciliation Week, running Sept. 27 to Oct. 1, 2021. Over the course of five days, teachers will share videos created by Indigenous storytellers, which show traditional ceremonies and artistic performances, alongside conversations with Elders and knowledge keepers, survivors, and children of survivors of residential schools. There will also be a moving tribute to the missing children that never returned home from the residential schools. On September 30, Orange Shirt Day, a special program will be held to commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Registration is accessible on the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation website.
Barren Grounds Teacher Resource Guide
Middle Schools and many High Schools are using The Barren Grounds in their classrooms this school year. For questions or inquiries please contact: lgunning@sd35.bc.ca
Watch & Listen
Author David Robertson presented in June of 2021 to Langley teachers. Engage with this conversation by watching and listening to the recording on Stream. This teacher and school staff specific conversation, situates the role of educators and is a call to action to our roll in this contemporary and historical context.
“We need to learn so we can teach, but also learn so we can answer hard questions.”
David Robertson (45:54) SD35 Read. Speak. Champion. June 28, 2021
Read
A wide range of ebooks and audiobooks are available instantly at your fingertips through the SORA App. Using your district login – all staff have access to a Indigenous literature curated by the Aboriginal Department. Committing to reading and listening to text(s) from this list all year round is encouraged.
Orange Shirts – 2 Recommendations for Ordering! (don’t wait too long to order – they will go fast!)
- Native Northwest Reconciliation Fund
The Native Northwest Reconciliation Fund was created to support people and families who continue to be impacted by Residential Schools and intergenerational trauma. Its purpose is to advance Reconciliation by funding initiatives that support Indigenous wellness, learning, and culture. In its first year, Orange shirt and orange sticker proceeds will fund newly created scholarships for Indigenous youth at several post-secondary institutions. We look forward to highlighting Native Northwest Reconciliation Fund scholarships and their recipients soon. - Orange Shirt Day Society
The Orange Shirt Day Society was formed in Williams Lake by the Orange Shirt Day founders to encourage and support communities to recognize Orange Shirt Day and support reconciliation events and activities. Their goal is to create awareness of the individual, family and community inter-generational impacts of Residential Schools through Orange Shirt Day activities. A portion of sales is donated to the Orange Shirt Day Society.=
The Whole Truth About Residential Schools: Then and Now
Beginning Sept. 15, 2021, Nelson will host a new, free webinar series entitled “The Whole Truth About Residential Schools: Then and Now.” The series will provide a comprehensive overview of the Residential School System and the intergenerational impacts and actions resulting from the Indian Residential School Settlement agreement. Participants will learn of practical strategies and recommended resources to help support student learning about residential schools and tips on navigating these crucial K-12 classroom discussions. With the recent findings of unmarked graves of children who attended residential schools, this series is recommended for educators and students to learn more about the truth of these schools. Register through Nelson’s website today!
Ripple Effect of Resiliency: An Indigenous Perspective (teachery.co)
Monique Gray-Smith: Use discount code Joy2021 for 15% off. IMPORTANT: do not use single registration for a group. Online course. will add to your bundle of gifts and knowledge that you carry in your work with Indigenous children, youth and families. Woven into the 6 modules, Monique will share her personal journey, offer readings from her various books and provide stories of hope and resilience. Topics include: the Impact of stress and trauma on wellness, truth of federal, provincial and territorial legislation and policies that have and continue to impact Indigenous people and the relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, exploration of reconciliation, Cultural Resilience Model with the 4 Blankets of Resilience
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
Use the link attached to sign up for access to a week of resources. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Truth and Reconciliation Week will take place virtually the week of September 27 through October 1. The programming will feature short videos created by Indigenous storytellers, followed by conversations with Elders, Knowledge Keepers, Survivors, and the children of Survivors of residential schools. The videos will be supported with classroom activities for students. Throughout the week, we’ll share artistic and cultural performances by First Nations, Metis and Inuit artists. There will also be a moving tribute to the Missing Children that never returned home from the residential schools. Some of the program contributors include APTN, NFB, Canada’s History, CBC Manitoba, Wapikoni Mobile, and the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba.
Access the FREE registration here
Resource Evaluation
Wondering if a resource is a good fit for your classroom? First check if it is a provincially evaluated resource at Focused Education here. If not, learn about the Langley School District resource evaluation process here
For questions or inquiries contact DStokesBennett@sd35.bc.ca or lgunning@sd35.bc.ca
OTHER DISTRICT PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES and RESOURCES
BC Punjabi-Sikh Teacher Resource Guide
This resource guide was created by a group of Langley Teachers in the 2020-2021 school year. Presented as a tool for grade 9-12 social studies classrooms, this guide attempts to explore both the imposed adversity and cultural pride of the BC Punjabi-Sikh population. For questions or inquiries please contact: lgunning@sd35.bc.ca
BIPOC Lit Circle Novels 9-12
See descriptions of novels available for teacher and classroom use here
For instructions on how to book physical copies or access online copies go here. For questions or inquiries contact DStokesBennett@sd35.bc.ca
Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators: A Book Club
September 13, October 18, November 15, and December 13, 2021, and January 10, February 7, March 28, April 11, May 9, and June 6, 2022 [Register]
Are you looking “ONWARD” to the school year, wondering how you will further “Cultivate” your “Emotional Resiliency,” as an Educator? If participating in creating a safe space (virtually) with like-minded colleagues next school year, through a casual monthly book club, with the goals of building more self-awareness and uplifting and empowering one another, interests you, please join us.
SD35’s Read-Speak-Champion Virtual Author Series with Jael Richardson
Tuesday, September 14 [Register]
Join us for a virtual session with Black-Canadian author & founder of Canada’s Festival of Literary Diversity, Jael Richardson. She’ll be talking and reading from her book Gutter Child, a dystopian novel that portrays a frighteningly realistic world where those from the Gutter trade their lives for a societal debt forced onto them by the privileged Mainland. Whether you are looking for an opportunity to learn, a secondary ELA or SS novel study for students, or just a good read, Gutter Child is for you!
Math Place: A New Math Resource for Grade 1-3 Teachers
September 14, October 5, October 19 [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.
Story Workshop Book Study Series
September 22, November 3 [Register]
Join a small passionate group of teachers who wish to create or continue their journey with the story workshop model and explore aspects of the Early Learning Framework. In this 3-part series, we will be reading the brand new book Story Workshop: New Possibilities for Young Writers by Susan Harris MacKay (a teacher and pedagogical director of the Opal School in Portland Oregon.) Participants will be immersed in the book talk for the first 2 sessions and will also be encouraged to try story workshop in their classrooms. Session 3 will be spaced out from the first 2 sessions to give you opportunity to live that teacher researcher role and come back to share ideas and experiences with other members.
NEW Beyond the Classroom
October 4 [Register]
An opportunity to have an inspiring and motivating conversation around a book written by Langley teacher Tim Stephenson. The book is a collection of themes and ideas taken from a long career that has been marked by strategies and activities that have taken Tim’s practice…beyond the classroom.
From Phonological Awareness to Reading Building a Strong Foundation
October 4, 18, & 25 [Register]
As teachers, we strive to provide a rich learning environment and a balanced literacy approach to helping all our learners become strong readers, writers and communicators. The BC Early Learning Framework recognizes that children approach learning in different ways to construct knowledge, test theories, explore and express ideas. We want to give all children access points to reading and the tools to success. We have created this 3-part series of workshops on early reading development to help you explore the skills that all students need to be successful in learning how to read. By attending this workshop, you will grow an understanding of how a child learns to read and how writing and vocabulary are an integral part of this process. While learning to talk is natural and innate, reading skills must be taught.
Tan Huynh’s Guided Co-planning with Colleagues
October 22 [Register]
This full-day event is dedicated to giving teachers time to collaborate with their colleagues to support their language learners. Teachers will be guided by Tan in ways to co-plan at various levels such as writing, lessons, and assessments, and then given time to create together. They may choose to work with other ELL teachers, content teachers, and resource teachers to foster rich learning opportunities for their students. At the heart of collaborative professionalism is “leadership from the middle (your peers in your own and other schools).
Save the date! Connecting the Pieces: Pre-K & Kindergarten Conference
October 22
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. This year’s keynote is Susan Harris MacKay from the Centre for Playful Inquiry.
If you have any questions, contact Professional Services at thinklangley@sd35.bc.ca.
Save the date! Registration on thinklangley.com opening soon.
ACT CPR & AED Teacher Training Workshop with NEW Opioids Overdose Response Training enhancement
When: October 22nd, 2021 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Where: Langley Secondary School
Intended for secondary Phys. Ed Teachers who wish to train students in CPR, AED, and emergency response to a potential opioids overdose. This can also be implemented in Biology, Careers, Outdoor Education, and other program areas. For more information, contact the ACT Foundation: kcook@actfoundation.ca or 1-800-465-9111
Read. Speak. Champion.
The Diverse Author series continues this school year as we welcome founder of FOLD (Festival of Literary Diversity) and author of picture book, memoir and fiction Jael Richardson. Jael spent her summer guest hosting CBC’s Q and she is virtually coming to Langley to talk diversity in literature and her most recent novel Gutter Child. September 14, 3pm, on TEAMS.
Register here
OTHER EXTERNAL STUDENT/STAFF OPPORTUNITIES and LEARNING RESOURCES
My Blueprint
With the 2021-2022 school year upon us, we are excited to share our back-to-school 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 and goal setting for student success.
With each webinar you attend, you’ll expand your myBlueprint knowledge, and leave with actionable next steps and resources to support your students with education and career/life planning and inquiry-based learning.
Keep reading for the webinar topics, descriptions, and sign-up information!
All About Me
Your First Class with All About Me
Harnessing the Power of School-Wide Implementation
Education Planner
Your First Class with Education Planner
Harnessing the Power of School-Wide Implementation
Discovering Future Pathway Possibilities
Implementing Subject-Specific Portfolios
**NEW** Goal Setting for Student Success
Formative Assessment in Math: In the Classroom and In Remote Learning Environments:
The second of a two-part series, the podcast, “Formative Assessment in Math: In the Classroom and In Remote Learning Environments,” features Dylan Wiliam. Wiliam focuses on the impact of formative assessment techniques on math – questioning, peer assessment, and self-assessment. He Also highlights how formative assessment can work in a remote learning environment and should be a focal point for classroom practice when students return to school. Part one of this series is accessible on Knowledgehook’s site under “podcasts.”
Everyday Anxiety Strategies for Educators (EASE)
EASE is now available in an electronic format. EASE Online is a collection of free resources and lesson plans for educators to help teach strategies to address anxiety with students in grades K-7. Developed by the Ministry of Children and Family Development in partnership with Anxiety Canada, EASE supports the goals of B.C.’s mental health strategy, A Pathway to Hope, and has been used in B.C. schools since 2019.
EdCan Network Article: What is the Value of Outdoor Education: New Fact Sheet
Environmental Education: October 20 – Take Me Outside Day 2021
October 22-23 – Classrooms to Communities 2021 Conference
Environmental Education Resources: Fall Outdoor Learning Series
- Registration for the Outdoor Learning Free Fall Virtual Workshop Series is now live here: https://outdoorlearningstore.ca/workshops/. Social media images are here.
- New Nature Explorer Tools & Resources: A few new tools & resources to help educators take their learning outside this fall! This includes a 2-way Nature Viewer, a more durable sit pad which uses recycled materials, a Bugs & Slugs Guide and The Big Book of Nature Activities: A Year-Round Guide to Outdoor Learning. Poster and social media images are here. Find all of these on this poster and here: https://outdoorlearningstore.ca/shop/
- Our Earthy Chats Podcast series continues to grow as a partnership between a number of partners. This collaboration between Green Teacher, CBEEN, Take Me Outside and Stoked on Science offers wide-ranging chats with environmental educators about best practices, changing trends, and new insights about the outdoor and environmental learning field. Check out recent Fables from the Field episodes!
Museum of Anthropology
The Museum of Anthropology at UBC offers engaging in-person and digital school programs for elementary and secondary students to learn about world cultures and encounter new ideas, perspectives and experiences. Click here for updated school program information, including in-person programs, digital programs, and featured workshops.
Vancouver Maritime Museum
The Vancouver Maritime Museum (VMM) is located in Vanier Park in Kitsilano, BC. The museum offers guided school programs for students in preschool to grade 12, rentable educational toolkits and as of 2020, select school programs online. In addition, the VMM offers ESL programs and resources to support teachers and their diverse classroom needs. All school programs are designed to support the BC Ministry of Education’s current curricular core competencies, essential learning, and literacy and numeracy foundations for each grade. Staff and trained education volunteers (docents) lead small groups of students through hands-on and participatory activities designed to stimulate creative and critical thinking.”