“The new three story International Village Elementary school has been revealed. Currently in the design review & approval phase, construction is slated for 2014 and the school is scheduled to open by September 2015.”

“The school will help the district accommodate the estimated 16,000 residents in the area.”

Please read the Vancity Buzz article for images and more information on the project: http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2013/07/new-downtown-school-revealed/

Information on the project from the VSB here: http://www.vsb.bc.ca/district-news/vsb-international-village-elementary-gets-green-light

From News 1130:

“This year’s report card is out, and once again, private and independent institutions dominate the Fraser Institute’s ranking of BC’s elementary schools.

The right-wing policy group puts out the list every year. It is pored over by parents, but should you make a decision based solely on these rankings? That’s where the jury is out.”

Click here to read the full article

Your one stop shop for field trip information!

Date: Monday, October 1, 2012, 3:00 – 6:00pm (arrive when you can)

Location: VanDusen Botanical Garden – 5251 Oak Street, Vancouver BC

• Meet the educators from over 50 field trip sites
• Opportunities to win a free field trip for your class
• Bus bursaries for charter transportation
• Refreshments for pre-registered guests
• Free parking – draw for those who can show a transit ticket!

TEACHER REGISTRATION IS OPEN.  Click here to register.

Advanced registration is required to attend. This is an adult only event due to liquor licensing.

Bring a colleague to the event. Print a poster for your staff room (see below). 

field_trip_fair_for_teachers.pdf

~text from the B.C. Field Trips Website

The conference program features a range of sessions that will interest teacher-librarians and educators from all levels, and anyone interested in improving their teaching skills in literacy (e.g. visual, critical, etc.), research, and technology.  Please contact Heather Daly if you have questions: hdaly@sd43.bc.ca or 604-937-6380.

Keynotes include: Dr. David Loertscher, San José State University School of Library & Information Science and Chris Kennedy, CEO / Superintendent of Schools, School District #45 West Vancouver.  Featured speakers include: Dr. Joanne de Groot, Dr. Ann Ewbank, Adrienne Gear, Judith Comfort, and over thirty other amazing educators.

October 18 and 19

Riverside Secondary School, Port Coquitlam

Detailed program information and registration is now available here.

~text from the BCTLA Coquitlam 2012 Website

Open Education has come of age. The tiny movement that began in the late 1990s as a desire to increase access to educational opportunity has blossomed into requirements in national grant programs, key strategies in state legislatures and offices of education, content sharing initiatives at hundreds of universities and high schools, and a wide range of innovation and entrepreneurship in both the commercial and nonprofit sectors.

For over a decade the focus of the open education community has been on open educational resources. As we celebrate the success of that work the Open Education 2012 Conference will also lay out a road map for the next decade where open education moves beyond content.

OpenEd12, the ninth annual Open Education Conference, will frame the conversation about the future of open education. Come be part of the discussion – we need your energy, brains, passion, and dedication!

Join us for the “annual reunion of the open education family,” spanning three stimulating days in Vancouver, BC, October 16-18.

~from the Open Education: Beyond Content Website. Further information and registration here. 

The theme of International Literacy Day 2012 is Literacy and Peace. This theme was adopted by the United Nations Literacy Decade (UNLD) to demonstrate the multiple uses and value that literacy brings to people.  For over 40 years now, UNESCO has been celebrating International Literacy Day by reminding the international community that literacy is a human right and the foundation of all learning. 

~text from the UNESCO Website

More on United Nations International Literacy Day: Literacy and Peace here.

The B.C. Ministry of Education plans to overhaul the Kindergarten to Grade 12 curriculum, with a focus on thinking, ideas, and concepts over facts.  See BC’s Curriculum Transformation discussion paper here. 

Full Vancouver Sun article here. 

By Janet Steffenhagen, Vancouver Sun September 4, 2012

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

September marks Life Literacy Month – a month to celebrate literacy and lifelong learning. Did you know that nearly nine million adult Canadians struggle with low literacy? Get involved this month, increase your own literacy skills, and encourage everyone to get the skills they need to live a fully engaged life. Don’t forget to also look out for learner stories throughout the month, and be inspired by how literacy impacts lives.

~text from ABC Life Literacy Canada website

Read Janet Steffenhagen’s comments on the Ministry of Education’s re-assessment of grades K-12 education. 

Full article here.

Vancouver Sun article by Janet Steffenhagen, August 21, 2012. 11:11 am • Section: Report Card

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

Read Kathryn Ovenell-Carter’s moving article on why she is training to be a teacher in these trying times.

By Kathryn Ovenell-Carter, 25 Jun 2012, TheTyee.ca

© Copyright (c) TheTyee.ca