Superintendent's Report - April 2024

Framework for Enhancing Student Learning (FESL)

** click here to see the full Framework Plan

Intellectual Development

All School Psychologists across the province, in conjunction with their districts, are establishing new procedures to be in compliance with this change. In essence the conditions around privacy and confidentiality will be more stringent, more in line with private practice. Our team, in collaboration with colleagues from across BC, are building the appropriate permission forms, which will be in place for September 1st, 2024.

The Difference Between a Psych-Ed Assessment and a Consultation

Human & Social Development

Introduction to Cross Country Skiing

While it was not the best season for cross country skiing, a couple of classes were able to take advantage of support from the District Affordability Fund and the Whisky Jack Ski Club and learn how to ski.

Below are a couple of pictures from Ms. MacDonald’s class from Alwin Holland.

Peace River North Festival – Band Division

“Thanks for all you do to support the band. Wonderful kids learned so much and their hard work paid off. The overall group got 95% gold (all schools combined), and we had an unusual problem this year in that the day band classes that competed against each other and all tied with 88% gold. Unfortunately, all kids won the Ice Cream party. Somehow, they are all okay with this.

The adjudicator was particularly impressed with how large and diverse our group was and that is 100% because of all the support from this District.

YOUR band program did amazing so please proudly show off these gold medals to your school communities because your support all year long help earn them and they are your gold medals too.”

Sabrina Brooks, District Band Teacher

Careers & Skill Development

Youth Work in Trades Award

The Ministry of British Columbia has proudly awarded a cohort of students from School District 60 with the Youth Work in Trades Award. This recognition highlights the dedication and skill demonstrated by these exemplary students in their pursuit of excellence in trades.

The Youth Work in Trades Program, facilitated by the Ministry of Education and Child Care, aims to support and encourage young individuals in their journey towards a career in the skilled trades. Through a combination of hands-on training and classroom education, students are equipped with the knowledge and experience necessary to thrive in various trade professions.

Among the recipients of this award are students from School District 60, who have exhibited exceptional talent and commitment to their chosen trades. Their hard work and determination have not only distinguished them as promising individuals within their respective fields, but have also showcased the strength and potential of the next generation of tradespeople in British Columbia.

“We are immensely proud of our students for receiving this recognition from the Ministry of Education and Child Care,” said Stephen Petrucci, Superintendent of School District 60. “Their dedication to their trade and their willingness to pursue excellence in the trades industry are truly commendable. This award serves as a testament to their hard work and commitment.”

The Youth Work in Trades Award serves as a testament to the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Education and Child Care, SkilledTradesBC, School District 60, and various industry partners in nurturing the talents of young individuals and preparing them for successful careers in the trades sector.

This year’s recipients are Nash Pomeroy (Truck & Transport Mechanic), Logan Osterlund (Construction Electrician), Clayton Fehr (Glazier), Emma Chenier (Welder), and Josiah Vaccaro (Welder).

For more information about the Youth Work in Trades Program, please visit skilledtradesbc.ca/youth-work-in-trades-program.

Women In Trades Camp March 18-22, 2024

In the first week of Spring Break, 16 girls at the grade 5 level from around the District participated in a free trades camp at Duncan Cran Elementary School organized by the Construction Foundation of BC and supported by local industry and SD60. A report on the camp can be found here. The school logistics were supported by Careers District Principal, Brian Campbell, and one of our careers staff, Moneca Conway, also worked with the girls over the course of the week. Projects included building a toolbox, a small greenhouse, cutting pipe, using power tools, etc. It was an exciting week for all involved!

Operations / HR

CUPE – INCLUSIVE EDUCATION & UNDERSTANDING BEHAVIOUR

The Support Staff Education Committee (SSEC) is pleased to provide access to the redeveloped Education Assistant (EA) training course called: Inclusive Education & Understanding Behaviour. This 4.5-hour course is intended to provide professional development opportunities for EAs working to support complex learners. The asynchronous course provides participants with guided learning activities, knowledge checks, opportunities for reflection and assessment linked to the following:

The evolution of inclusive education.
Impact of inclusive education on students with differing needs and abilities.
Effective practices and characteristics of inclusive education
Diverse needs of students in the classroom • Guiding Principles
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Inclusive Education Plans (IEP)
Approaches, elements, and outcomes of positive behaviour support.
Key components of the functional assessment process.
Instructional practices and intervention strategies to promote behavioural success of students.
Roles and responsibilities of an Education Assistant in the development of positive behaviour support plans.
Implementing visual supports, prompts and intervention plans to support students.
Monitoring and evaluating the types of response interventions.
Effective practices and strategies for managing challenging behaviour.

Truth & Reconciliation

Reawakening Our Language Conference: March 14-15, 2024

Organized by Doig River First Nation, several of our staff attended the first annual Reawakening Our Language conference, which took place at Northern Lights College. The guest speaker, Christopher Parkin, from the Salish territory of Spokane, outlined some of the key aspects of language revival in their community. The conference was well attended by First Nations in the area as well as by local community members.

“Take 3”

Margaret ‘Ma’ Murray Community School

SpacesEDU for Reflection and Assessment

Ms. Amiot and Mr. Platzer at Margaret ‘Ma’ Murray Community School along with Mrs. Petrucci from Technology Services have been working with SpacesEDU with their students to collect, reflect on, assess learning evidence and communicate with parents. Here is a write up from Ms. Amiot about their experience:

Mr.Platzer and I have been using SpacesEDU in our classroom since April 2023 and have found it to be an extremely valuable tool! SpacesEDU provides various entry points for students to complete reflections, whether through video, written, or audio formats. This allows students to express themselves in a way that best fits their learning style.
Moreover, SpacesEDU serves as a platform that connects parents, students, and teachers seamlessly. It enables consistent feedback and communication of classroom activities, providing parents with a clear window into the classroom environment. By tagging activities with specific skills and competencies, parents can have a rich view of their child’s learning journey and alignment with the curriculum.
In February, we used SpacesEDU to communicate our second Learning Update to parents. Parents, teachers and students found this to be a very rich way to communicate student progress and engagement.
Parents have expressed their appreciation that they can visually see what their child is learning about throughout the day and have access to assignments and feedback in assigned activities.
Students can take ownership of their learning by using the Spaces platform to generate, reflect, and track their work.
We encourage you to explore the possibilities SpacesEDU offers to strengthen classroom dynamics and effectively engage parents and students.

Ms. Amiot & Mr. Platzer, Teachers, Margaret ‘Ma’ Murray Community School

North Peace Secondary School

I would like to thank Kara Myllymaki, Brant Churchill, and Hunter Mackay for traveling with the students to the Skills Canada Competition and Louis Vaccaro for helping organize our teams for Skills Canada.

Skills Canada is a big part of our district’s career program and a lot of staff across the district help and support students to participate in our district, regional, and provincial competitions.

I am excited to share that students from NPSS won Gold and Silver in Vex Robotics and Bronze in Hairstyling.

Brian Campbell, District Principal – Careers & International Students

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Learning Services

Two of our high school students, Summer Fraser and Irina Fendel, attended the Bamfield Marine Science Centre Camp for Visually Impaired British Columbia high school students in April. This was an excellent opportunity to learn science in an accessible way and meet other students who are blind or partially sighted.

Trista Triska, Certified Teacher for Students with Visual Impairments (TSVI)