Created and shared by Camille Anderson, Curriculum Support Teacher
MSS: A Curriculum Moment
MPSD Curriculum Implementation Day: October 5th
We are pleased to announce the following professional learning opportunities for the October 5th Curriculum Implementation Day.
Shape of the Day:
Coffee and refreshments will be provided at each location from 8:00-8:30.
AM Sessions will begin promptly at 8:45-10:15
Break 10:15-10:30
AM cont’d 10:30-11:30
Lunch 11:30-12:30 (on your own)
PM Sessions will begin at 12:30-2:45
Topics/Presenters:
Inquiry-based Learning with Rebecca Bathurst-Hunt:AM K-9 educators, PM K-9 educators (repeat of AM session)
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. Location: MSS Cafeteria |
Core Competencies with Julie Bertrand:AM Session: Gr.7-12 educators During this session, Julie will explore various practical ways of integrating the self-assessment of the core competencies in a Middle School/Secondary setting. Resources such as templates, posters and activities will be shared with teachers in order to support the integration of the CC in the classroom all year round. PM Session: K-6 educators During this session, Julie will explore various practical ways of integrating the self-assessment of the core competencies in an Elementary classroom. Resources such as templates, posters and activities will be shared with teachers in order to support the integration of the CC in the classroom as soon as Monday morning!
Julie Bertrand est conseillère pédagogique pour le programme d’immersion française dans la commission scolaire de North Vancouver. Elle est aussi une enseignante d’immersion au secondaire où elle s’engage a partager sa passion pour la langue française avec ses élèves en leur offrant des occasions de communication authentique et engageantes. Étant francophone de milieu minoritaire, Julie comprend bien les enjeux des enseignants d’immersion et francophones en milieux minoritaires. Location: MSS Bandroom |
POPARD Super-Workshop: Self-Regulation Skills for SchoolThis is a two day K-12 super-workshop. You must register for October 5th and October 19th to participate. There is a maximum of 60 participants.
Overview: Open to all BC School District and independent school personnel, participants will become familiar with a variety of strategies and curriculum resources for structuring the classroom environment and improving students’ self-regulatory abilities. Objectives:
Registration is through POPARD: Click here to register Location: MSS Library |
Bad Rock Place Names Tour with Naxaxalhts’i, Albert (Sonny) McHalsie:Full day, off site session: K-12 educators (30 participant maximum) Enjoy the majestic mountains and waterways of the Upper Fraser Valley on a tour destined for the scenic Fraser Canyon above historic Yale B.C. Listen and learn about the unique relationship between the Stó:lō, “the River People”, their land and their environment.
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. Location: Confirmation note to registrants will include bus location and times. Participants will need to bring a bagged lunch. |
myBlueprint Webinars:AM Session: Gr. 7-12 educators (Education Planner) PM Session: K-6 educators (All About Me)
Location: MSS (Room 223 or 225, TBD) |
JUMP Math with Rebekaah Stenner:AM Session: K-6 educators
This workshop is for teachers interested in learning more about how to implement JUMP Math in the K-6 classroom. We will take a closer look at how to use the resource to build a classroom community that promotes mathematical discussion and curiosity. Specifically we will look at how to use JUMP to
– build confidence
– engage students in mathematical thinking and discussion
– differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all learners
– build computational fluency
Location: MSS (Portable 6) |
Self-Regulation & Social Emotional Learning with Kiran Sidhu:Full day Session: K-6 Teachers, Youth Care Workers, Counselors, ISP teachers, Educational Assistants
Location: MSS Small Gym |
Teaching for Thinking in Social Studies with Stefan Stipp:Full Day session: Gr. 7-12 Social Studies teachers (30 participant maximum)
Location: MSS (Portable 7) |
Implementing the Redesigned Curriculum in Secondary Math & Science:Marc Garneau & Chris HunterPM Session: Gr. 10-12 Math and Science teachers
This is an opportunity to go in depth with the curriculum design for Science and Math secondary courses. Innovative practices and resources will be shared. Chris Hunter has been teaching in Surrey for twenty years. For the last eight, Chris has been collaboratively working with—and learning from–teachers of mathematics from Kindergarten to Calculus; it is his privilege to be invited to teach in many different classrooms throughout Surrey. Chris is passionate about providing opportunities for students to develop and communicate their mathematical ideas. Chris is also an active member of the “MathTwitterBlogoSphere,” an online community of math educators; he blogs at reflectionsinthewhy.wordpress.com and tweets at @ChrisHunter36. Location: MSS (Portable 6)
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Joyful Literacy with Dr. Janet Mort:
Location: Heritage Park Middle School
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Project Based Learning (SET-BC) :AM session only, K-12 educators, 30 Participant maximum.
Location: MSS, Room 217 |
Competency-based IEP:PM Session: K-12 educators
Join MPSD’s Inclusion Mentor teachers, Sheri Montgomery and Shannon Bowsfield, for an introduction to Competency-based IEPs. During this session, Sheri and Shannon will take you on a journey to understand the history behind the design of the competency-based IEP. This was created in collaboration across the Province with over 42 participants from school districts and education partners in 28 districts, including the BCTF and Ministry of Education. Located in My Ed BC, this strength-based IEP is an entrance point for teachers to access the redesigned curriculum and support all learners in the classroom. As an extension of this professional learning opportunity, for those interested, we are hoping to form a small pilot group to test out the most recent template, and to provide feedback and direction. Location: SBO Boardroom |
French Immersion Retreat with Shauna Néro:
K-12 French Immersion teachers have the opportunity to participate in an off-site retreat that begins the evening of October 4th and continues for the full day on October 5th. Location: Harrison Hot Springs |
Julie Bertrand is currently the District French Facilitator for the North Vancouver School District. The last three years, Julie has worked with the NVSD leadership team to develop and lead many Professional Development opportunities to help support teachers in the implementation of the redesigned BC curriculum. She also teaches in French Immersion and is passionate about helping Second Language Learners.
Interested in using myBlueprint for Career Education, Core Competenies, Subject Areas and Authentic Assessment? These introductory webinars will explore the basics of what myBlueprint can offer to students and teachers.
This workshop will examine the change in lifestyles of children, comparing millennials of the past to our current Generation Z students. It becomes critical for all educators to understand how environmental influences and change in lifestyles have created different learners. These learners come with many unique strengths and curiosities, and yet struggle in the constructs of a classroom and the stressors that are associated with this environment. Understanding these stressors through better self-awareness and self-management from us and for our students will foster increased opportunity to engage our Gen Z learners.
Join Stefan Stipp from the Critical Thinking Consortium for a day of hands-on professional learning designed specifically for Social Studies teachers. Teachers will have the opportunity to create frameworks for mini-units that align with the redesigned curriculum.
This session will provide an overview of project-based learning (PBL) and examine how it integrates with the redesigned curriculum. Participants will explore how PBL can enhance their teaching practice to create authentic learning experiences. They will also gain insights and resources to support them in implementing PBL in their practices.
Registration will open
Wednesday, Sept. 19th at 8:30
Click here to register.
(When sessions are full, they will be removed from the list of available options.
Confirmations/reminders will also be sent later in September.)
Reflecting on Learning
Here are some highlights of learning opportunities that were offered in Mission Public School District during the 2017/2018 school year:
Aboriginal Mentor teachers visited K-12 schools in Mission to ‘dive deeper’ into the resources and stories available on greatspirithand.com
Siwal Si’wes Siya Ye Yoyes group visited the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre and learned about the UBC longhouse. Visit: https://collections.irshdc.ubc.ca/ for digital resources.
Peggy Janicki, MPSD Indigenous Mentor teacher, has been working in K-12 schools and sharing resources:
Teacher Librarian Curriculum Highlights:
Click on the image below to see how K-12 school libraries are supporting the implementation of the redesigned curriculum.
Early Learning:
MPSD Early Learning Coordinator, Diana McCall, has supported Ready, Set, Learn, Welcome to Kindergarten, Empower Learning Series, Little Readers, visits from the Public Library and more!
Math Mentor Teacher, Rebekaah Stenner, has been supporting schools with JUMP Math and Building Thinking Classrooms:
Joyful Literacy:
Every Elementary school has sent a team of educators to a Joyful Literacy Summit. In addition, 50 educators from six schools have embarked on a three year initiative and participated in 8 days of professional development with Dr. Janet Mort’s Joyful Literacy Interventions.
Approximately 600 students from these six schools will be going home with a summer reading packages to support the literacy skills they have been mastering this year!
Other Curriculum and Student Services Pro-D:
Visit the Pro-D page to see all of the workshops and learning sessions that were offered this year.
Winter Curriculum Update
New from the Ministry of Education re: Graduation Numeracy Assessment (also posted in Assessment Strategies)
- Information for Parents – Graduation Numeracy Assessment
- Pre-Assessment Collaborative Learning Videos (Graduation Numeracy Assessment)
There is still time to register for upcoming Professional Learning Series opportunities. (These contribute to in-lieu time for the May Pro D day.)
Coming up….
- SET-BC Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Part 1 (January 15th), Part 2 (January 29) (3:30-4:45, Riverside College) (K-12) (Limited space available. Visit our new Pro-D page to register)SET-BC Digital Storytelling and Math Apps sessions are FULL.
- Stefan Stipp: Critical Thinking and the Redesigned Curriculum
February 27th, 3:30-6:00 (K-12) (Visit our new Pro-D page to register)
Stefan brings a classroom teacher’s perspective in his journey with the re-designed curriculum. Using Critical Thinking as a foundation and the TC2 model and resources, Stefan demonstrates how to help students become thoughtful, active citizens. He has pioneered a global perspective program which uses an inquiry-based approach to integrate psychology, history, film studies and social justice courses and has taught and mentored students as a faculty associate with Simon Fraser University. Stefan received the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence.
Stefan’s work with TC2 (a resource available to all Mission educators) includes authoring and contributing to various publications. He facilitates workshops on promoting self-regulated learning, student engagement, critical thinking and historical thinking. Stefan’s work is grounded in his day to day experience with students in the classroom.
- Peter Liljedahl: Building Thinking Classrooms
April 23rd and May 14th, 2018 (3:30-6:00, HPMS Cafetorium) (Grade 7-12) Attendees must attend both sessions. (Limited space available. Visit our new Pro-D page to register)
Peter Liljedahl, Professor of Mathematics, Simon Fraser University, is offering two sessions for 7-12 Math and Science Educators. Dr. Liljedahl is a former high school mathematics teacher who has kept his research interest and activities close to the classroom. His research interests are creativity, insight, and discovery in mathematics teaching and learning; the role of the affective domain on the teaching and learning of mathematics; the professional growth of mathematics teachers; mathematical problem solving; numeracy; and engaging student thinking. He consults regularly with schools, school districts, and ministries of education on issues of teaching and learning, assessment, and numeracy.
MPSD 2017/2018 Professional Learning Series
Exciting news for K-12 Educators:
We are once again offering Professional Development Learning Sessions for all staff in lieu of the May 18th, 2018 Professional Development Day. Please see the four professional learning opportunities listed below (in chronological order) and sign up using the link at the bottom of the page. Attendance at two (2.5 hour) sessions or four of the Set B.C. sessions is considered the equivalent of a full day.
- December 5th, 2017: “Stories of Truth” Curriculum exploration session featuring the film “Reconciliation in Mission” (2.5 hours) (K-12)
This session takes place from 3:30pm – 6:00pm on Tuesday, December 5, 2017, at Ecole Heritage Park Middle School.
This event will begin with a fully catered Salmon feast in the Cafetorium at 3:30pm and will contain exploratory sessions of Mission’s locally developed residential school curriculum and resource website. This session will also be the official release of “Reconciliation in Mission”, a learning resource documenting two elders’ journey towards reconciliation and the Mission school district’s residential school tour experience. The Elders / Survivors featured in the film will be present at this event and will speak to their experience in collaborating with the Mission school District in the making of these resources.
Agenda:
3:30 pm – Welcome song and Salmon Feast in Cafetorium
4:30 pm – Website Curriculum Walk through K-12
5:00 pm – “Reconciliation in Mission” release
5:40 pm – Response from Witnesses featured in the film.
6:00 pm – Honour song and Closing
2. January – March: SET BC Four Part Series: Riverside College
∗ Each session is limited to 30 participants.
(Attendance at two sessions equals 1/2 day and four sessions equals a full day as in-lieu time for the May 18th Pro D Day) Please note: Not all sessions apply to all grade level educators.
- Universal Design for Learning (UDL) (K-12) January 15th 3:30pm – 4:15pm
2. UDL Jan 29th 3:30pm – 4:15pm (K-12)
3. Digital Story Telling (K-7): Feb. 28th 3:30-4:45, 4:45-5:00 additional resources *Sorry, this session is full.*
4. Overview of Math Apps (K-9): March 14th 3:30-4:45, 4:45-5:00 additional resources *Sorry, this session is full.*
3. February 27, 2018: Critical Thinking and the Redesigned Curriculum with Stefan Stipp (2.5 hours) (K-12)
(3:30 – 6:00, Heritage Park Middle School)
Stefan will share strategies and resources that connect critical thinking with the redesigned curriculum.
4. April 23rd and May 14th, 2018: Building Thinking Classrooms. (Grade 7-12) Attendees must attend both sessions. (2.5 hours each)
Peter Liljedahl, Professor of Mathematics, Simon Fraser University, is offering two sessions for 7-12 Math and Science Educators. Dr. Liljedahl is a former high school mathematics teacher who has kept his research interest and activities close to the classroom. His research interests are creativity, insight, and discovery in mathematics teaching and learning; the role of the affective domain on the teaching and learning of mathematics; the professional growth of mathematics teachers; mathematical problem solving; numeracy; and engaging student thinking. He consults regularly with schools, school districts, and ministries of education on issues of teaching and learning, assessment, and numeracy.
This session is targeted for Grade 7-12 math educators. Space is limited to 30 participants.
(3:30-6:00, Heritage Park Middle School)
Click here to register for sessions:
MPSD 2017/2018 Professional Learning Series
Oct. 23 Curriculum Implementation Day
Please find agendas and information related to our upcoming District Curriculum Implementation day below.
Most sites will be providing early morning snacks and refreshments. Staff are on their own for lunch.
K-6 Offerings/Agendas:
SNAP (Student Numeracy Assessment & Practice)
Presenters: Christine Blessin and Kathleen Mitchell (SD 33, Chilliwack)
Location: Heritage Park Cafetorium
Shape of the Day:
8:30-9:00 Snacks/Refreshments
9:00 – 11:30 SNAP for Primary Educators
11:30-12:30 Lunch
12:30-2:30 SNAP for Intermediate Educators
All About Me: Career Education Resource
Presenter: Sierra Holtzheuser
Location: Clarke Theatre
Shape of the Day:
8:30-9:00 Snacks/Refreshments
9:00 – 11:30 All About Me for Intermediate Teachers
11:30-12:30 Lunch
12:30-2:30 All About Me for Primary Teachers
Additional Resources: British Columbia Teacher Resource Guides
Additional lesson plans, video tutorials and webinars are available on the myBlueprint Support page.
Middle Schools, Fraserview and Mission Secondary School are on site working on curriculum related themes including assessment, student engagement and resources to support the redesigned curriculum.
Riverside College: November 23rd, 2017
September Learning Resources
Welcome to another year of learning and working together. We have drafted this post with the hope that some of these resources may useful to your planning for September and beyond.
Ministry of Education Curriculum Updates:
- Please see the Documents and Assessment Strategies pages for Educator Updates regarding FSA’s and Graduation Years (including Gr. 10-12 Curriculum Comparison Guides for all subjects and the draft design of the Numeracy Assessment).
- A series of videos and booklets on Assessment is being developed and we will post links as soon as they are available.
Learning Sessions and Teaching Resources:
- Please see the Teacher Developed page for units developed by MPSD teachers, including ADST and Career Education. (Please ask your Teacher Librarian or Jen Lane (jennifer.lane@mpsd.ca) if you require the password to open this page.)
- ERAC has curated and recommended a collection of K-12 websites that are aligned with the BC redesigned curriculum. We have added these websites to the Subject Area pages in Resources (K-12). For K-6 sites, you can also go to Databases and Subject Guides in the Elementary Virtual Learning Commons.
- September blog posts are published in the Elementary Virtual Learning Commons and are full of teaching ideas and activities! This month we are connecting to growth mindset and the core competencies. (Check back at the beginning of each month for new posts.)
Coming Soon…..
Please see our previous post for some of MPSD’s fall professional learning opportunities.
We also have a fabulous line-up of speakers and presenters for our 2017/2018 Professional Learning Series. Details will be posted this fall.
Time to Celebrate!
Thank you to our caring and dedicated educational community in Mission. This has been a year of sharing and learning together and we look forward to our continued journey next year.
Please find some exciting highlights below that reflect some our of work together this year.
Siwal Si’wes Official Press Release:
June 21, 2017
Mission School District Unveils its Locally Developed Residential School Curriculum Website on National Aboriginal Day at Xa:ytem B.C.
Survivors, Elders, Educators, RCMP, Mission Mayor and Council, Local First Nation Council members, Community members and students celebrated Nation Aboriginal Day at Xa:ytem on June 21st. All were there to honour and acknowledge the contributions that Residential School Survivors, Elders and Mission Public School staff made towards a locally developed Residential School Curriculum Website for students and teachers from Kindergarten through to grade 12.
This website entitled, “Stories of Truth”, is the result of a 2 year process of consultation and commitment by the groups mentioned above. The website holds several powerful locally developed video, audio and print resources produced by Siwal Si’wes and Bear Image Productions, and can be found at https://greatspirithand.com
The event began with a traditional feast, followed by an honouring ceremony, speeches and elementary students singing “Leave the World a Little bit Better”, while 3 eagles flew overhead at this Historic BC landmark.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada presented its 94 Calls to Action in December 2015. Call to Action #63 (i) included: Developing and Implementing Kindergarten to Grade Twelve Curriculum and learning resources on Aboriginal Peoples in Canadian history, and the history and legacy of Residential Schools. This website is a direct result of this call to action.
The goal of this effort is to build student capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy and mutual respect. Please visit https://greatspirithand.com and continue your journey towards Reconciliation Today!
Teacher Librarians: Please click on the image below to see a slideshow that demonstrates how each school library embraced elements of the redesigned curriculum this year, including Aboriginal Worldviews and Perspectives, Applied Design Skills and Technology, and more….
Mental Math Carousel Day at Deroche Elementary School:
We are pleased to announce that in September 2017, Rebekaah Stenner (Math educator and current Outreach Manager and Teacher Support for JUMP Math) will join our MPSD curriculum team as a K-12 Math Mentor Teacher.
She has been working this spring at Deroche Elementary School and helped them coordinate and “Mental Math Carousel Day” this June.
Highlights include:
- The community coming together to share and learn math.
- The students were enthusiastic and excited to participate.
- Principal Mike Abercrombie’s homemade hundred’s chart and how much the students enjoyed interacting with it.
- The families who volunteered! They were open to learning and leading the math stations.
- Students who don’t normally engage were engaged.
- The money game was a relevant to students and they practiced the names/values of coins.
- This has created a culture of thinking about math as something fun and interesting!
See @SD75Curriculum for more success stories shared by schools and educators in our school district. Follow us for updates throughout the summer!
2017/2018 Learning Opportunities: Save the Date!
Our curriculum team are already planning professional learning opportunities for the fall. Here’s what is planned so far, stay tuned for more opportunities to be shared in the fall:
- Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Training:
- Tuesday, August 29th (Principals and Management)
- Wednesday, August 30th (All Staff Refresher, 8:00-1:00) (Click here for details.)
- Early Learning Day , Friday, September 8th at Fraserview Learning Centre: Kindergarten teachers and Strong Start facilitators, Literacy and Mental Math focus.
- School Goals Day, Friday, September 22nd:
- JUMP Math for K-6 (as well as Educational Assistants and interested middle school teachers)
- Middle Schools: TBA
- Mission Secondary School: QBQ Presentation
Computational Thinking and Coding Workshops:
- Wednesday, October 4th, 3:30-5:00
- Wednesday, November 15th, 3:30-5:00
- Provincial Professional Development Day, Friday, October 20th: Mission Public School District has partnered with local community groups to offer the Pulling Together one-day conference at Heritage Park Middle School. Registration is now open with an early bird rate until September 22nd.
Click on the image below to register!
- Mission Public School District Curriculum Day, Monday, October 23rd: TBA in September, but watch for math assessment learning opportunities, Innovative Career Education tools and more!
Spring Update: Curriculum Implementation
Core Competencies:
We continue to add resources to the Competencies page to support learning around Self-Assessment of the Core Competencies.
Teachers have requested that a common introduction to the self-assessment be provided by the district. Please see your administrator for the introduction developed with feedback from educators that can be used on K-9 report cards to introduce the self-assessment.
Career Education K-12:
Resource Announcement: Mission Public School District has purchased the following two digital resources for the new K-12 Career Education curriculum. Stay tuned for learning opportunities in the 2017/2018 school year.
All About Me: Career Education Kindergarten-Grade 6
myBlueprint: Career Education Grade 7-12
JUMP Math K-6:
District-funded resources for all K-6 teachers and students have been ordered and are on the way!
Mark your calendar for training on September 22nd for all K-6 teachers.
Early Literacy:
Mission Public School District sent a team of six schools to the January 2017 Joyful Literacy conference in Victoria. A shared learning session took place in April and we received positive feedback from educators who attended the conference.
Below are some of the responses from educators trying out the strategies and expressing their needs moving forward:
We would like to continue the conversation about about establishing common goals for reading expectations to support early literacy in our school district.
Calling all K-3 Educators: Please join us at our next Early Literacy meeting at the School Board Office on Tuesday, May 16th, 2:45-4:15. This is an opportunity to participate in the decision-making process to establish common, district-wide standards for reading levels K-Grade 3 which will be implemented September 2017. Please bring sample resources, past standards/expectations or any other resources that might be useful to the conversation.
Literacy Professional Development Opportunity:
Congratulations to the MPSD educators who applied to attend the Joyful Writing Summit June 2-3 in Vancouver. Applications were due on May 5th to participate in this professional development opportunity.
Science/Math Superworkshop
Sign Up begins on Friday, January 27th at 3:30. There are 20 seats available.
You can register for one or both sessions.
Email: jennifer.lane@mpsd.ca at 3:30 to register
Reminder:
Naryn Searcy Presentation January 31st, 3:30-6:00, Heritage Park Cafeteria
(Please note: this presentation is now full.)
Shelley Moore Presentation February 7th, 3:30-6:00, Clarke Theatre
(There are still a few spaces remaining.)
Winter 2017 Learning Opportunities
Welcome back to a snowy January in Mission! We are excited to continue the learning journey with you this term.
(*Tech Tip: Any time you see text in a colour other than black in our posts, it means that it is an embedded link. Click on the coloured text to be taken directly to documents, posts, magazine articles, etc…*)
Roundtable on Assessment Announcement:
Rather than offer additional Roundtables on Assessment, we are targeting our efforts towards specific themes identified by teachers at the first session. Please see the previous posts for details about what was identified by our colleagues at the First Roundtable on Assessment and the sessions being offered in our 2016/2017 Professional Learning Series.
In addition to the Professional Learning Series, the curriculum department would like to announce the following commitments:
Breaking News…
JUMP Math:
The school district will provide teacher resource guides and training to all K-6 teachers in September 2017. The district will also purchase JUMP Math classroom resources for all K-6 classrooms, starting in September 2017.
Local Workshop: Rebekah Stenner, JUMP Math Educational Consultant, will offer a half day workshop to introduce teachers who want an introduction to JUMP Math earlier than September and who may want to pilot the resource. Every teacher who attends will be given JUMP Math teaching resources at the session.
Joyful Literacy Update:
- Six schools applied and were approved to attend this Early Literacy Summit.
- Teachers and administrators attended a pre-Summit meeting on Monday, January 9th
- Every teacher was given a copy of Joyful Literacy Interventions Part One and Part Two as a resource.
- Teachers will meet and collaborate to share what they have learned at the conference.
Science First Peoples (FNESC): Released in November, you can access this guide digitally for free. In addition, our school district has purchased print copies for every school and they will be in libraries by spring!
Local Workshop: Joe Heslip, District Principal of Aboriginal Education, is offering a workshop to introduce the resource and strategies for using this with students. This highly adaptable guide can be used with students K-12. Every teacher who attends this session will be given a copy of Science First Peoples.
Great Bear Sea: Every school library has a copy of the print and digital files of the Great Bear Sea Science resource for their school community. The digital files include the full length feature film and are also available on the Great Bear Sea website.
Local Workshop: A workshop by the curriculum developers will be offered in conjunction with Joe Heslip’s Science First Peoples workshop.
Self-Assessment of Core Competencies:
Mission Public School District has sent a team of educators to two provincial Curriculum and Assessment Network meetings. The most recent meeting focused on the Core Competencies and how to design meaningful assessments that promote student ownership of the Core Competencies as a reflection of their learning.
Share-out and resources: Curriculum facilitators and administrators from each school will participate in a learning session this winter. Resources will include presentation slides and sample prompts that could be used to design meaningful self-assessment templates.
5000 copies of the Canoe were distributed in December by Siwal Si’wes!
New In your School Library:
Siwal Si’wes Digital Library Catalogue is now accessible from all locations and devices!
The following schools have recently created Virtual Learning Commons of their own! Congratulations to the teacher librarians for their creative efforts and perseverance! Visit the digital libraries at:
- Blog: Library Looking
- Twitter: @SilverdaleLib
- Website: Silverdale Elementary Library
Professional Learning Session:
Teacher Librarians had the opportunity to learn from Stefan Stipp, Prime Minister’s Award-winning teacher & consultant for The Critical Thinking Consortium, at a professional learning session in December. Talk to your teacher librarian about the TC2 resources available through our district partnership and how they connect with the curricular and core competencies.
Collaboration Days Reminder:
Thank you to Edwin S. Richards and West Height Community School for sharing their collaboration templates with us. We have adapted and combined them to share here for examples of possible topics and prompts for teacher collaboration time.
MPSD 2017 Professional Development
As a result of teacher feedback we have organized some great professional development opportunities for Mission educators in the new year. Based on roundtable discussions, plans for further sessions are currently being developed. These include:
- The re-designed curriculum and assessment
- Infusing indigenous perspectives in the classroom
- Inclusion and meeting the needs of all learners
- Core Competencies
- Early Literacy Programs
- Jump Math
- Coding
- Common Assessments
- Reporting
Coming Soon!
Joyful Literacy Summit – January 2017:
MPSD is sending Primary Literacy Teams from six elementary schools to the January 2017 Joyful Literacy Summit in Victoria. We appreciate the amazing response from teachers in the district and are excited to announce that the district will support all schools that applied for this professional development opportunity.
Professional Learning Series – January/February 2017:
1. Three Crows Productions: Residential School Professional Development
Thursday, 19 January 2017, 3:30 – 6:00
Edwin S. Richards School, 33419 Cherry Avenue, Mission, BC
“With recent and growing recognition of the history surrounding the Indian residential school system in Canada, three unique First Nations storytellers have come together to raise public awareness of the residential school experience and the intergenerational impact these experiences have had on the personal lives and communities of Aboriginal people today.” Source: Three Crows Productions
Note to teachers: There are limited spaces available. Please contact Melinda Dempster if you would like to attend this professional learning session.
2. Naryn Searcy: Assessment Professional Development
Tuesday, 31 January 2017, 3:30 – 6:00
Clarke Foundation Theatre, 33700 Prentis Ave, Mission, BC
Snacks and refreshments will be provided.
Naryn Searcy teaches English First Peoples 10 & 12 and is a district helping teacher in Aboriginal Education, Okanagan-Skaha. This professional learning opportunity is designed for K-12 teachers interested in learning more about formative assessment approaches that can be used effectively with the revised BC curriculum.
Read “Transformative Shift: Naryn Searcy reflects on the power of Aboriginal content and pedagogy“ in Learn Magazine’s Winter 2016 issue.
3. Shelley Moore: Inclusion and BC’s Renewed Curriculum
Tuesday, 7 February 2017, 3:30 – 6:00
Clarke Foundation Theatre, 33700 Prentis Ave, Mission, BC
From Portage and Main Press: “SHELLEY MOORE is an inclusive-education consultant supporting access to education for every learner. She presents at conferences both nationally and internationally, and has developed courses at Simon Fraser University and University of British Columbia. Shelley has worked in both elementary and secondary schools supporting students with and without special needs. A PhD student at the University of British Columbia, her research focus is on the interactions of inclusive education, curriculum, and teacher professional development.”
This professional learning opportunity is intended for MPSD educators interested in adopting inclusive strategies that benefit all learners and fit within the framework of the redesigned curriculum.
Snacks and refreshments will be provided.
New sessions will be added to our Calendar as they are confirmed.
Roundtable on Assessment: Follow-Up
During the last week of November, we met with three groups of Kindergarten – Grade 9 educators to discuss the challenges and current positive assessment practices in Mission Public School District.
Feedback was gathered from small groups of educators (teachers and administrators) at each Roundtable on Assessment. They were asked to respond to two questions:
- What are the challenges for you in terms of classroom and school-based assessment and/or reporting?
- Are there things that are working for you in terms of classroom and school-based assessment that you would like to share?
Please click on the links below to read the collated reports from each grade grouping:
Kindergarten – Grade 3 Educator Feedback
Grade 4 – Grade 6 Educator Feedback
Middle School Educator Feedback
Some of the common themes identified at the Roundtables include:
- The need for consistent and meaningful literacy and numeracy assessment practices;
- Self-assessment teaching strategies and meaningful self-assessment practices;
- Learning about different reporting options and how to engage the whole learning community in the process.
And the winners are…..
There was a draw for Professional Learning Resources at each sharing session. Congratulations to the teacher-winners! Your books have been ordered and we hope to deliver them to you before the winter holiday begins.
School Book Title/Link
| West Heights Community School | Joyful Literacy Interventions Part One |
| Dewdney Elementary | Learning to Write and Loving It! |
| Hillside Traditional School | Joyful Literacy Interventions Part One |
| Ecole Christine Morrison | Science First Peoples (FNESC) |
| West Heights Community School | Creating Cultures of Thinking |
| Edwin S. Richards Elementary | K-10 Science & Ethnobotany |
| Ecole Heritage Park Middle School | Righting Canada’s Wrongs – Residential School |
| Hatzic Middle School | Teaching About Historical Thinking |
| Hatzic Middle School | Powerful Readers – A. Gear |
| Hatzic Middle School | Powerful Readers – A. Gear |
Curriculum Day Highlights
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all educators and guest presenters for your energy and active participation on the October 24th Curriculum Day. There were many diverse learning events that took place in various locations across Mission Public School District.
Here are some highlights:
Siwal Si’wes:
- Peggy Janicki (SD34) presented an interactive Sto:lo government session to Grade 3 -12 educators.
- Siwal Si’wes and Three Crows Productions offered two tours of St. Mary’s Residential School. Read about the experience in a CBC article outlining the Residential School Tours.
- Watch the CBC news coverage for Mission’s Orange Shirt Day and Residential School Tour.
POPARD Super-Worksop: Self Regulation Skills for School
- This two-day learning session was offered to Educational Assistants, LST, ISP, High and Low incidence support Teachers.
Mission Secondary School:
- Grade 10-12 teacher facilitators at MSS planned a comprehensive agenda for colleagues to begin exploring the redesigned curriculum. Please read their agenda and presentation for a glimpse of the learning opportunities that were offered.
K-9 Highlights:
Teacher librarians in MPSD now have curriculum support time as part of their role in each school. They have been sharing resources at staff meetings and on the October 24th curriculum day.
These included: ERAC resources, Siwal Si’wes Digital Library, SD 75 Elementary Virtual Learning Commons and Curriculum Connections. They are also collaborating with classroom teachers to implement the redesigned curriculum.
Coming soon…..
Roundtable on Assessment:
As we implement the K-9 redesigned curriculum, we would like to offer some district-wide opportunities to share and learn from one another about assessment practices. During the week of November 28th – December 1st we will be holding three roundtable-style learning sessions on the topic of assessment.
The goal of the first session is to get feedback from teachers about assessment/reporting concerns, gather ideas for support, and brainstorm future directions.
Please see the details for groups, dates, locations, and times below. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.
We hope that you can join us for these learning sessions and look forward to listening to your ideas.
Details:
K-3 teachers: Monday, November 28th, Riverside College, 3:00-4:30
4-6 teachers: Tuesday, November 29th, Riverside College, 3:00-4:30
7-9 teachers: Thursday, December 1st, Hatzic Middle School, 3:30-5:00
We will hold a second round of learning sessions again in January/February 2017 with the aim of sharing assessment practices and drafting ideas for common assessments in MPSD.
October 24 District Curriculum Day
Through discussion at our JEAC meeting and from feedback from various schools we are leaving the planning for each school’s October 24th Curriculum Implementation day up to each individual K-9 school. Teachers in most schools seem ready and prepared to continue collaborating with colleagues and accessing their school resources, teacher librarians, and our curriculum websites, including Siwal Si’wes to further their learning.
In addition, Siwal Si’wes is offering several professional learning opportunities that some of your staff may want to take advantage of on that day. (Please see below for details.)
Our structured plans this year focus more on the Grade 10-12 curriculum and we began working with the MSS planning team on September 27th.
October 24th Learning Opportunities:
Attention: All CUPE members
Non Instructional Day St. Mary’s Opt In form
After last year’s Residential School tour there was sufficient interest to organize a CUPE focused, guided tour of St. Mary’s Residential School. This tour will commence at 12:00pm and will end at 2:00pm, October 24th 2016.
Click and print: CUPE Opt In form
Attention: All Teachers
Non Instructional Day St. Mary’s Opt In form
After last year’s Residential School tour there was sufficient interest to organize another guided tour of St. Mary’s Residential School. This tour will commence at 1:00pm and will end at 3:00pm, October 24th 2016.
Click and print: Teachers Opt In form
Attention: All Teachers
Non Instructional Day Interactive Sto:lo Government Presentation
Siwal Si’wes is organizing an Interactive Sto:lo Government Presentation with Peggy Janicki from school district 34, on October 24th from 8:30 – 12:00 at Ecole Heritage Park Middle School Drama Room.
This interactive presentation is designed for teachers of Grades 3 through 12. Learning outcomes: Pre-Contact Sto:lo history, Consensus, Contact, Reservation Law, Indian Residential School, Civilization Act and Present day. This presentation will provide teachers with lesson plans (including handouts) and a greater understanding of the Sto:lo people.
Click and print: Sto:lo Government Presentation Opt In form
Agendas for May 2nd Host Sites
A planning session was held on Wednesday, April 15th at Riverside College. Teacher planners worked diligently to create flexible agendas that will support educators on the 2nd.
Each school was provided with a binder of planning templates and resources, as well as a sample list of lesson topics in the Siwal Si’wes Digital Library (see Section A: Aboriginal Education). In response to teacher requests, the district has also provided a memory stick to each school that contains the digital files of these resources.
Note: Siwal Si’wes is verifying copyright approval before making digital copies of the print resource binder “9000 years of the River People”. If approved, we hope to make digital copies available as soon as possible.
Below are details regarding the framework of the day at each of the sites for May 2nd. (Click on the green links to access the agendas/resources.) Unless otherwise indicated in your agenda, the morning will begin at 8:30am. Coffee and muffins will be provided for breakfast and lunch is on your own.
Albert McMahon: School-based Collaboration
Cherry Hill: School-based Collaboration
Deroche: School-based Collaboration: Online Resources for New Curriculum Planning
École Christine Morrison Elementary: School-based Collaboration
École Mission Central Agenda: School-based Collaboration (French Immersion at Christine Morrison)
Edwin S. Richards Agenda: School-based Collaboration
Fraserview/Summit/High, Low Incidence Teachers’ Agenda
West Heights 4-6 Cohort Agenda: Online Resources for New Curriculum Planning
Mission Secondary: School-based Collaboration
Elementary Teacher Librarian Agenda
Education Assistants, Youth Care Workers, Aboriginal Liaison Workers– Windebank
Elementary Clerical Staff: Ferndale
Supervision Assistants: E.S.R. Library (12:00-1:00pm)
*Any staff at school-based sites that would like to join the cohort-based collaborators are welcome to join.*
**Participants in the St. Mary’s Residential School Tour: Please check your district email or the News section of the website for important scaffolding information from Joseph Heslip.**
Indigenous Education Focus – UBC Summer Institutes
Shared by Networks of Inquiry and Innovation (NOII) and Aboriginal Enhancement Schools Network (AESN)
INDIGENOUS EXISTENTIAL RESISTANCE: THE SUNDANCE PRACTICE
EDST 565B | EDUC 490V
Begins May 21 | UBC Vancouver & Kanai Reserve, Alberta
Apply by April 9
THEORIES AND DIMENSIONS OF PLACE-BASED LEARNING
EDCP 467A | EDCP 532 | Non-credit
Begins July 25 | Bamfield, B.C.
Apply by June 13
RECONCILIATION IN EARLY LEARNING AND CARE COMMUNITIES
Non-credit
Begins July 13 | UBC Vancouver
Apply by June 1
PLACE-CONSCIOUS LEARNING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
ECED 480B | ECED 565F | Non-credit
Begins July 4 | UBC Vancouver
Apply by May 23
See the full list of summer learning programs.
In addition to these Indigenous Education programs, below are some non-credit events may be of interest for your professional learning this summer.
NON-CREDIT PROGRAMS
GOING PUBLIC: BUILDING CAPACITY FOR KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION IN MENTAL HEALTH
Begins May 2016 | UBC Vancouver (blended in-person & online)
Apply by April 18
CRITICAL DIGITAL LITERACY: ISSUES, CHALLENGES, DIRECTIONS
Begins July 2016 | UBC Vancouver
Apply by May 30
SRL INQUIRY HUB – Developing Self-Regulating Learners in Inclusive Classrooms
Begins July 2016 | UBC Vancouver
Apply by May 23
PRACTICAL INQUIRY AND INNOVATION FRAMEWORDS for School and District Teams
Begins July 2016 | UBC Vancouver
Apply by May 26
CREATING THE FUTURE: PARTNERSHIPS FOR INCLUSIVE LEARNING
Begins August 2016 | UBC Vancouver
Apply by July 11
SUPPORTING IMMIGRANT & REFUGEE STUDENTS IN SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY SETTINGS
Begins August 22 | UBC Vancouver
Apply by July 11
SUPPORTING IMMIGRANT & REFUGEE STUDENTS IN SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY SETTINGS
Begins August 22 | UBC Vancouver
Apply by July 11
FRENCH IMMERSION SUMMER INSTITUTES
July | UBC Vancouver & Robson Square
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER PROGRAMMING, new BC coding curriculum
July 4-15 | UBC Vancouver
Summer Institute Opportunities
Here are two Summer Institutes that connect with BC’s redesigned curriculum:
- Summer Institute in Teacher Education: Innovative Teaching Practices (UFV)
“The Teacher Education Department at the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford is pleased to offer a Summer Institute in Teacher Education: Innovative Teaching Practices for 21st Century Students in July 2016. The SITE provides exciting opportunities for local, national and international educators to engage in powerful professional development and qualify for possible TQS (Teacher Qualification Service) upgrade. We envision recent Teacher Education Program graduates, TTOCs (Trained Teachers On Call), teachers in their early years of teaching and/or teachers in career transition as our target audience. The SITE 2016 theme is Enabling Innovation, with a specific focus of engaging with BC’s “New Curriculum”.
SITE is designed with K-12 teachers in mind. It is flexible, it provides a wide array of courses (1-, 2- and 3-credit) lasting one, two or three weeks in length, and it is scheduled during the month of July. We proudly offer coursework in subjects and topics that matter most to educators: 21st Century Teaching & Learning, Language & Literacy Education, Special Education, Technology Education, Numeracy & Mathematics Education, Historical Thinking, Indigenous Education, Physical Education, Science Education, FSL, Core French, and Working with English Language Learners just to name a very few.”
Resources:
Application Checklist (Apply by May 15, 2016)
2. Creating the Future: Partnerships for Inclusive Learning (UBC)
“Creating the Future-Partnerships for Inclusive Learning is a summer conference designed to provide a robust learning environment. We’re facilitating strategic approaches to inclusion and belonging for all students in B.C.’s elementary and secondary schools. Participants will include administrators, teachers, parents, paraprofessionals, therapists and other members of a school based team.”
“It is clear, when we create inclusive schools, develop lessons and plans that will include all kids right from the start, and look deliberately at how we can transform school culture to have a place for everyone, inclusive environments will be created, and a sense of belonging can and will be experienced by all kids. This belonging transcends the school environment and ultimately positively impacts people’s lives in all areas including employment, relationships, post secondary education, self esteem, and participation.”
This year’s chosen topics of study are Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Positive Behaviour Supports (PBS), Literacy, Transition, and Self regulated Learning.”
Resources:
Registration (early bird price until April 15th, group discount available)
Plans of the Day for February 22nd Host Sites
A second morning planning session was held on Wednesday, February 17th at Riverside College. Teacher planners worked diligently to create agendas and detailed resource lists in order to have as much support as possible for educators on the 22nd.
Below you will find details regarding the framework for the day at each of the sites. (Click on the links to access the agendas.)
Each day will include a brief presentation by Aboriginal Mentor Teacher Presenters who will address three main areas:
- Building Capacity
- Sharing Resources
- Integrating Aboriginal Worldviews and Perspectives into the curriculum.
Details:
Time Frame: 8:30-2:30 at each site
Groups and Locations:
Grade K-2: Hillside Elementary School
Grade 2-4: Edwin S. Richards School
Grade 4-6: Albert McMahon School
Grade 7-9 School-based Team: Hatzic Middle School
Grade 7-9 School-based Team: École Heritage Park Middle School
Elementary Teacher Librarians: Windebank Library
Educational Assistants Agenda: Windebank Gymnasium
Inclusive Support Teachers: Christine Morrison
Reminders:
- Coffee and muffins are generously being provided by our district at each location. Lunch is on your own.
- Please remember to bring your own electronic device in order to explore the digital resources and websites.
- Please complete the feedback survey (available on site) before you leave your session at the end of the day.
NID Planning Session
On January 28th, 2016, approximately 30 K-12 educators from Mission Public School District met at Riverside College. Our goal was to share input from our colleagues, gain a sense of direction and plan the framework for the upcoming Curriculum Non-Instructional Day, to be held on February 22nd.
As an icebreaker activity, we were asked to think about a child that we know and write down words or phrases that represent our hopes for what skills and attributes they would possess by the end of their K-12 journey. The ideas have been thoughtfully composed into a word cloud (below) in three languages.
Yalh yexw kw’es hoy Pipte for translating our ideas into Halq’eméylem.
On Wednesday February 17th our Teacher Facilitators are meeting once more to finalize plans for our February 22nd Curriculum Day. Details regarding the framework for the day at each of the sites will be posted Wednesday afternoon. Please see below for the venue for your grade or teaching area.
K-2 – Hillside Elementary School
2-4 – Edwin S. Richards School
4-6 – Albert McMahon School
7-9 – Hatzic Middle School
7-9 – École Heritage Park Middle School
K-6 Teacher Librarians – Windebank Library
