**  Additional updates related to COVID-19 can be found on our district website here.  

Framework for Enhancing Student Learning (FESL)

** Please click here to take you to the full Framework Plan

Intellectual Development

In collaboration with Dr. Shelley Moore, staff are working on gathering key resources and strategies for a universal approach to the classroom environment.  This is part of our FESL goal (#4) in supporting our new Learning Support Model.  The above graphic outlines three components that are critical to planning with specific students and groups in mind.  Along with several templates for unit and lesson plans, we are building up a toolkit for our instructional staff.

Pyramid of Intervention:

Human & Social Development

Healthy Schools Initiative

“I am excited to share with you that the following schools from your district have registered for DASH’s Healthy School Communities Certification pilot:

• Baldonnel Elementary School
• Prespatou Elementary/Secondary School

DASH’s Healthy School Communities Certification is a 4-step process that guides schools to select a priority health topic for the year and then plan and implement activities to promote health and wellbeing with a focus on their selected topic.  The certification process was developed using a comprehensive school health approach — an internationally recognized framework for supporting improvements in students’ educational outcomes while addressing health in a planned, intergrated and holistic way.

The schools in your district join a total of 23 schools across British Columbia to take part in this initiative during the 2021-22 school year.  Please join us in celebrating their dedication to health and wellbeing.”

Rebecca Kennedy (School Health Facilitator at DASH)

Career & Skill Development

Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) — Newsletter – December 2021

Supporting Literacy through iPad Applications:

The use of iPads in the classroom builds literacy skills and supports the Universal Designs for Learning (UDL) approach.  UDL guidelines propose that learners should be provided with multiple means of engagement, representation, action and expression so they become more purposeful and motivated, resourceful and knowledgeable, as well as strategic and goal directed.  For example, students can access visual or auditory information as well as text to gain knowledge and understanding of concepts.  It is important that students have access to learning resources that are multi-represented to foster participation and competency.

In addition, technology has the potential for educators to personalize learning and give students choice in how they present their learning.  As students have greater access to digital tools that allow them to express themselves in multiple formats, such as iMovie, Explain Everything, Book Creator and ChatterPix, students are becoming increasingly digitally literate in auditory, visual and text mediums and able to demonstrate learning in ways that build on their strengths.  In addition, they are able to actively create artifacts of learning using apps on an iPad instead of just passively curating digital material resources on the internet.

Some examples of specific apps that lend themselves to lesson planning involving UDL principles and building of Literacy skills are Book Creator and ChatterPix.  These are two apps that can be used with students from K-6 in the elementary schools.  Book Creator allows students to create digital books using audio, text and pictures.  ChatterPix allows students to animate objects and give them a voice.

Once a book is created in Book Creator, there is a feature called Read-to-Me.  The book is presented with the text read aloud and the audio recordings played.  This feature allows for a literacy buddy activity in which intermediate students create audio books for younger primary students.

Click on the links below for some task card resources provided by SET-BC for ChatterPix and Book Creator:

• Book Creator Task Card with lesson links to Adrienne Gear Reading & Writing Strategies
• ChatterPix Task Card

Laurie Petrucci, Vice-Principal – Technology Education Services

Operations / HR

“Well at Work” Initiative and Committee

Director of Instruction, Carleen Andrews, is connecting with the organization “Well at Work” to help develop and train two or three key facilitators in our District.  The goal is to work with HR, Unions and District leadership to establish a working group dedicated to staff wellness initiatives.  We hope to have this running by this Spring.

Truth & Reconciliation

SD60 staff, along with Councillor Garry Oker from the Doig River First Nation, will be attending an Indigenous Focus Music Conference in Victoria in February 2022.

The purpose of the conference is to stimulate a province-wide conversation on how to embed Indigenous ways of knowing and being in music education classes as recommended in the BC curriculum in a way that is culturally appropriate to each location. Councillor Oker will also be presenting a workshop on Beaver language songs.  The hope is to encourage conversations among music educators, school district Indigenous leaders, and culture bearers from many First Nations about doing this work. It is all about developing respectful relationships. The conference is sponsored by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada Partnership Development Grant entitled “From policy to practice in decolonizing and Indigenizing music education: ensuring teacher understanding of Indigenous world views”.  All aspects of the conference have been led by an Indigenous Steering Committee.  The knowledge that is shared and gathered during this conference will provide a pathway for participants to work together in support of decolonizing and Indigenizing music education. 

“Take 3”

Bert Ambrose Elementary

A few weeks ago, SJA Promo commissioned Mrs. Barr’s class to create window decorations for the upcoming holidays.  Students worked in groups to create a scene, drew it on vellum paper and then coloured it.  Pictures were delivered and are being displayed in SJA’s shop windows.  We invite you to drive by to see these festive window posters at their office (8211-100 Avenue).  Or check out SJA’s Facebook page.  Or Bert Ambrose’s website or Facebook page.  Congratulations on a job well done, Room 1!

Laurie Wright, Principal

Robert Ogilvie Elementary

“Rik Leaf joined our Robert Ogilvie Team during the first week of November to work with classes in creating a school song and video. We are very proud of our school community as they showed true Royals school spirit and remind us all to “Dare to Dream”.

Click on the link below to see the PowerPoint presentation ….

Robert Ogilvie Royals DARE TO DREAM 2021

Karen Gonzales, Principal

Alwin Holland Elementary

Alwin Holland has BIG BIG Buddies!

Every Wednesday, three or four students from the Energetic Learning Campus spend time in the morning being Big Big Buddies to our students.  The ELC students help in the classroom with reading and writing and in the gym with PE class.  At recess the BBBs go outside and help students on the playground.  Thank you to the ELC students and their Vice-Principal, Mrs. Coulter!

Jerelyn Orcutt, Principal

Bert Bowes Middle School

Track & Field – Austin MacGregor placed 15th for Juvenile Boys and 18th for Junior Boys at the BC Cross Country Running/Zones!

Making History – Bo Hedges was at BBMS on Wednesday, October 13 to speak to students about his story and Paralympic journey … and to receive a couple surprise honours as well.  It was a homecoming for Bo as he had attended Bert Bowes as a student.  The presentation concluded with teachers participating in a wheelchair basketball game!

Jason Gill, Principal