Shared Learning Sessions

"B" SESSIONS - AFTERNOON (1:00pm - 2:30pm)

B01 Six Essentials for Equitable Learning Every Day
Presenter: Tonya Ward Singer - Courageous Literacy LLC Founder
Target Audience: Grade K - 12 Educators
Learn six essential mindsets and actions to teach for equity and multilingual learner (ML) achievement. Analyze videos and self-reflect on the nuances of effective teaching for equity. Get inspired with specific actions you can take immediately to amplify your impact for every student you teach.

B02 Websites 101: What's New, What's Changed?
Presenter: Kayla Stuckart, Manager of Communications, and Eden DuPont, Sotropa Communication
Target Audience: All PVPs, All Operations Management, All Clerical, All Web Editors
Did you hear the news?! All district and school websites are undergoing significant upgrades to their platforms. Kayla Stuckart, Manager of Communications, and Eden DuPont, Sotropa Communications, will take web users through an overview of the improved user interface and demonstrate the enhanced visual experience through the eyes of our parent and student audiences. While some things may look a little different for web editors, we're confident you'll wonder why you ever did things the old way.

B03 Instructional Support Staff Open Forum
Presenter: Jerry Loeppky and Brian Davies
Target Audience: Educational Assistants, Youth Care Workers, Indigenous Support Workers
Conversation about ISS competencies, roles, self-care, training and postings, as well as time for Q&A.

B04 Implementing Trauma Sensitive Practices in Schools and Classrooms
Presenter: Lori Mohitpour and Melissa Wood
Target Audience: K-12 Teachers, LSS Teachers, Counsellors, EAs, Administrators
How can we support all students to feel safe and connected at school and in their classrooms? This workshop will focus on practices and strategies to increase students' feelings of safety at school, to strengthen the relationships that students have with adults at school, to increase students' capacity for co-regulation and/or self-regulation and on ways to provide increased opportunities for learning within school/classroom communities for all students.

B05 Echolalia: New Understandings about Kids who Imitate Speech
Presenter: Lee Gouttin, Jessika Enns, and Wendy Costello 
Target Audience: Teachers (classroom and LSS; elementary through high school) and EAs
Echolalia is a form of communication! Come and learn about the new perspective on language development and this way of thinking. Gain strategies for understanding and supporting students who repeat and use scripted language.

B06 Salish Weave Collection
Presenter: Taryn MacDonald
Target Audience: Visual Arts, Humanities, Language Arts teachers Grades 6-12
This session offers opportunities to view and interact with original artworks created by prominent Indigenous Artists. These works are accompanied by lessons and activity guides to promote critical thinking and meaningful connections to the work. Participants will have the opportunity to create their own artwork in response to the themes and material shared.

B07 Smudging and Cedar Brushing
Presenter: Jessica Richardson and Brian Point
Target Audience: All Staff
Learn about the protocols for Smudging and Cedar Brushing. This includes Indigenous Protocols with heart work, as well as the Abbotsford School District’s Smudging Protocols in Schools. While smudging with sage and Cedar brushing have similarities, there are important differences as well. Participants will have the opportunity to participate in smudging if they choose and leave with a bundle of sage for home.

B08 Indigenous Board Games Make and Take
Presenter: Loraleigh Epp
Target Audience: K-5 teachers & EA’s
Join us in learning about how gifts from nature can be transformed into boardgames that teach teamwork, sportsmanship, and having fun. You will leave this session with your own Indigenous boardgames kit with 3 games to play.

B09 Drum Making
Presenter: Darren Charlie
Target Audience: All Staff
Have you wanted to learn about the importance of drums and drum protocols? Join Darren Charlie in learning about these teachings. Together you will create your own drum and learn about how to take care of it in a good way.
Please note: This session will have a charge of $75.00
Register here

B10 Exploring Ways to Integrate Inquiry into Math
Presenter: Tawnie Hilderbrandt
Target Audience: ​Grade K - 8
What does inquiry look like in math?  This session will look at ways to explore math with an inquiry mindset and find ways to create meaningful inquiry math moments.  We'll look at structures and routines that have an inquiry focus that can be used across grade levels. 

B11 What is Teams?
Presenter: Debbie Born
Target Audience: Grade 6 - 12, Teachers only
Get an overview of this powerful LMS and learn how to prepare for this change!  Topic includes: How will TEAMS replace Google Classroom? - an overview and Participate as a student so you will know how it will look and feel for your students!​ Please bring your own laptop

B12 Decodables: Using decodable texts to support developing readers in the primary and intermediate classroom; a brief what, why, and how
Presenter: Janet Bauer and Pat Kennaley
Target Audience: Educators working with developing readers at any age; primary, intermediate, LSS
A brief overview of what decodable texts are and why they are an effective, and efficient, tool for readers developing foundational reading skills. We will share how we are using decodable texts with our students and discuss lesson planning. A list of reliable resources and where to find them will also be shared. Children learning to decode strategically are on their way to proficient, fluent reading. (Lindsey, 2022)

B13 Agriculture in the high school curriculum: Beyond raised beds
Presenter: Renee Prasad
Target Audience: Secondary Teachers
As our world rapidly changes one thing remains the same: people need to eat. Where that food comes from, what that food is, and the vast diversity of career opportunities that fall under the Agriculture umbrella are topics relevant to science, technology, and business curricula. In our session we will take a broad overview of the skills and aptitudes necessary to operate the modern farm and the many off-farm career opportunities that support primary food production. Attendees will leave with resources to build either a classroom case study or a hands-on lab activity.

B14 Work Study/Work Experience Working Group session
Presenter: Michelle Middleton
Target Audience: Secondary Teachers
Description: More information to come

B15 Classroom Management Strategies for New Teachers
Presenter: Colleen Gregory
Target Audience: Grade K - 8
Are you curious about strengthening classroom management? We all have strengths and stretches! Join other early career teachers for conversations to explore what is working and what isn't. Leave with strategies that can be used on the next day with your students! This session is designed for early career teachers (0-5 years) and welcomes all teachers looking for a refresh. We will explore community building, classroom circles, and communicating expectations with your students.

B16 75 Ways to Save on Household Expenses
Presenter: Credit Counselling Society
Target Audience: All Employees
Gather tips on how to save on various household expenses including utilities, transportation, groceries, and personal items.

B17 Time And Workload Management
Presenter: On-Track Corporate Training
Target Audience: All Employees
This customized workshop is designed to help busy people use specific tools, communication and planning skills to better manage an important non-renewable resource: their time. They will learn in an enjoyable, interactive environment to manage heavy workloads, prioritize without losing sight of objectives, and communicate effectively when refusing, making requests, giving instructions or resolving time-consuming conflicts.

B18 The Fine Art of Being Interviewed
Presenter: On-Track Corporate Training
Target Audience: All Employees
This course helps people prepare for a selection interview, face to face or by telephone.

B19 The Excellent Administrative Assistant
Presenter: On-Track Corporate Training
Target Audience: Clerical Staff
This workshop was developed for executive assistants, administrative and personal assistants and what used to be called “secretaries” to help them perform better, feel confident and less stressed about doing it, and to be clearer on what their role and its boundaries should be. The administrative assistant wears many hats: office manager, service provider, conference arranger, filing and budgeting specialist, psychologist and all-round miracle worker. The skills sets required for all this are extensive. This course is designed to introduce and expand these skills, without focusing on such specific technical abilities as computer proficiency or records management.

B20 Teamsters Pension Plan
Presenter: Kelly Nicholson, Teamsters Benefits Administrator
Target Audience: All Support Staff
Kelly Nicholson provides a detailed review to the Teamsters Pension Plan and answers your questions for how to get the most out of your pension.

B21 Dealing with Sleep Issues
Presenter: LifeWorks Learning
Target Audience: All Staff
Do you have difficulty sleeping? Check out this program where you’ll explore sleep disorders and their causes (circadian rhythms, insomnia and snoring/sleep apnea), discuss the benefits of sleep studies and examine sleep’s relationship to stress and the release of cortisol. Additionally, you’ll identify ways to address insomnia and leave with helpful resources. 

B22 Gratitude
Presenter: LifeWorks Learning
Target Audience: All Staff
This seminar is about learning the science behind gratitude and how it can help to increase the meaningful relationships in all areas of your life. The newest research empowers individuals to learn how to incorporate gratitude both at work and home, and this class will incorporate tips and tolls to help you do that. This topic is a true continuation of increasing awareness of the complicated relationships we have in our lives. When we focus on what we can be grateful for each and every day it offers a new perspective on our daily life.

B23 Act on Your Thoughts for have a more positive life
Presenter: LifeWorks Learning
Target Audience: All Staff
Stress is not an event that simply happens to you. Your beliefs and perceptions of events are more important than the actual events themselves in determining your level of stress. At work, there are many occasions where employees may feel trapped in a whirlwind of negative feelings. This seminar will describe how negative thoughts work and affect people’s ability to cope, and what tools participants can use to deal with stress.

B24 Resiliency for Working Parents
Presenter: LifeWorks Learning
Target Audience: All Staff
Today’s working parent needs to build resiliency in order to prevent burnout. This class will give you the tools to manage stress while maintaining a sense of work and family life balance.

B25 ZOLL Automated External Defibrillator Training
Presenter: ProSafe First Aid
Target Audience: All Staff
Did you ever wish to “try out” a defibrillator just to get a feel for how it works? This is the seminar for you! ProSafe First Aid Experts will provide a review of current CPR skills with a hands-on demo with ZOLL AED Trainer Units.

B26 Active Living alongside PLAYBuilder: Sport For Life
Presenter: Andriana Lanji(Active Living Community Health Specialist)
Target Audience: Educators involved in physical activity planning
Active Living alongside PLAYBuilder: Sport For Life who will join to demonstrate their app which provides educators with over 1,000 engaging activities and lesson plans for Grades K-7

**Check out the rest of the sessions in other time slots before you register. If you are ready to register, click here**