Feedback - new K-9 Draft Curriculum

The feedback form for the new draft K-9 curriculum is now live. Your opinion matters, so please take a few moments to share your thoughts with the Ministry of Education.

 

https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/feedback

 

From the BC K-9 Curriculum website:
The review of K-9 draft curriculum will take place during the 2013/14 school year. The review and feedback process is intended to be broadly based – it is designed to gather feedback from many individuals, schools, districts, organizations, regions, networks and groups within the education sector.

The Ministry will gather feedback through a variety of processes and this input will continue to inform the redesign process. All feedback is appreciated.

As available, draft curriculum documents will be posted online for review. For now, K-9 draft curriculum is available for Math, Science, Social Studies and English Language Arts.

For all things educational - province wide

From October 2013;  The BCCPAC Board of directors is very pleased to announce the start of an exciting new relationship with Janet Steffenhagen. Janet is a well-known and highly respected freelance writer who has been on the BC education beat for over a dozen... years and whose influential education blog, Report Card, appeared in the Vancouver Sun for many years. We welcome Janet as our guest blogger and look forward to her twice weekly posts and the stimulating discussion about education which inevitably follows.

 http://www.bccpac.bc.ca/

We invite all parents to check out and engage in the many posts and conversations available since then.

BCCPAC 2013 Spring Conference

Speakers and Presentations;

Many of the attending delegates were asking for copies of speaker presentations to review and share.
BCCPAC both heard and acted quickly to add these to their website.

BCCPAC, along with your DPAC delegates, hope you will find these resources helpful;

 http://conference.bccpac.bc.ca/2013-speaker-presentations.html

UPDATED; "Health & Potential" strategy for youth

Earlier this month, parents, staff and Education Leaders from SD5 had the opportunity to hear a powerful message from Al Nutini and the Community Prevention Education Continuum (CPEC). His presentation focused on a “Health & Potential” strategy called “Spark”.

** The Happiness Advantage**

by Shawn Achor

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBRy3QrRGFI

From that presentation, DPAC would like to share the Search Institute’s “What Kids Need to Succeed.” Their research has identified four important areas of positive youth development.
 

 http://www.search-institute.org/content/what-kids-need

 

SD5 "News"

At our last DPAC meeting we bid, "Thank you, good bye and good luck" to our retiring Superintendent, Bill Gook. DPAC has had the honour of working with him for the past five years and we wish him the very best in all his future endeavours.

We also had the honour of welcoming Superintendent Bendina Miller to our family. She has graciously stepped in for one year, to not only lead our district but to aid us in finding a suitable, permanent replacement.

Bendina retired from her nine year Superintendent position for School District #6 in 2010, and has been acting as a consultant on the BC Ministry of Education's 21st Century Learning and Special Needs initiative. She submitted a report on the Future of Special Education in BC, in which she travelled extensively to view other strategies and models for inclusion for special education.

We not only look forward to working with Superintendent Miller, we encourage all parents to check out her weekly postings on our District's website,

Superintendent Bendina Miller's "Reflections" click here



 

Ministry of Education "News"

The new Minister of Education is Don McRae, MLA for the Comox Valley Riding.

He was born and raised in the Comox Valley. For the past 14 years he has taught at GP Vanier Secondary School. Aside from teaching Social Studies, Military History, and Psychology, he has also served as a rugby coach, athletic director, department chair and Staff Leadership Committee Chair.

Two new positions have been added, Marc Dalton, a former Maple Ridge teacher,

has been appointed parliamentary secretary for independent schools and Jane

Thornthwaite, former North Vancouver school board chairwoman, is parliamentary secretary for student support and parent engagement.

Maureen Dockendorf is BC's first Superintendent of Reading. She's been teaching

since 1972 and is currently an assistant superintendent in Coquitlam.

Dede DeRose is the first Superintendent of Aboriginal achievement. She's been an educator and education advocate for 30 years. She's been a teacher, a principal and most recently a councilor with the former college of teachers.

 

 

TEDxTC - Sparks: How Youth Thrive

"Peter L. Benson, president and CEO of Minneapolis-based Search Institute, is one of the world's leading authorities on positive human development. Dr. Benson is the author or editor of more than a dozen books on child and adolescent development and social change, including, most recently, Sparks: How Parents Can Help Ignite the Hidden Strengths of Teenagers..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqzUHcW58Us