Connecting the Pieces: Pre-K and Kindergarten Conference 2017 by Think Langley

Connecting the Pieces Pre-K and Kindergarten Conference

October 20, 2017 Brookswood Secondary School

$50 - SD35 Staff $150 - Out-of-District

Connecting The Pieces

Your learning journey starts here New to Connecting the Pieces? Looking for a refresher on pre-registration? Our simple, step-by-step guide will provide you with the knowledge you need to make the most of your pro-d day. If you have any questions or concerns, email thinklangley@sd35.bc.ca or call 604 534 7891 ext. 237. 1. Discover your perfect fit by consulting the convenient workshop timetable on pages 14-15 and browsing our more detailed descriptions throughout the booklet. Learn more about the content and the facilitators to decide on the workshops best suited to your learning goals. Workshops are listed according to the schedule, not topic, so you will have to do a little exploring to find the right sessions for you. We’ve made this easier by including subject icons at the bottom of each workshop description. 2. Note the workshops that interest you for each session. Use the session planning form on page 27 to keep track. 3. Register online at thinklangley.com. Not only is online registration more convenient, it also ensures that your registration is processed instantly so that you make it into your preferred workshops. Registration includes a catered lunch and costs $50 for SD35 employees and $150 for other participants. If you work in the Langley School District, you can sign in using your employee number as username and your regular email password. If you are an out-of-district educator, you can create an account by following the “Sign up here” link. Once you log in, find the Connecting the Pieces conference under the calendar or workshops tab. Click “Register” and follow the on-screen prompts to complete payment and select your workshop sessions. Remember, the registration deadline is Friday, October 13 at 4:30 PM. 4. Connect with your fellow educators. Tweet about the conference using the hashtag #connect17 to share your experience and knowledge with other participants. You can also follow @thinklangley and tweet using the hashtag #think35 year-round for pro-d resources, news, and updates on additional professional learning opportunities in Langley.

@thinklangley

October 20, 2017

Special Presentation

Diane Stang Assessing Mathematics in Kindergarten: How Do We Know They Are Learning?

Integrating Math Throughout the New Kindergarten Curriculum

How do we know whether kindergarten students have conceptual understanding or misconceptions of the math after engaging in classroom activities? This workshop will delve into formative assessment and the importance of what students say and do in order to provide meaningful, personalized, and timely feedback. Insight into the big ideas of math and how they develop in young children will form the basis for assessment. Practical and manageable assessment ideas—which align with the know-do-understand framework of the new curriculum—will be presented, including the art of questioning and observation. Ways to capture and document evidence of learning will also be explored.

Math is embedded in many of our everyday activities and is also evident across all subject areas in school. The ability to approach subjects in an integrated manner allows educators to more fully address related concepts and helps students see the connections across subjects and to their everyday lives. This practical workshop will investigate several activities and instructional approaches that effectively integrate math throughout the new kindergarten curriculum in subjects such as language arts, science, social studies, physical and health education, and the arts. Educators will leave with a multitude of ideas to try in their classrooms.

A B

Professional Learning Opportunities with

Diane Stang 1020-1150 830-10

Diane has Stang has an been an educator nearly35 35years, years, working in in various Diane been educator for for nearly working various rolesinin the the public sector. She began her career as a classroom and roles publicand andprivate private sector. She began her career as a classspecial education and later, as a and systems resource Next, she room and specialteacher, education teacher, later, as a coach. systems resource became a student achievement officer for the Ontario officer Ministryfor of Education, coach. Next, she became a student achievement the Ontario supporting in all subject areas, especiallyininall mathematics. She has Ministry of educators Education, supporting educators subject areas, espealso been a provincial math the ministry, with a special focus on cially in mathematics. Shefacilitator has alsoforbeen a provincial math facilitator supporting students witha learning disabilities in math. In conjunction with her for the ministry, with special focus on supporting students with learnministry work, Diane has developed professional math video resources. ing disabilities in math. In conjunction withlearning her ministry work, Diane Diane is now working as a math consultant forvideo Ontario school boards has developed professional learning math resources. Dianeand is now most recently, Scholastic Canada. also offers a variety of and engaging working as a for math consultant for She Ontario school boards most representations and workshops on She math, both onlinea and at conferences. cently, for Scholastic Canada. also offers variety of engaging presentations and workshops on math, both online and at conferences.

Diane is available for full day in-school workshops across Canada, such as: • The Role of Spatial Reasoning in Early Math Education (K–3)

Connecting The Pieces

Special Presentation

Diane Stang

The Role of Spatial Reasoning in Kindergarten

1250-220

Intervention Games & Activities Randall Klein â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Early Reading Mastery

Randall will demonstrate intervention games and activities that give beginning and struggling readers a concrete understanding of the alphabetic principle, launching them into strong alphabet knowledge, confident decoding, and proficient word identification. Special emphasis will be given to the role phonemic awareness plays in letter recognition, word building, decoding and writing activities. Randall will also discuss the detection and remediation of dyslexic tendencies. An early reading specialist and author from Bozeman, Montana, Randall is a coauthor of Learning to Read is Childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Play for The Early Reading Company in Chicago.

830-10

Research indicates that spatial reasoning is critical to mathematical thinking and is a better predictor of later math success than verbal or math skills. It is therefore crucial to emphasize spatial thinking in kindergarten. Spatial reasoning also helps students conceptually understand the math, acquire foundational skills, and develop positive attitudes towards the subject. This engaging, hands-on workshop will include: a fascinating overview of spatial reasoning, how to interpret BCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new kindergarten math curriculum through a spatial reasoning lens, and an exploration of a wide variety of spatial reasoning and visualization activities that can be easily integrated into existing kindergarten programs.

Randall has successfully taught hundreds of children from ages three to eight how to read, and has used this experience to formulate the techniques and methods he now delivers to educators and parents in his presentations and workshops on developmentally appropriate early reading instruction. It is his desire to create a heightened awareness of the need for systematic, explicit, and developmentally appropriate reading instruction and intervention for beginning and struggling readers.

This session is also offered in B.

@thinklangley

October 20, 2017

Connecting Children to Nature Vanessa Lee Metro Vancouver Regional Parks

Vanessa is passionately involved with anything green, watery, or mountainous! This love affair started with an Honours BSc in ecology and field work in radio-tracking snakes. It continued with environmental education as a certified BEd classroom teacher and interpretation as a Vancouver Aquarium interpreter and a Metro Vancouver Regional Parks interpretation specialist. Vanessa recently completed a Masters of Ecological Education to further the study of how to connect people to natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s awe and wonder, and how to inspire care of place and wild things.

How to Stay Fresh During the Grind Ted Leavitt Langley Youth and Family Services; Connectivity Counselling

Participants in this workshop will learn about the importance of healthy boundaries, the science of self-control, how to recognize anxiety in themselves or colleagues, and how to reduce burnout. Ted is the program manager at Langley Youth and Family Services and also runs a private practice, Connectivity Counselling. He specializes in impulse control problems, including ADHD, aggressive behaviour, and addictive behaviour, as well as anxiety. He is an experienced public speaker and mental health educator.

This session is also offered in B.

Having Fun With Math Kathy Nelson Langley School District, Retired Enjoy going outdoors with your students? Are you wondering how you can guide their curiosity for nature toward some of the big ideas in math? Participate in this workshop and discover how to bring math outside.

This session is also offered in B and C.

Literacy

Computational Thinking

Numeracy

French

Wellness

Art

Play

Experiential Learning

Kathy is a recently retired teacher. She has taught for 31 years in primary and spent the last four years as the district literacy teacher in Langley. She has always valued having kids active and using outdoor activities to engage students. Over the past few years, outdoor learning has proven to be very beneficial for students and this is where her personal interests have turned. Kathy has presented to parents of preschool children and early educators about the benefits of taking kids outside.

Community

A thinklangley.com

This session is also offered in B.

Connecting The Pieces

Inspire Your Kids with Coding Saju Abraham – Left

The world of coding and programming can seem scary and intimidating, and perhaps overly complex for early childhood and kindergarten programs. However, coding is one of the most popular learning trends, and young students are just as capable of learning as older students. Teaching coding in kindergarten can positively impact a child’s development and learning at an early age, as well as help them learn important creativity and problem-solving skills that will position them for success as they move through school. This hands-on workshop will cover different techniques and fun programs for introducing your students to coding and you will get a chance to try them out yourself! You will find that you’ll have much fun learning about it—no coding or programming experience required! Due to the hands-on nature of this workshop, please bring your own laptop. A mobile enthusiast and a versatile player in tech, Saju loves being at the intersection of product design, marketing, and engineering to build innovative products that drive positive change, and make a difference by improving the quality of life of people. He has found a good match with his current employer Left, a media and technology company located in Maple Ridge, BC. With more than 17 years of experience in the web and mobile domains spanning product development, project management, and team management, Saju is really passionate about working with both technology and people, and has a natural ability to bring people together from various functions across the globe to collaborate and deliver complex products and solutions—from inception to launch to growth. Saju is a strong communicator, and has delivered a number of talks and presentations to technical and non-technical audiences alike. As an advocate for technology in the classroom, Saju has been heavily involved in Hour of Code as well as teaching coding workshops in elementary schools. His passion for computer science education is engaging for all ages.

This session is also offered in B.

Yoga & Mindfulness for Self-Regulation Jennie Abbot – Harmony Kids Yoga

Join us in this exciting workshop offering hands-on activities to easily integrate yoga and mindfulness into your classroom setting. Children’s yoga helps develop essential tools such as self-regulation and a stronger mind-body connection, and introduces skills that help children to find a sense of inner calm. These yoga and mindfulness tools are gifts that can transform the lives of the children that receive them. Each participant will receive the Harmony Kids Yoga Guide for Pre-K and Kindergarten Teachers, with exercises and applications for classroom use. Jennie is the founder of Harmony Kids Yoga, bringing yoga to over 200 children a week between the ages of 12 months to 18 years old in Langley public and private schools, preschools and daycares, as well as weekly group classes, private classes for children with special needs, and teachers’ workshops. Jennie is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT200) and Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher (CYA-CYT) with the Canadian Yoga Alliance. Jennie’s life passion is sharing yoga and mindfulness with children, offering the tools of mindfulness, self-regulation, stress reduction, and the ability to bring harmony to the body, mind, and heart so children can lead vibrant and fulfilling lives.

This session is also offered in B and C.

@thinklangley

October 20, 2017

La litteratie et la maternelle

LGBT2Q+ Education in Elementary

How can you get your French immersion kindergarten students speaking in French? How can you build their vocabularies while also teaching the curriculum? By connecting whole group oral language activities with literacy activities that can be revisited all year long! This workshop offers participants a month-by-month toolkit of activities that simultaneously build literacy skills and vocabularies. We will also discuss activities that span common themes in a kindergarten year. This session is well-suited to teachers new to teaching French immersion kindergarten or grade one, or those looking to add new activities to their teaching. Participants will receive copies of chart poems, songs, little books, and big book pages to take back to the classroom and use the next day!

Regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, all young people are exposed to ideas about relationships and gender. Through parents, peers, and the media, they are taught what is acceptable, expected, and also what is undesirable. This session will show you how to use a combination of art, education, and dialogue to delve into the complexities of sexuality and gender in your classrooms. In particular, Out in Schools uses film as a powerful, transformative tool for change. Film allows people to see themselves reflected in ways that are complex and affirming and also gives those not represented on screen the opportunity to see the full spectrum of Two-Spirit, queer and trans lives in ways that are not bound by stereotypes, clichés, or caricatures. We’ll speak to terms and concepts, scenarios with students and parents, and provide you with curriculum examples and additional resources.

Janet (BA, BEd, MEd) is currently a French immersion kindergarten teacher in Abbotsford. She has taught learning assistance, half-day kindergarten, grade one and grade two in French immersion and loves integrating thematic units across the curriculum. She is known for being upbeat and organized and loves sharing ideas with other teachers so much that she was selected to attend the Teachers’ Institute in Ottawa in 2012.

Brandon (he/him/his) is the education director for Out on Screen. As an energetic community advocate, he has led the Out in Schools program since 2015. He has collaborated with the Ministry of Education, BC Teachers’ Federation, UBC Faculty of Education, and the ARC Foundation to address this immediate need to support LGBT2Q+ students through policies and practices that foster inclusive school environments.

Janet Beattie Abbotsford School District

Brandon Yan – Out in Schools

This session is also offered in B.

Living the K Life: Make and Take Lisa Jamieson – Surrey School District

Kindergarten children love to play with letters, language, reading, and writing. They explore and engage in activities that activate their curiosity. Come along and explore the endless possibilities of engaging our youngest learners in a world filled with letters, language, and more. Not only will you make a variety of different games and engaging activities to take away, you’ll also receive a collection of other ideas to easily make on your own. All you will have to do is say “go” and watch as your students head off into the world of ABCs. Lisa is a kindergarten specialist with extensive graduate work in early childhood and parent education. She has presented to many audiences including teachers, parents, and provincial PAC groups. Lisa has been a teacher for over 25 years and is currently a principal in the Surrey School District.

This session is also offered in B.

thinklangley.com

Connecting The Pieces

Lovin’ the Light Table!

Loose Parts in Kindergarten

Lorie McDonald and Amanda Slade Langley School District

Josie Zahn Richmond School District

What are loose parts? How can you use them in a kindergarten classroom? From story workshop to math, Josie will share her journey of adding loose parts into her kindergarten classroom. She will offer practical ideas that will inspire you to begin using loose parts or extend your current use.

Explore the wide range of uses of the light table in the early years. Learn how to develop provocations and use materials to spur cross-curricular explorations, creative thinking, communication, and problem solving.

Josie has been teaching kindergarten for 18 years in Richmond and is a mom to two boys. She enjoys learning new things from her young students, collaborating with amazing colleagues, and continuing to grow as a professional. She has a background in early childhood education, special education, and ELL.

Lorie currently works as a Strong Start facilitator in the Langley School District. With her passion for early learning, she has successfully presented many workshops for teachers and early childhood educators in many districts throughout the province. Amanda is Langley’s early learning district teacher. Amanda is interested in finding unique ways to invite play and recognizing the learning opportunities children create every day. She believes in the power of collaboration and works with children and adults to develop powerful learning environments.

A Appetite to Play

Jennifer Scarr and Karen Strange – Appetite to Play The Appetite to Play interactive workshop for early childhood providers will enhance knowledge, skills, and confidence in creating early years settings (childcare centres, family based childcare, preschool and parent participation programs) that support healthy eating, physical activity, and food and physical literacy to promote healthy child development. Early childhood (0-5) is a critical time for setting the stage for lifelong healthy behaviours. During this workshop, recommended practices, planning tools, tips and ideas, recipes, games, and activities will be shared.

This session is also offered in B.

Literacy

Computational Thinking

Play

Numeracy

French

Community

Wellness

Art @thinklangley

Experiential Learning

October 20, 2017

Reconciliation and Indigenous Place Kristin Webster UBC Child Care Services

Kristin is a senior supervisor of a multi-age group daycare for UBC Child Care Services. She has been working on reconciliation in the early years for more than three years. She was recently recognized with the award for Innovation in the 2016 BC Child Care Awards of Excellence. Not only is she an early childhood educator, but also a mother and a grandmother.

This session is also offered in B.

Room Makeover using Community Resources Kristi Schwandt City of Surrey Inspiring room makeovers donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to cost a fortune. With community connections and an understanding of the concept of loose parts, the possibilities are endless. Of course, if there is some funding available, there are many creative ways to make your dollar go further. In this workshop we will discuss using community resources and loose parts, inexpensive room changes with big impacts, and inspirational ideas to make environments more open ended.

Kristi learned responsive curriculum inspired by teachers who participated in the first Canadian delegation to Reggio Emilia. She has been an ECE facilitator for the City of Surrey, providing training and support for preschool instructors, and is currently creating more training modules for the City, as well as designing and remodeling City of Surrey preschool environments while inspiring instructors in the 100 languages. Before finding the profession of ECE, she studied fine arts and held a multitude of different careers.

A Running Records 101

Amanda Leach â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Langley School District

Join us for an action-packed session on how to take and code a running record. You will learn the rationale about this formative assessment tool, how to use the standard codes so any colleague can understand your running record, and the beginnings of MSV (Meaning, Structure and Visual information). This session is suitable for new teachers or any teacher wishing to know the standard way of taking a running record to support their classroom literacy. Amanda is the Langley School District reading recovery teacher leader. She has been a K-3 teacher, resource teacher, and reading recovery teacher in the Langley School District for the past 20 years. She cares about all students having success and positive growth in early literacy.

Connecting The Pieces

Starting Small Changes Communities

Wonder in the Kindergarten Classroom

Sarah McCarthy ECE Connect

Cassaundra McGuinness Coquitlam School District

As early childhood educators we should remember that we need to connect with communities and give more. Humanity starts small; children are loving, caring and extremely empathetic. Communities are hurting and centres can help! Children need exposure to the realities that surround them; they too can learn to connect with the wider community and be kind. The aim of this workshop is to facilitate a discussion on the importance of starting small and creating community in the classroom and connecting outside of your centre.

This workshop will explore the British Columbia re-designed curriculum through a Reggio-inspired lens. Participants will focus on how to foster learning through play and exploration in both kindergarten and kindergarten/grade one classrooms. Multiple entry points for learning in diverse classrooms will be unpacked using the principles of the Reggio Emilia approach.

Sarah created ECE Connect in 2016 with the idea of connecting early childhood educators and offering workshops that she feels are needed in the field. Sarah holds a Bachelor of Science in education and training, a diploma in early childhood education and Montessori (0-12 years), and a certificate for children with special needs. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been in the education field for over 15 years and has taught in Reggio preschools, play-based centres, Montessori schools, and was an early childhood coordinator and instructor for Sprott Shaw College. She currently manages a preschool and is a board member of the ECEBC Vancouver office.

Cassie began teaching in the Coquitlam School District in 2011. She discovered a passion for Reggio-inspired learning two years into her teaching career. After pursuing a graduate diploma in Reggio-inspired practices, she began teaching at Meadowbrook Elementary, the Reggio-inspired school in Coquitlam, British Columbia. She continues to develop her practice by presenting at various professional development days and participating in district-wide learning teams.

This session is also offered in C.

Literacy

Computational Thinking

Numeracy

French

Wellness

Art

Play

Experiential Learning

Community

@thinklangley

October 20, 2017

1020-1150

Connecting Children to Nature Vanessa Lee – Metro Vancouver Regional Parks

Find out how nature improves the physical, mental, and emotional health of kids. Use tools and resources that will focus and connect children to nature. Learn a few stories and songs along the way that will help you and your students remember fun facts about your local plants and animals. Be prepared to go outside to experience activities that you will be able to use to engage your students in nature, place-based education, and critical inquiry in your own school yard. Vanessa is passionately involved with anything green, watery, or mountainous! This love affair started with an Honours BSc in ecology and field work in radio-tracking snakes. It continued with environmental education as a certified BEd classroom teacher and interpretation as a Vancouver Aquarium interpreter and a Metro Vancouver Regional Parks interpretation specialist. Vanessa recently completed a Masters of Ecological Education to further the study of how to connect people to nature’s awe and wonder, and how to inspire care of place and wild things.

This session is also offered in A and C.

Les centres de litteratie

Living the K Life: Make and Take

Janet Beattie Abbotsford School District

Lisa Jamieson Surrey School District

Learn to organize literacy centres in your full-day kindergarten classroom that use your time efficiently while optimizing student learning. A variety of literacy centre ideas will be presented and blackline masters for some centres will be shared. A unique approach to organizing the centres and how to move your students through each centre in a simple, organized manner will be shared. Be ready to take lots of notes or bring a camera!

Lisa is a kindergarten specialist with extensive graduate work in early childhood and parent education. She has presented to many audiences including teachers, parents, and provincial PAC groups. Lisa has been a teacher for over 25 years and is currently a principal in the Surrey School District.

thinklangley.com

This session is also offered in A.

Connecting The Pieces

Eaglet Art with Brandon Gabriel

Effective Emergent Writing in K

Teaching writing in kindergarten is a fun and rewarding experience! Rapinder will show you writing in a fun, relaxed, play-based kindergarten classroom. Come and see practical tips on scaffolding these early writers from September to June through photographs and video clips with lessons and examples of students’ work. She will also share ideas to support early writing for English Language Learners (ELL). Gradually building up to a daily habit of writing can help children learn to look out for—and to look forward to—opportunities to draw and write from their daily experiences. See how wall-stories and parental support through Parents as Literacy Supporters (PALS) enhance kindergarten writing!

Brandon Gabriel Kwantlen First Nation

Rapinder Rai Abbotsford School District

Brandon – kweləxwəlstən is an internationally renowned visual artist from the Kwantlen First Nation. He was brought up in his community and educated at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Emily Carr University of Art and Design, and the Justice Institute of British Columbia. His work has been exhibited in Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, the US, and Canada. His work has also appeared in film and television, and has won awards and critical acclaim. Brandon spends his time guest lecturing at prestigious universities, and in multiple school districts. He is also an avid canoeist and skipper of the Kwantlen Tireless Runners Canoe Club, as well as an activist for social justice, and environmental stewardship causes.

Rapinder is a kindergarten and grade five Punjabi language teacher at Harry Sayers Elementary School in Abbotsford. She has also taught grade 4/5, half-day kindergarten and ELL. She has run PALS sessions with her kindergarten families since 2002. She has been a facilitator for Immigrant PALS Punjabi since 2008, and developed The Punjabi Family Literacy Resource for PALS in Immigrant Communities with 2010 Legacies Now. Rapinder is the author of bilingual English and Punjabi children’s books published by HomeRoots Books. Her passions are family literacy and reaching out to families to support their children’s learning. She has translated and adapted LEAP BC resources into Punjabi for Decoda Lit Solututions.

This session is also offered in C.

@thinklangley

This session is also offered in C.

October 20, 2017

Empowering Children with Outdoor Play Katelynn Tekavc – Langley School District Laureen Klassen – Langley Forest School Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be in an outdoor classroom fully immersed in nature? Join us as we dive deeper into child centered, place-space learning. “Risky” play, environmental stewardship, empowering language, problem solving, and early childhood development are just a few ideas we will discuss. Be ready to go outside rain or shine and please be prepared for hands on exploration (rain coats and boots are a good idea).

Katelynn is an early childhood, infant/toddler/ special needs educator, with a school age childcare certificate. She has worked in a variety or early learning fields and currently works for the Langley School District in early learning as well as for the Langley Forest School as a preschool teacher. Laureen is an early childhood educator and forest school practitioner. She is the co-founder of the Langley Forest School and has a wealth of knowledge in early childhood development. She integrates her passion with the outdoors to empower the minds and hearts of young children.

This session is also offered in C.

Literacy

Computational Thinking

Numeracy

French

Wellness

Art

Play

Experiential Learning

Community

Fine Arts and the 100 Languages Kristi Schwandt – City of Surrey This is an informative workshop on breaking mediums down to the basics and then looking at extensions. We will cover a variety of mediums, how to present them to a young audience, ways to scaffold their learning and child development with an art focus. Kristi learned responsive curriculum inspired by teachers who participated in the first Canadian delegation to Reggio Emilia. She has been an ECE facilitator for the City of Surrey, providing training and support for preschool instructors, and is currently creating more training modules for the City, as well as designing and remodeling City of Surrey preschool environments while inspiring instructors in the 100 languages. Before find the profession of ECE, she studied fine arts and held a multitude of different careers.

B Having Fun With Math Kathy Nelson – Langley School District Enjoy going outdoors with your students? Are you wondering how you can guide their curiosity for nature toward some of the big ideas in math? Participate in this workshop and discover how to bring math outside. Kathy is a recently retired teacher, having taught for 31 years in primary and the last 4 years as the district literacy teacher in Langley. She has always valued having kids active and using outdoor activities to engage students. Over the past few years, outdoor learning has proven to be very beneficial for students and this is where her personal interests have turned. Kathy has presented to parents of preschool children and early educators about the benefits of taking kids outside.

This session is also offered in A.

Connecting The Pieces

830-10

Assessing Math in Kindergarten

Loose Parts in Kindergarten

Connecting Children to Nature

Lovinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; the Light Table!

Having Fun With Math

Reconciliation and Indigenous Place

Effective Emergent Writing in K

Kristin Webster

Rapinder Rai

Room Makeover Using Community Resources

Empowering Children with Outdoor Play

Diane Stang

Vanessa Lee

Kathy Nelson

How to Stay Fresh During the Grind

Ted Leavitt

Josie Zahn

Lorie McDonald & Amanda Slade

Kristi Schwandt

Inspire Your Kids with Coding

Running Records 101

Saju Abraham

Amanda Leach

Intervention Games & Activities

Starting Small Changes Communities

Randall Klein

Sarah McCarthy

La Litteratie et la Maternelle

Yoga & Mindfulness for Self Regulation

LGBT2Q+ Education in Elementary

Wonder in the Kindergarten Classroom

Janet Beattie

Brandon Yan

Living the K Life: Make and Take

Lisa Jamieson

Jennie Abbot

Cassaundra McGuinness

Appetite to Play Jennifer Scarr & Karen Strange

Connecting Children to Nature

Vanessa Lee

Eaglet Art with Brandon Gabriel

Brandon Gabriel

Katelynn Tekavc & Laureen Klassen

Fine Arts and the 100 Languages

Kristi Schwandt

Having Fun With Math Kathy Nelson

How to Stay Fresh During the Grind

Ted Leavitt

Inspire Your Kids with Coding Saju Abraham

Integrating Math Throughout the New Kindergarten Curriculum Diane Stang

Intervention Games & Activities

Computational Thinking In the Classroom

Ready, Set, Play, and Write!

Les Centres de Litteratie

Connecting Children to Nature

Reflection and the “Teacher Self”

LGBT2Q+ Education in Elementary

Cranking Up the Core in K

Superhero Play

October 20, 2017

1020-1150 Randall Klein

Janet Beattie

Brandon Yan

Living the K Life: Make and Take

Lisa Jamieson

Angela Moino

Vanessa Lee

Amanda Slade

Eaglet Art with Brandon Gabriel

Brandon Gabriel

Phonemic Awareness: Why? When? How?

Effective Emergent Writing in K

Playful Communities

Empowering Children with Outdoor Play

Amanda Leach

Allie Pasquier

Ready, Set, Play, and Write! District OTs

Reconciliation and Indigenous Place

Kristin Webster

Yoga & Mindfulness for Self Regulation

Jennie Abbot

Appetite to Play Jennifer Scarr & Karen Strange

Rapinder Rai

Katelynn Tekavc & Laureen Klassen

K’s in the World of Math: Make and Take

Lisa Jamieson

Making Sense of Anxiety in Children

Palvinder Manhas

Math Catchers: Hands-on Math

Veselin Jungic & Janelle Dobson-Kocsis

1250-220 District OTs

Allie Pasquier

Sarah McCarthy

The Role of Spatial Reasoning in K Diane Stang

Wonder in the Kindergarten Classroom

Cassaundra McGuinness

Woodworking for Kids: I Can Build It

Don Thomson

Working with Indigenous Families

Melanie Nelson

Yoga & Mindfulness for Self Regulation

Jennie Abbot

Invigorating Your Kindergarten Math Program

Josie Zahn

Connecting The Pieces

Phonemic Awareness: Why? When? How? Amanda Leach – Langley School District Are you new to teaching or want more information about how to support your students’ phonemic awareness skills? Join us and learn why phonemic awareness is so important to all our students’ literacy development. We will explore when to teach and how to teach it in your everyday activities. Amanda is the Langley School District reading recovery teacher leader. She has been a K-3 teacher, resource teacher, and reading recovery teacher in the Langley School District for the past 20 years. She cares about all students having success and positive growth in early literacy.

B Inspire Your Kids with Coding Saju Abraham – Left The world of coding and programming can seem scary and intimidating, and perhaps overly complex for early childhood and kindergarten programs. However, coding is one of the most popular learning trends, and young students are just as capable of learning as older students. Teaching coding in kindergarten can positively impact a child’s development and learning at an early age, as well as help them learn important creativity and problem-solving skills that will position them for success as they move through school. This hands-on workshop will cover different techniques and fun programs for introducing your students to coding and you will get a chance to try them out yourself! You will find that you’ll have much fun learning about it—no coding or programming experience required! Due to the hands-on nature of this workshop, please bring your own laptop.

A mobile enthusiast and a versatile player in tech, Saju loves being at the intersection of product design, marketing, and engineering to build innovative products that drive positive change, and make a difference by improving the quality of life of people. He has found a good match with his current employer Left, a media and technology company located in Maple Ridge, BC. With more than 17 years of experience in the web and mobile domains spanning product development, project management, and team management, Saju is really passionate about working with both technology and people, and has a natural ability to bring people together from various functions across the globe to collaborate and deliver complex products and solutions—from inception to launch to growth. Saju is a strong communicator, and has delivered a number of talks and presentations to technical and non-technical audiences alike. As an advocate for technology in the classroom, Saju has been heavily involved in Hour of Code as well as teaching coding workshops in elementary schools. His passion for computer science education is engaging for all ages.

This session is also offered in A.

@thinklangley

October 20, 2017

Intervention Games & Activities

LGBT2Q+ Education in Elementary

Randall Klein Early Reading Mastery

Brandon Yan Out in Schools

An early reading specialist and author from Bozeman, Montana, Randall is a coauthor of Learning to Read is Child’s Play for The Early Reading Company in Chicago. Randall has successfully taught hundreds of children from ages three to eight how to read, and has used this experience to formulate the techniques and methods he now delivers to educators and parents in his presentations and workshops on developmentally appropriate early reading instruction. It is his desire to create a heightened awareness of the need for systematic, explicit, and developmentally appropriate reading instruction and intervention for beginning and struggling readers.

This session is also offered in A.

B B

This session is also offered in A.

Appetite to Play

This session is also offered in A.

thinklangley.com

Connecting The Pieces

Playful Communities

Yoga & Mindfulness for Self-Regulation

Allie Pasquier Play Lab / Bakers and Astronauts

Jennie Abbot Harmony Kids Yoga

We are members of multiple communities: cities, neighbourhoods, schools, classrooms, and more. How can we engage communities of all sizes with interactive experiences to communicate the power of play-based learning? This session is an opportunity to revisit the joy of true play, and take away ideas for engaging your community through play. You will see vivid examples of hands-on, interactive play installations created for children and families, and explore materials and provocations. Engage in dialogue around translating these large-scale examples of open-ended community play to other groups: for example, stations in a classroom, or a classroom or school event to engage families. Come prepared to play with interesting ideas and materials!

Allie is an early childhood educator and founder of Play Lab (play-lab.org), where she creates highly interactive play installations and workshops for children, families, and educators. She is an advocate for process-based, open-ended exploration of materials and ideas. She writes about education at bakersandastronauts.com.

Jennie is the founder of Harmony Kids Yoga, bringing yoga to over 200 children a week between the ages of 12 months to 18 years old in Langley public and private schools, preschools and daycares, as well as weekly group classes, private classes for children with special needs, and teachers’ workshops. Jennie is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT200) and Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher (CYA-CYT) with the Canadian Yoga Alliance. Jennie’s life passion is sharing yoga and mindfulness with children, offering the tools of mindfulness, self-regulation, stress reduction, and the ability to bring harmony to the body, mind, and heart so children can lead vibrant and fulfilling lives.

This session is also offered in A and C.

How to Stay Fresh During the Grind Ted Leavitt Langley Youth and Family Services; Connectivity Counselling

This session is also offered in A.

October 20, 2017

Reconciliation and Indigenous Place

Ready, Set, Play, and Write!

Kristin Webster UBC Child Care Services

Langley School District OT and PTs

Learn how early childhood educators can introduce Indigenous perspectives and place(s) to young children. Kristin Webster will share how she was motivated by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to embed an emergent curriculum that introduces topics including residential schools for young children. This is an opportunity for participants to discuss age-appropriate ways for children to learn about this dark part of Canada’s history, and how it can create empathy and open a new world to children who will better understand Indigenous cultures. Kristin is a senior supervisor of a multi-age group daycare for UBC Child Care Services. She has been working on reconciliation in the early years for more than three years. She was recently recognized with the award for Innovation in the 2016 BC Child Care Awards of Excellence. Not only is she an early childhood educator, but also a mother and a grandmother.

The OT and PT division of Learning Support Services is pleased to present an inservice to kindergarten and preschool teachers on how to support your students’ acquisition of gross motor and fine motor skills. From holding a pencil to kicking a ball, we will give you ideas and activities that enhance growth and development for Ks. The Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy division of Learning Support Services is comprised of four occupational therapists and two physiotherapists: Megan Cliff, Rae Fong, Janice Mcleod, Kari Olesen, Tamara Robinson, and Ross Taylor. They provide consultative services for students in Langley School District with fine motor, sensory motor, and gross motor challenges as well as equipment or external referral needs.

This session is also offered in C.

B Do you have an idea worth spreading? This session is also offered in A.

We’re seeking innovative speakers to share their perspective on the power of community. Apply to speak at our January 18, 2018 conference today! Visit tedxlangleyed.com to learn more.

Connecting The Pieces

1250-220

Computational Thinking In the Classroom Angela Moino â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Langley School District

Have you ever wondered how to incorporate computational thinking into your classroom? Where do you even start? In this workshop, you will be introduced to computational thinking on paper. On paper, you ask? Yes, on paper! From there, anything is possible. We will then look at using digital technology to combine core competencies with curriculum-related computational thinking activities in your classroom, including creating projects on Scratch Jr. Please bring an iPad. Angela, mother of three, is a life-long learner who strives to engage all of her students. She has taught preschool-aged children for 18 years and has worked in the Langley School District for four years. Currently, Mrs. Moino teaches grade three at R.C. Garnett Demonstration Elementary.

C Connecting Children to Nature Vanessa Lee â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Find out how nature improves the physical, mental, and emotional health of kids. Use tools and resources that will focus and connect children to nature. Learn a few stories and songs along the way that will help you and your students remember fun facts about your local plants and animals. Be prepared to go outside to experience activities that you will be able to use to engage your students in nature, place-based education, and critical inquiry in your own school yard. Vanessa is passionately involved with anything green, watery, or mountainous! This love affair started with an Honours BSc in ecology and field work in radio-tracking snakes. It continued with environmental education as a certified BEd classroom teacher and interpretation as a Vancouver Aquarium interpreter and a Metro Vancouver Regional Parks interpretation specialist. Vanessa recently completed a Masters of Ecological Education to further the study of how to connect people to natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s awe and wonder, and how to inspire care of place and wild things.

This session is also offered in A and B.

Literacy

Computational Thinking

Play

Numeracy

French

Community

Wellness

Art @thinklangley

Experiential Learning

October 20, 2017

Cranking Up the Core in K

Eaglet Art with Brandon Gabriel

Amanda Slade Langley School District

Brandon Gabriel Kwantlen First Nation

Learn ways to embed the core competencies throughout the kindergarten day. Explore provocations, literature, and classroom systems that help notice, name, and nurture specific facets of the core competencies. Take away practical strategies to help your students increase their awareness of and their ability to self reflect on the core competencies for future growth. Amanda is Langley’s early learning district teacher. Amanda is interested in finding unique ways to invite play and recognizing the learning opportunities children create every day. She believes in the power of collaboration and works with children and adults to develop powerful learning environments.

C Woodworking for Kids: I Can Build It Don Thomson DonCol Nature Products Come out and learn basic woodworking techniques, tool safety, project management strategies, and extension ideas. Each participant will build two kits. The workshop also feature samples of simple projects for all grade levels.

Don is a retired Langley teacher. He enjoys a wide range of activities: cycling, fishing, travel, landscaping, woodworking, and playing with his four grandkids. The idea of woodworking kits for kids began in 1995. Since then, DonCol Nature Products has produced kits for schools, community groups, governments, environmental groups, and retail outlets.

Renowned Kwantlen First Nation artist Brandon Gabriel will give a demonstration and tutorial on teaching young learners how to draw an eagle feather using paper, tracing paper, a pencil, masking tape, and crayons. The method was first developed by Italian Renaissance artists like Leonardo Da Vinci, and later innovated by West Coast First Nations artists of British Columbia after colonization. Prior to that, artists developed geometric tools that preceded contact with Pythagorean theorem to assist with symmetrical design. That bit of trivia is for the teachers and not the students, by the way. Those more advanced mathematical concepts aren’t explored with this age group—just hands-on fun! Brandon will also give tips on set up and clean up procedures, breaking up into groups or working individually, and how to supply and budget yourselves for paints, brushes, and smocks. Brandon – kweləxwəlstən is an internationally renowned visual artist from the Kwantlen First Nation. He was brought up in his community and educated at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Emily Carr University of Art and Design, and the Justice Institute of British Columbia. His work has been exhibited in Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, the US, and Canada. His work has also appeared in film and television, and has won awards and critical acclaim. Brandon spends his time guest lecturing at prestigious universities, and in multiple school districts. He is also an avid canoeist and skipper of the Kwantlen Tireless Runners Canoe Club, as well as an activist for social justice, and environmental stewardship causes.

C thinklangley.com

This session is also offered in B.

Connecting The Pieces

Empowering Children with Outdoor Play

Effective Emergent Writing in K

Katelynn Tekavc – Langley School District Laureen Klassen – Langley Forest School Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be in an outdoor classroom fully immersed in nature? Join us as we dive deeper into child centered, place-space learning. “Risky” play, environmental stewardship, empowering language, problem solving, and early childhood development are just a few ideas we will discuss. Be ready to go outside rain or shine and please be prepared for hands on exploration (rain coats and boots are a good idea).

This session is also offered in B.

Rapinder Rai Abbotsford School District Teaching writing in kindergarten is a fun and rewarding experience! Rapinder will show you writing in a fun, relaxed, play-based kindergarten classroom. Come and see practical tips on scaffolding these early writers from September to June through photographs and video clips with lessons and examples of students’ work. She will also share ideas to support early writing for English Language Learners (ELL). Gradually building up to a daily habit of writing can help children learn to look out for—and to look forward to—opportunities to draw and write from their daily experiences. See how wall-stories and parental support through Parents as Literacy Supporters (PALS) enhance kindergarten writing!

This session is also offered in B.

Literacy

Computational Thinking

Numeracy

French

Experiential Learning

Wellness

Art

Community

@thinklangley

Play

October 20, 2017

Making Sense of Anxiety in Children Palvinder Manhas Langley School District This interactive workshop is designed for professionals who work with children in a non-counselling/therapeutic relationship. Participants will learn how to recognize anxiety in young children through identifying behaviours associated with anxiety. Gain an understanding of the types of anxiety experienced by young children such as separation anxiety and generalized anxiety disorder. Finally, you will learn about the various strategies and community supports for children and families. Pal (MEd) is a registered clinical counsellor who brings more than nine years of counselling experience spanning education, social services, family and individual counselling. She combines this with experience instructing in early childhood education. Her expertise encompasses prevention, intervention and post-vention to needs assessments, treatment planning, delivery, referrals, and community outreach. Pal is currently working with the Langley School District as an elementary school counsellor.

Invigorating Your Kindergarten Math Program Josie Zahn Richmond School District Josie’s kindergarten math program was in need of some changes to fit the new curriculum and re-inspire her joy in teaching math. Over the past few years she has added in math routines, provocations, nature, small/large groups, and guided math in order to strengthen her program and make it appropriate for learning in 2017 and beyond. She will share some of the changes she has made and tell you about what her math program looks like now. Josie hopes you will leave with ideas that you can implement immediately in your classroom and be ready to share the joy in teaching math. Josie has been teaching kindergarten for 18 years in Richmond and is a mom to two boys. She enjoys learning new things from her young students, collaborating with amazing colleagues, and continuing to grow as a professional. She has a background in early childhood education, special education, and ELL.

C K’s in the World of Math: Make and Take Lisa Jamieson – Surrey School District

Kindergarten children are natural explorers and love to engage in activities that activate their curiosity. Come along and explore the endless possibilities of engaging our youngest learners in a world filled with numbers, shapes and more. You will not only make a variety of different games and engaging activities to take away with you, but will receive a collection of other ideas to easily make on your own. All you will have to do is say “go” and watch as your students head off into the world of math. Lisa is a kindergarten specialist with extensive graduate work in early childhood and parent education. She has presented to many audiences including teachers, parents, and provincial PAC groups. Lisa has been a teacher for over 25 years and is currently a principal in the Surrey School District.

Connecting The Pieces

Math Catchers: Hands-on Math

Superhero Play Sarah McCarthy ECE Connect

Veselin Jungic SFU Department of Mathematics Janelle Dobson-Kocsis Math Catcher Program The Math Catcher Outreach program aims to promote mathematics and scholarship in general by encouraging elementary and high school students to recognize how math is used in everyday life and how it forms the basis for many of our daily decisions and life-long choices. The storytelling, pictures, models, and hands-on activities encourage young people to enjoy math and help dispel myths that math is boring and abstract. The program is based on the belief that it is crucial that we engage students in mathematics and science at the early age because without numeracy skills, too many study and career options will be closed to them. The participants will build mathematical objects, solve puzzles, watch animated films with mathematical themes, and play with mathematical toys.

Veselin is a professor in the department of mathematics at Simon Fraser University, and a 3M National Teaching Fellow. Over the last several years, Veselin has been coordinating the Math Catcher Outreach program. Janelle is a member of the Teslin-Tlingit Nation and Kwanlin Dun Band. Janelle works as a nurse.

C Literacy

Computational Thinking

Numeracy

French

Wellness

Art

Play

Experiential Learning

Sarah has recently returned to working in a preschool and found superhero play is something educators are struggling with. A question she often hears is, “Should we allow it?” and she believes we should. All children have a right to play. This includes superhero play, sometimes weapon play, and shocking themes like shooting storm troopers! The aim of this workshop is to facilitate a discussion on superhero play. She wants to connect and share with everyone her experience and hopes to open a forum to discuss and share all of our ideas. Knowledge is power, and after completing this workshop, you will have a clear idea of how to manage superhero play, and see all the benefits it can bring to your program. This workshop will provide information and strategies for early childhood educators and caregivers about how to support young children with rough and tumble play, superhero play, fighting, and weapon play.

Sarah created ECE Connect in 2016 with the idea of connecting early childhood educators and offering workshops that she feels are needed in the field. Sarah holds a Bachelor of Science in education and training, a diploma in early childhood education and Montessori (0-12 years), and a certificate for children with special needs. She’s been in the education field for over 15 years and has taught in Reggio preschools, play-based centres, Montessori schools, and was an early childhood coordinator and instructor for Sprott Shaw College. She currently manages a preschool and is a board member of the ECEBC Vancouver office.

Community @thinklangley

October 20, 2017

Yoga & Mindfulness for Self-Regulation

Working with Indigenous Families

Jennie Abbot – Harmony Kids Yoga

Melanie Nelson University of British Columbia

Considerations for working with Indigenous families will be explored, with a focus on the experience of caregivers who have an Indigenous child with special needs. Topics include the current context of Indigenous education in British Columbia, possible family supports prior to kindergarten, parent experiences with the assessment process, and concerns with the assessment of Indigenous students. Finally, some considerations for the classroom setting, including books and resources that are inclusive of Indigenous perspectives, will be explored.

Melanie is a PhD student in the school psychology program at the University of British Columbia. Melanie was a teacher in the Lower Mainland prior to her graduate studies, and has experience teaching in mainstream, adapted, modified, and alternate settings. She has taught K-12 and adult students, with the majority of her experience in special education and Indigenous education.

This session is also offered in A and B.

Wonder in the Kindergarten Classroom Cassaundra McGuinness – Coquitlam School District This workshop will explore the British Columbia re-designed curriculum through a Reggio-inspired lens. Participants will focus on how to foster learning through play and exploration in both kindergarten and kindergarten/grade one classrooms. Multiple entry points for learning in diverse classrooms will be unpacked using the principles of the Reggio Emilia approach. Cassie began teaching in the Coquitlam School District in 2011. She discovered a passion for Reggio-inspired learning two years into her teaching career. After pursuing a graduate diploma in Reggio-inspired practices, she began teaching at Meadowbrook Elementary, the Reggio-inspired school in Coquitlam, British Columbia. She continues to develop her practice by presenting at various professional development days and participating in district-wide learning teams.

This session is also offered in A.

Connecting The Pieces

Reflection and the “Teacher Self”

Ready, Set, Play, and Write!

Allie Pasquier Play Lab / Bakers and Astronauts

Langley School District OT and PTs

As educators, we are always thinking about children. In this workshop, participants will explore the idea of the “teacher self” through play and writing. Participants will explore their own ideas, questions, biases, joys, and ideas about teaching practice. Why do we make the decisions we make? What are we drawn to, and what are we afraid of? This session is an opportunity to reflect and think, and to learn about structures and practices that can make reflection a regular part of your teaching practice—it is simpler and more rewarding than you think!

The Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy division of Learning Support Services is comprised of four occupational therapists and two physiotherapists: Megan Cliff, Rae Fong, Janice Mcleod, Kari Olesen, Tamara Robinson, and Ross Taylor. They provide consultative services for students in Langley School District with fine motor, sensory motor, and gross motor challenges as well as equipment or external referral needs.

Literacy

Computational Thinking

Numeracy

French

Wellness

Art

Play

Experiential Learning

Community

@thinklangley

This session is also offered in B.

October 20, 2017

Session Planning Sheet Use this page to track workshops while you browse the course catalog. Once you’ve decided on a couple of options, it’s time to visit thinklangley.com to pre-register for your sessions. Don’t forget: the registration deadline is Friday, October 13!

A 8:30 - 10

10:20 - 11:50

Notes

thinklangley.com

C 12:50 - 2:20

MINDFUL ASSESSMENT L E E W ATA N A B E C R O C K E T T

OCTOBER 20, 2017 LANGLEY EVENTS CENTRE REGISTER AT THINKLANGLEY.COM | CALL 604 534 7891 EXT. 237 FOR ASSISTANCE