Classroom Resources and Activities:

Every day is Orange Shirt Day:

“Today is Orange Shirt Day, a day when we honor the Indigenous children who were sent away to residential schools in Canada and we are reminded of the shameful and cruel part of Canada’s history and the terrible legacy that resulted.

Between the 1860s and the 1990s, approximately 150,000 Métis, Inuit and First Nations children were sent to residential schools. The children were removed from their families, forced to speak English or French instead of their ancestral languages, and disconnected from their culture and traditions. Orange Shirt Day was started by Phyllis Webstad to educate people about residential schools and fight racism and bullying. When Phyllis was a child, she was given a new orange shirt by her grandmother for her first day of school at St. Joseph’s Mission residential school in British  Columbia. When Phyllis got to school, they took away her clothes, including her new shirt. It was never returned.

To Phyllis, the colour orange reminded her of her experiences at residential school and, as she has said, “how my feelings didn’t matter, how no one cared and I felt like I was worth nothing. All of us little children were crying and no one cared.”

Orange Shirt Day was started by Phyllis to educate people about residential schools and fight racism and bullying and to emphasize that Every Child Matters.

At Xyólheméylh we deal with the impact of colonialism and residential schools, and the intergenerational pain that has resulted. Every day we work with the impacts of this legacy but are also reminded of the resiliency of Indigenous people. On Orange Shirt Day we encourage all staff and caregivers to wear orange, and to attend an event, perhaps virtually this year.

We have prepared a video to commemorate the day with a few of our Elders that we hope you watch:”

• September 29th, 2020 2:00pm

Zoom Webinar: A Conversation with Phyllis Webstad

Link to participate: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UPxh8td3Sa2UFQ7M1W2PTA

• CBC Kids: What is Orange Shirt Day?

• Orange Shirt Day Online Classroom 

Listen in as Phyllis Webstad and Joan Sorley from the Orange Shirt Day present their new book – Orange Shirt Day. Please find a link to a publicly shared conversation with Residential school survivor and founder of Orange Shirt Day, Phyllis Webstad and Cariboo Regional Area F director Joan Sorley (56 minutes).

It is a Facebook link (it is not yet available on other video platforms).

• Every Child Matters: A Virtual Event Open to All Canadian Schools For Youth Grades 5 – 12 to Honour Residential School Survivors, their families and communities

The NFB is proud to partner with Every Child Matters, an online youth event that honours Residential School Survivors, their families and communities. This virtual event provides an opportunity to learn first hand from Residential School Survivors, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, artists and leaders from nations and cultures across the country.

Designed for students in Grades 5 through 12, this virtual event provides an opportunity to learn first hand from Residential School Survivors, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, artists and leaders from nations and cultures across the country. Educators can select the events they wish to livestream for their students and download free educational resources.  Click here to register your class.

• Every Child Matters Educational Package: Reconciliation through Education

Produced in collaboration with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Written by award-winning Indigenous author Monique Gray Smith, this magazine, which is based on the Seven Sacred Teachings, is aimed for students in grades 5–12 and is available in both English and French.

Each lesson is based on one of the seven teachings, reminding all of us that love, truth, wisdom, humility, courage, respect, and honesty truly matter. It is our hope that these lessons help you and your students live out these teachings, in your classrooms, in your actions, and in your everyday lives.

Click on the image below to access the lesson plans:

“Canadian Residential Schools: The Survivors & Their Descendants”

(Educators: Please preview first. Best suited for high school students.)

This 22 minute video shares the history of Residential Schools as well as the impact that continues to be experienced by their descendants today in an enlightening and engaging manner that students can relate to.  We have also included a music video by N’we Jinan Artists that was written and recorded by youth from Opchapowace First Nation, Saskatchewan.

The Ballantyne Project was founded in April 2019 by Dwight Ballantyne, a 25 year old Indigenous man who spent his first 21 years growing up in a remote northern Saskatchewan First Nation.  His mission is to bring awareness to Canadians about life in remote Indigenous communities by sharing his personal experiences in order to bring attention to this segment of our nation that rarely makes it into textbooks, popular media or social conversation.

Project of Heart Canoe:

Ready-made lessons to launch and inspire

• Child-Friendly Calls to Action

For Educators:

Residential School Resources, Orange Shirt Day September 30, 2020

MPSD Resources:

• Siwal Si’wes Residential School Curriculum: https://greatspirithand.com/
• Listen to stories shared by Elders, organized by grade level.

• Peggy Janicki, Indigenous Mentor Teacher, has shared a folder of documents pertaining to residential schools.  (Internal to SD75 educators.)  I.R.S. Indian Residential School

• A friendly reminder that all School Libraries in Mission School District have BCTF’s “Nlaka’pamux Blanket Exercise” and all materials included.

Found inside “Gladys We Never Knew” e-book.

Resource highlights:

Stó:lō Shxwelí Halq’méylem Language Collection:

Language resources and stories for learning Halq’méylem.

First Peoples Principles of Learning during Remote Learning:

(Source:Delta School District Indigenous Education Department’s COVID- 19 Teaching and Learning at Home)

“We can still keep the First Peoples Principles of Learning at the centre of our instruction while students are learning at home. We have taken the activities provided in the Everyday Learning Activities section of the Ministry’s Keep Learning site and matched them with the First Peoples’ Principles Of Learning.”

• PDF version
• GoogleDocs version

Distance Learning for Special Education (Early Learning – Grade 12) (Source: Kansas Department of Education)

Resources on this page are provided by educators and families from around the world. We are collaborating to support the needs of students with significant disabilities during the COVID 19 pandemic. These materials are open source and may be adapted to fit your child or student’s need. They may not be used for purchase.

• See the Inclusion page on Curriculum Connections for more resources to support remote learning for students with diverse needs.

CBC Resources: include articles, activity ideas, videos, shows, and games.  No advertising!

• Parents
• CBC Kids (Early Learning- Gr.6)
• CBC Kids – Indigenous focus
• French: Zone des Petits (Early Learning)
• French: Zone Jeunesse (Gr. 3-7)
• French: Oniva (Grade 6-10)
• French: Curio (Grade 9-12)
• CBC Kids News: current events and news stories presented by kids and teens
  • Highlight: Interview with Justin Trudeau and Dr. Theresa Tam by students, answering their questions about coronavirus.

Royal BC Museum: Virtual Resources

• Learning Portal: “The Learning Portal is for learners of all ages but much of it aligns with BC K-12 school curriculum. Designed with a constructivist approach, it is a non-linear, learner-centred, inquiry-based and interactive website.” (Account creation is not required to access content. Educator page with some French resource links here.)
• YouTube Channel (scroll down the page for RBCM@Home recent uploads on a variety of topics)

Junior Library Guild: (K-12, American, fiction and non-fiction e-books and audiobooks)

“FREE access to our JLG Digital online reading platform! With JLG Gold Standard eBooks for Elementary, Middle School and High school students, JLG Digital gives you and your readers access to read books online from any device. There is no limit to the number of users and titles enter and exit the digital stream regularly, so there are always new picks available. Using a computer? Usernames & passwords are not needed! Simply click your book-stream choice below and you’ll be automatically logged in! Full instructions and passwords for using the app version are available here.”

• Elementary Stream
• Middle School Stream
• High School Stream

District Digital Resource Highlights:

1. NFB Campus:  In the fall of 2019, MPSD purchased a district K-12 license to access CAMPUS, the National Film Board’s video streaming service for the classroom and the primary source for Canadian film and media content across a wide range of subject areas.  This includes access to authentic Indigenous films and resources in French and English.

• Educators and students can access thousands of films and other media simply by going to https://www.nfb.ca/education/.
  • Here is a link to their Educational Playlists (Early Learning – Gr. 12)
• Educators can access everything that students do, as well as all the tools and resources that make CAMPUS unique. Here are some of the educator features:
  • Thousands of films and other media
  • A curated library of Learning Bundles
  • Tools to create and share your own chapters and playlists
  • Educational summaries that draw links to Pan-Canadian curricula
  • In-depth Educator’s guides
  • Search filters by subject area and age level
  • Access via the web with no hardware or server space requirements
  • Easy integration into the classroom

To access to these features, MPSD educators need to activate their individual accounts. Contact your teacher librarian for the steps to activate your educator account.

2. Siwal Si’wes Digital Library: K-12 curated Indigenous resources

With this teaching in mind, here are some additional resources to consider when planning remote learning opportunities for students:

“Why use this website?”

“There are two main reasons for teachers to use the Sq’éwlets website.

This site was designed with the Sq’éwlets community rather than about them. The Sq’éwlets people, who live where the Fraser River meets the Harrison River, approached archaeologists from the University of British Columbia to help investigate and support their claim that their local territory included an ancient burial ground. The researchers and archaeologists worked with the Sq’éwlets people to ensure that artifacts, or “belongings,” and other archaeological materials were excavated and treated respectfully. The content of the website respects Indigenous protocols regarding sacred information and procedures. The information is not just about the Sq’éwlets people, it is coming to you from the Sq’éwlets people using their own voices, language, and understandings.” (Source: Stó:lō Research and Resource Management Centre / Stó:lō Nation)

Classroom Resources and Lessons (available in English and French)

Lesson 1: Story telling as an Oral History (Grade 3-5)

Lesson 2: Place-based Understanding of our Environment (Grade 3-5)

Lesson 3: Aboriginal Resource Use and Sustainability (Grade 4-7)

Lesson 4: Aboriginal Communities of the Past and Present (Grade 4-7)

Lesson 5: The Past is our Future (Grade 4-9)

Lesson 6: Origin and True Stories (Grade 6-8)

LesPlan Educational Services: Our team of classroom teachers, writers, and illustrators select the previous month’s top news stories, then craft age-appropriate, leveled stories summarizing the key points and perspectives for students. We include the background information often lacking from traditional news stories – as well as key vocabulary definitions – to help students understand the issue, and strive to present all sides of any debate. Our aim is to foster understanding and develop critical thinking so that students can develop their own positions on each story we cover.  (Canadian, Gr. 3-10)

Math Resources:

• Math in Mission: For Families

Math mentor teachers, Rebekaah Stenner and Camille Anderson, are posting weekly math activities to try at home for K-Gr. 7+.

• K-6 Numeracy page on the SD75 Virtual Learning Commons

Low tech everyday ideas and online resources available.

• JUMP Math Essential Lesson Packs: these resources contain the most essential lessons to focus on for the remainder of the year, and preparing students for the next grade. (Canadian, K-8)
  • Essential Part 2 Lessons: BC (English, K-8)
  • Les leçons essentielles pour la Partie 2 (French Immersion, Gr. 1-6)

Social Emotional Learning:

CASEL: SEL Resources for Families and Educators during COVID-19

As the country and the world respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19), we are all feeling a range of emotions. At CASEL, we understand how important it is to attend to the social and emotional needs that arise during times like these. SEL offers a powerful means to explore and express our emotions, build relationships, and support each other – children and adults alike – during this challenging time. CASEL CARES is a new initiative that connects the SEL community with experts to address how SEL can be most helpful in response to today’s circumstances.

We Schools @ Home: We’re committed to helping you navigate the world of distance learning during this challenging time. WE Schools @home offers free online tools and resources to complement and support at-home learning. Developed for Grades K through 12, this weekly lesson package includes interactive and experiential curriculum-based resources, materials and lesson plans with an emphasis on well-being, social and emotional learning, service-learning and fostering resiliency.

Click here for detailed information. Sign up is required for access to some of the resources.

Critical Thinking Consortium (TC2): (Canadian, Gr. 4-12)

“We know that educators have come to rely on us for high quality materials that take a thinking approach to teaching and learning. You can be confident that in the transition to online learning we will never sacrifice educators’ goals of nurturing student thinking and building important competencies. Everything you find here is true to our mission of supporting efforts to create thinking learning environments and opportunities.
On this dedicated web-page you will find:

• Ready-to-post Materials to Support Student Learning Online
  • PDF or fully editable powerpoint lessons that students can independently work through
  • background briefing sheets to support their learning
  • activity sheets in Word format that students can write or type in and send back to you to demonstrate their thinking
  • notes that you can cut and paste into your online platform with instructions (from you to your students) about each lesson
• French resources (more being added soon)
• Tips for Teachers
  • critically thoughtful discussions online
  • thoughtful engagement with various text forms containing your course content including videos, articles, and other online content sources
• Ready-to-share Parent Materials (coming soon)
  • how  to help children make good decisions
  • how to support and nurture thinking through play and everyday activities
  • how to engage with your children in meaningful ways that nurture thinking when reading with them”

Digital Literacy and Social Media: Resources for Families

Common Sense Media: includes resources for understanding news coverage, apps for staying calm, free online events, app reviews and more. *Educators, please follow MPSD District digital resource and app selection guidelines if you are considering using any of the apps listed here with families.* (American)

• Essential Digital Citizenship Lessons (K-12)

Mediasmarts: Canada’s Centre for Digital and Media Literacy for Families and Educators

• Mediasmarts blog: articles to help families manage screen time and stay connected.

Canadian Geographic Online Classroom (K-12, Canadian)

Canadian Geographic Education is announcing the launch of its new Online Classroom, created to support students in finishing the school year from home and to offer fun activities that families can do together.

Press play to listen to a brief message regarding the resources posted below:

Below are some digital resources that have recently been released free of charge:

1. Curio (K-12, Canadian, Indigenous Content, Bilingual and Accessibility features)

Curio.ca is a subscription-based educational streaming platform targeting educational institutions from primary through to post-secondary levels across Canada. You can now access thousands of programs, documentaries, audio content and archival material from CBC/Radio-Canada on a provisional basis. This includes complimentary access to Curio.ca. (BBC, National Geographic, News in Review and Curio info channels not included.)

• English
• French

2. myBlueprint Remote Learning Guides (K-12, Canadian)

Resources here include links to remote learning checklists for teachers, learning guides for families and activity guides for educators.

3. Mystery Science (K-5)

We’ve gone through all of our K-5 science lessons, collected the easiest ones to do from home, and put them on a single page to make things easier. Share this page with any teachers who may be planning for school closures. This page and all the lessons are public and free. No signup or student login is needed—we just want to help.

https://mysteryscience.com/school-closure-planning

4. Scholastic Digital Resources (K-12)

We’re here to help! Scholastic Education is committed to supporting children, parents, and educators. Access these Scholastic digital platforms for a limited time for free at home and keep your kids reading, thinking, and learning. Complimentary access available until June 30, 2020.

• Bookflix (K-3) is a curated database that pairs fiction and non-fiction books, and a great tool for reading aloud with your child. The resource reinforces reading skills while introducing children to a world of knowledge and exploration.
• Literacy Place Shared E-Reading (K-3)  is a compilation of digital books with reading prompts and audio for children to follow along with. Teaching plans also included.
• TrueFlix (Gr.3-5)  helps children strengthen literacy skills, build science and social studies knowledge, and cultivate 21st-century skills. Watch, read, and learn cool facts about people, science, and history.
• ScienceFlix (Gr.4-9)  offers teachers and parents hands-on projects, activities, videos, and more to help kids learn about science.
• Scholastic Go! (Gr. 2-12) Scholastic GO! makes searching simple and learning authentic. A digital search engine full of articles, videos, and age-appropriate content, kids can learn about their favourite topics in meaningful ways.

Access the resources here: http://scholastic.ca/education/free_digital_resources/

Scholastic Learn at Home (Early Learning – Grade 9, American)

The site supports students with approximately three hours of learning opportunities per day, including projects, articles and stories, virtual field trips, reading and geography challenges, and more. These daily learning opportunities were carefully curated by our editors to reduce the burden on teachers and families needing to create meaningful learning experiences.

The Scholastic Learn at Home website does not require a username or password and is open freely to all, on any device. They are designed to limit the need for printing and allow students to learn independently or with their families.

www.scholastic.com/learnathome

5. Tumblebooks Databases: free through summer 2020

• Tumblebook Library (K-6 children’s ebooks)
  • username: tumble735
  • password: books

• Teen Book Cloud (Gr. 7-12 ebooks and audiobooks)
  • username: tumble2020
  • password: A3b5c6

• TumbleMath: (K-6 math ebooks)
  • username: tumble2020
  • password: A3b5c6

• AudioBookCloud: (K-adult) (select age range from the top menu)
  • username tumble2020
  • password A3b5c6

6. Audible Stories – Free audio stories

• • • Elementary
    • Tween
    • Teen

District MPSD digital resource highlights:

greatspirithand.com: K-12 Local Indigenous website

The SD 75 Virtual K-6 learning commons is open for students, families and educators. Check back often for new resources including weekly featured activities, literacy and numeracy resources, free e-books and more!

Welcome back to another year of learning! We are very pleased to share some professional learning opportunities that are taking place early this fall for educators in Mission.

Introduction to Joyful Literacy: Special Event October 25th

For this year only, Dr. Janet Mort and Mission educators Chelsea & Nathan Reist will be sharing an introduction to Joyful Literacy on the Provincial Pro-d Day in Mission.  This session is for anyone who would like to learn more about the framework including EAs, parent volunteers, StrongStart facilitators, teachers, support staff, administrators and more.

We are anticipating high demand for this learning opportunity, so please sign up as soon as possible if interested.  This will help us secure a location that can accommodate everyone who is interested.

Grades: Early Learning – Gr.3

Date: Friday, October 25th (Provincial Pro-d Day)

Time: 8:30-3:00

Location: Hatzic Middle School

This session is now full. Confirmation notes will be sent to all participants by October 21st. Please contact Jen Lane if you have any questions.

Trauma, Attachment and Neuroscience

Videos and discussion: Bessel A. van der Kolk, M.D. and Dr. Bruce Perry

8 sessions X 75min (attend at least 4 sessions to earn May in-lieu Pro-D)

Grades: Early Learning – Gr.12

Dates: Oct 3, Nov 7, Nov 28, Dec 12, Jan 16, Feb 6, Feb 27, April 2

Time: 3:30-4:45

Location: SBO

Topics include:  Affect Regulation, overcoming helplessness, human connections, memory processing, complex trauma, developmental trauma disorders, neglect, child maltreatment, neurobiology of the developing brain

Limit: 25 participants

This series is now full.

Pulling Together 2019: Building the Resilient Brain

Come join Mission’s educators, support workers, social service personnel and others who work with children and youth for a day of learning and networking.

Children or youth who have experienced trauma, can often present with challenges of emotionally demanding and difficult behavior. Learn to keep calm and keep caring for them even when facing perceived resistance, Find balance, learn strategies and focus on providing healing attachment experiences.

Keynote: Chuck Geddes

Where: Clarke Foundation Theatre

When: Friday Oct 25

Time: 8:30-2:30

Cost: $50.00 ($35 for Early Bird!!) Includes workshops and lunch

Important detail: Early Bird ends Oct 5th

Click here for tickets. 

Mission Public School District offered a wide range of professional development and learning opportunities this year.  Thank you to everyone who facilitated and participated.  It was wonderful to see educators from diverse areas come together to share, learn and collaborate with each other.

Here is just a sample of what was offered:

Many people contributed to the planning and facilitation of these sessions, but one person in particular made it all possible.  Thank you to Assistant Superintendent Larry Jepsen, our “Fearless Leader” and “Prince of a Man”, for your visionary ideas, leadership, and support of learners in Mission.  We will miss you and wish you a happy retirement!

Planning for 2019/2020:

Please click on the link below to share feedback that will help us plan learning sessions for next year.

Connecting with our Students: MPSD Professional Development 2019/2020

May In-Lieu Professional Learning Opportunities

2018-2019:

Below are some of the professional learning opportunities that Mission Public School District is offering in the 2018/2019 school year.  These can be used in-lieu of the May 17th 2019 professional development day.

Core French Learning Series (first session begins October 25th):

Facilitated by: Shauna Néro

(Gr.5-12) (Maximum 30 participants) (Location: École Mission Central)

Shauna Néro is Mission’s French Program Coordinator and Vice Principal at École Mission Central Elementary.  She is also a sessional instructor for teacher-learners at Simon Fraser University and is the President of the BC Languages Coordinators Association.  She has experience teaching secondary Core French, Sciences Humaines and Français langue 8-12.  Shauna’s experience as Surrey School District’s International Languages and Zonal Support Helping Teacher has given her the opportunity to work with teachers from K-12 in connecting their instructional practices to quality formative and summative assessment practices.  She has worked with teachers at all grade levels from different disciplines to develop assessment practices that honour students’ learning.

Click here to register for the Core French Learning Series. 

Siwal Si’wes Professional Learning Opportunities:

As we embark on the Year of Respect, it is a good time to set personal and professional goals for acts of reconciliation that extend on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission 94 calls to action.

 Below are three professional learning opportunities and some additional resources that focus on acts of reconciliation.

1. UBC Massive Open Online Course: Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education

(First session begins October 25th)

Facilitated by Peggy Janicki and Vivian Searwar, (K-12) (Maximum 30 participants)

We have received information from UBC, regarding a free online course called Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education. This course has been offered for a few years now and is both informative and transformative. Best of all, it’s free, and you have the option of receiving a certificate of completion at the end!

As part of the May In-Lieu Pro-D Opportunities, we would like to offer registrants of this course time to gather in Portable 6 (Camille Anderson’s work space) at MSS from 3:30-5:00 pm on the following dates:

• Thursday, Oct 25
• Thursday, Nov 1st
• Thursday, November 8
• Thursday, November 15
• Thursday, November 29th.

Note that there will be NO scheduled class during the week of November 20th.

We plan to view one (or if time permits more than one) video presented in the week’s module followed by discussion and dialogue. Snacks will be provided.

The intention is that you attend a minimum of four of the sessions, which would then fulfill your obligation for the May In-Lieu Pro-D.

You must register with UBC before October 23 at: http://pdce.educ.ubc.ca/Reconciliation/ (You can also register at: https://www.edx.org/course/reconciliation-through-indigenous-education-0)

To register for the MPSD sessions, email vivian.searwar@mpsd.ca .

2. Feast on Local Knowledge with Naxaxalhts’i, Albert (Sonny) McHalsie:

November 14th, 3:30-6:00, HPMS Cafetorium & Clarke Theatre

(K-12) (2.5 hours) (Maximum 150 participants)

Enjoy an evening of learning over a catered meal with esteemed Stó:lō knowledge keeper, Naxaxalhts’i, (Sonny McHalsie). Listen and learn about the unique relationship between the Stó:lō, “the River People”, their land and their environment. Discover (and re-discover) local resources to use in the incorporation of Aboriginal Worldviews and Perspectives in your classroom.

Naxaxalhts’i, Albert (Sonny) McHalsie – Cultural Advisor/Historian and Honorary Doctorate of Law, University of Victoria.Dr. Naxaxalhts’i is the Cultural Advisor/Historian of the Stó:lō Research and Resource Management Centre.  Naxaxalhts’i has worked for the Stó:lō as a researcher in cultural heritage and aboriginal rights and title issues since 1985.  He is a much cited author of several publications focusing on Stó:lō culture and history.  His areas of expertise include Halq’eméylem Place Names, Fishing, and Stó:lō Oral History. He has also been featured in many television documentaries for the CBC, APTN and Omni. He currently acts as the cultural advisor on the Treaty Negotiation Team for the Stó:lō Xwexwilmexw Treaty Association. He is a member of the Shxw’ow’hamel First Nation, the proud father of two girls and six boys, and has six grandchildren. He continues to fish at his ancestral fishing ground at Aseláw in the Stó:lō Five Fishery in the lower Fraser River canyon.

Click here to register for Sonny McHalsie. 

3. Beyond the poster on the wall: Jo Chrona

The First Peoples Principles of Learning as a Framework for Transformation and Equity

February 5th, 3:30-8:30, HPMS Cafetorium & Clarke Theatre

(K-12), (5 hours), (Maximum 150 participants)

Enjoy an evening of learning over a catered meal with respected educator and presenter, Jo Chrona.

How do we create an education system that supports the success and well-being of ALL learners? What are our individual roles within this process? The First Peoples Principles of Learning (FPPL) are making an impact on our education system, but we have only begun to understand how they can be used as a framework to build a stronger education system for all learners by building on the strengths that we each bring.  Join us for a discussion about how we can take our individual and collective next steps in our own learning journeys. Through a combination of presentation and small group conversation we will explore such questions as:

• What do our schools and classrooms look and sound like when they are grounded in the FPPL?
• How can we use the FPPL as a framework for our work to support an equitable education system for Indigenous learners
• What assumptions do we need to challenge in order to do this work?
• What does it feel like for students? For families? For you as an educator?
• What is your personal/professional role in this transformation?

Click here to register for Jo Chrona. 

Additional Resources:

Personal Acts of Reconciliation: 10 Simple Actions you can take to learn more about reconciliation

Beyond 94: Truth and Reconciliation in Canada

First Contact (APTN series)

Competency-based IEPs (first session begins November 19th):

Facilitated by: Sheri Montgomery and Shannon Bowsfield

In lieu of May pro-d, the four sessions offered are: November 19, 2018, and January 7, February 4, and March 11, 2019 from 3:30-5:00 at Riverside College. Snacks provided.

(K-12) (Maximum 30 participants) (These sessions are now full.)

Now that we have developed an understanding of the history behind the design of the competency based IEP- we are ready to put the structures in place to support the implementation.  During these four sessions you will:

1. Gain access to My Ed, (including FOIPA training)
2. Learn some basic Navigation tools in My Ed BC
3. Obtain access to the CB IEP;
4. Develop an understanding how to support students to write a strengths-based student profile, including how to write both Core and Curricular competency goals,
5. Gain access to templates, examples and resources and self assessment tools.

Outdoor Education Series (first session begins November 30th):

Facilitated by: Sue McLeod

(K-9) (Maximum 20 participants) (Location: HPMS) Three of five sessions are required for May in-lieu.

To register, please email susan.mcleod@mpsd.ca.

Building Thinking Classrooms (first session January 14, 2019):

Facilitated by: Rebekaah Stenner

(K-6) (Maximum 30 participants) (Location: MSS, Portable 6)

To register, email rebekaah.stenner@mpsd.ca.

Inquiry-Based Learning with Rebecca Bathurst-Hunt:

January 17, 2019, 3:30-6:00, HPMS Cafetorium

(K-9) (Maximum 100 participants.)

Join Rebecca Bathurst-Hunt, co-author of Inquiry Mindset: Nurturing the Dreams, Wonders and Curiosities of our Youngest Learners, in exploring how to adopt the inquiry process into your K-9 practice. You will leave understanding how to use various tools to provoke your learners and allow their interests to guide the direction of your inquiry. Rebecca will help you unpack the types of student inquiry and look at the inquiry cycle of a unit. This session will be full of practical ideas and ways to empower your learners and to feel confident implementing inquiry into your practices. Additionally, you will leave with the access to resources to further explore and use when designing inquiry experiences for your learners.

Rebecca Bathurst-Hunt is a French Immersion Kindergarten teacher in the Greater Victoria School District, BC, Canada. Rebecca co-authored Inquiry Mindset: Nurturing the Dreams, Wonders and Curiosities of our Youngest Learners with Trevor MacKenzie published by EdTechTeam Press. 

Click here to register.

Meaningful and Quality Assessment:

Facilitated by: Shauna Néro

1. Gathering Evidence: Assessment of the Curricular Competencies and Content Learning Standards K-9

(K-9) April 15 *new date*  3:30-6:00, Location: Heritage Park Cafetorium

The BC curriculum redesign is based on a “Know-Do-Understand” model to support a concept-based competency-driven approach to learning. Since assessment and instruction are interconnected, we need to honour K-9 students’ learning and understanding.   As we design learning experiences that connect to the curricular content and competencies, we need to design a framework for quality assessment that focuses on the learning process by providing multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning.

Competency-based assessment is a process that collects evidence based on observations, conversations and products that are connected to the curricular and content learning standards.  Our report card language is shifting to support the curriculum redesign, but it is just as important to connect our assessment practices to the instructional shift. During this introductory session, participants will reflect on their past and present assessment practices and explore meaningful questions to deepen their understanding of competency-based assessment.  Participants will leave the session with theoretical knowledge and some practical examples to design a framework for quality assessment.

2. Connecting Curriculum Design to Competency-based Assessment: Rethinking Percentages and What They Mean for our Learners in Grades 10-12

(Gr. 10-12) February 26th, 2019, 3:30-6:00, Mission Secondary School, Portable 6

The BC curriculum redesign is based on a “Know-Do-Understand” model to support a concept-based competency-driven approach to learning. Since assessment and instruction are interconnected, we need to honour grade 10-12 students’ learning and understanding.   As we design learning experiences that connect to the curricular content and competencies, we need to design a framework for quality assessment and focus on the learning process by providing multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning.

Competency-based assessment is a process that collects evidence based on observations, conversations and products that are connected to the curricular and content learning standards.  During this introductory session, participants will reflect on their past and present assessment practices and explore meaningful questions to deepen their understanding of competency-based assessment.  Participants will leave the session with theoretical knowledge and some practical examples to design a framework for quality assessment.  It’s time to rethink percentages and letter grades to make our assessment and reporting meaningful for our learners!

Shauna Néro is Mission’s French Program Coordinator and Vice Principal at École Mission Central Elementary.  She is also a sessional instructor for teacher-learners at Simon Fraser University and is the President of the BC Languages Coordinators Association.  She has experience teaching secondary Core French, Sciences Humaines and Français langue 8-12.  Shauna’s experience as Surrey School District’s International Languages and Zonal Support Helping Teacher has given her the opportunity to work with teachers from K-12 in connecting their instructional practices to quality formative and summative assessment practices.  She has worked with teachers at all grade levels from different disciplines to develop assessment practices that honour students’ learning.

Click here to register.

Trauma Informed Practice:

April 11, 2019, 3:30-6:00, HPMS Cafetorium

(K-12) (Maximum 150 participants.)

Click here to register.

We also wanted to take this opportunity to introduce the curriculum team:

Click on the image below and enter the code MPSD to see the short video introductions.

A. All About Me:  How to make the most of Digital Portfolios in the K-6 Classroom

There are a number of benefits to implementing student portfolios in the classroom:

1) Student portfolios are an effective learning and evaluation tool. These individualized collections of work help students develop and reflect on their skills and prepare them for their future.

2) Portfolios allow students to document learning through diverse mediums – writing, photography, videos, audio recordings, etc. This provides a fulsome view of a student’s development, giving teachers many opportunities to discover strengths and areas that need attention for diverse learners.

3) Portfolios document student growth over time. As students contribute to their portfolio throughout the year, teachers can understand how their work is evolving and how they are progressing through course material.

4) Finally, using digital portfolios will ensure that students do not lose their work and with live artifacts year-to-year, students can easily reflect on their growth and progress from kindergarten through to grade 12 (and beyond).

Want to learn more about the resources that you have access to? Want to create e-Portfolios with your students?

School boards using All About Me across Canada are using Portfolios to promote inquiry-based learning, self-reporting on the 21st century or Core Competencies, and showcasing growth and achievement over time. After feedback from students and educators,  All About Me has been refined to provide:

1. Student Tags for easy organization and teacher filtering (without having to go into each student portfolio)
2. Teacher Comments to provide summative feedback throughout the year
3. Audio Recording to ensure young students can easily reflect on their learning
4. Teacher Activities to support inquiry-based learning
5. New iOS Class Pass App to support easy artifact building, even when there is only one iPad or iPhone in the classroom. To learn more about Class Pass, click here!

Looking for e-Portfolio Exemplars?  Check out a few samples below:

• Exemplar Portfolio – Kindergarten
• Exemplar Portoflio – Grade 2
• Exemplar Portfolio – Grade 4
• Exemplar Portfolio – Grade 6

What’s coming up with myBlueprint?

myBlueprint has also been hard at work on the brand new counsellor account (to be released October 2018). All Elementary Administrators and School Leads will have access to a faster, more intuitive designed account to support students with their education. Stay tuned for more information regarding these exciting updates.

Want to learn more? Email support@myBlueprint.ca or sign up for a drop-in webinar.

B. Education Planner (7-12) How to make the most of Digital Portfolios in the 7-12 Classroom and exciting updates to myBlueprint

There are a number of benefits to implementing student portfolios in the classroom:

1) Student portfolios are an effective learning and evaluation tool. These individualized collections of work help students develop and reflect on their skills and prepare them for their future.

2) Portfolios allow students to document learning through diverse mediums – writing, photography, videos, audio recordings, etc. This provides a fulsome view of a student’s skills, giving teachers many opportunities to discover strengths and areas that need attention for diverse learners.

3) Portfolios document student growth over time. As students contribute to their portfolio throughout the year, teachers can understand how their work is evolving and how they are progressing through course material.

4) Portfolio building can also help students prepare for the world of work as many employers and post-secondary institutions request portfolios as part of the application process. The practice of compiling work samples and revisiting their past projects also help students hone skills necessary for resume building and cover letter writing.

5) Finally, using digital portfolios will ensure that students do not lose their work and can easily reflect on their growth and progress year-after-year.

Want to learn more about the resources that you have to create e-Portfolios with your students?

School boards using myBlueprint across Canada are using Portfolios to promote inquiry-based learning, self-reporting on the 21st century or Core Competencies, and showcasing growth and achievement over time. After feedback from students and educators,  myBlueprint revamped their existing 7-12 portfolio to include a number of exciting upgrades, including:

1. Student Tags
2. Teacher Comments
3. Audio Recording
4. Better Organization and Filtering
5. Brand New Sharing Options like Slideshow Mode and Interactive Share

These updates have been released, so all students can make use of the exciting new features immediately!

Looking for e-Portfolio Exemplars? Check out a few samples below:

• Exemplar Portfolio – Language Arts (Grade 7)
• Exemplar Portoflio – Health (Grade 8)
• Exemplar Portfolio – Mathematics (Grade 9)
• Exemplar Portfolio – Transition Plan (Grade 12)

What’s coming up with myBlueprint?

myBlueprint has also been hard at work on the brand new counsellor account (to be released October 2018) and a companion app to make creating 7-12  portfolios even easier! The new Counsellor Account will include a fresh, intuitive design and much faster load times. Stay tuned for more information regarding these exciting updates.

Want to learn more? Email support@myBlueprint.ca or sign up for a drop-in webinar.