BCSTA’s Professional Learning Committee has been hard at work curating a diverse and exciting professional development program as part of the association’s annual general meeting this April. Below we highlight just some of the speakers that will engage with our members.
Celebrating Pink Shirt Day
Our board of directors and staff are proud to wear pink today, February 26, to stand against all forms of bullying and discrimination. Pink Shirt Day originated in Nova Scotia when two grade 12 students defended a grade 9 student who was being bullied for wearing pink.
BCSTA Branch Profile: Northern Interior
BCSTA’s Northern Interior Branch (NIB) consists of eight school districts: Cariboo-Chilcotin, Quesnel, Central Coast, Prince George, Peace River South, Peace River North, Fort Nelson, and Nechako Lakes. We meet four times per year, twice in host member districts and twice during BCSTA’s annual general meeting (AGM) and the annual BCSTA Trustee Academy.
Artificial Intelligence in Schools
As technology continues to proliferate all around us, I have wondered about the impact artificial intelligence (AI) will have on education, especially on teaching and learning. You need not look very far to see its ubiquitous presence in our lives.
Media Release: School Trustees Pleased Education Remains a B.C. Budget Priority
[Victoria, B.C. – February 18, 2020] Once again, today’s provincial budget has delivered another year of stable and predictable funding for B.C.’s 60 public school districts. The British Columbia School Trustees Association (BCSTA) is pleased to see continued funding for growing student enrollment as well as for additional classroom space in the 2020/2021 school year. We support the priority this government places on K-12 public education as a wise investment on behalf of both families and taxpayers within the important context of a balanced provincial budget.
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Supporting Indigenous Learning in SD47
Weaving Indigenous content into the everyday curriculum is important to all School District 47 educators, but many need support. The First People’s Curriculum is now mandatory everywhere in B.C., from Kindergarten to Grade 12.
Pilot Girls in Trades Program a Success
A unique program at Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools (NLPS) encourages young women to consider a career path in the trades through hands-on learning. The Careers Technical Center (CTC) in School District 68 runs trades introduction programs starting with short programs in Grades 6 and 7 allowing students to build projects like planters or birdhouses.
BCSTA 2020 Scholarships
This year, BCSTA is offering up to three scholarships of $500 each to graduating public-school students who have shown exemplary citizenship in their school and community.
Our Sacred Children Mini-Documentary
Xe’ xe’ smun’eem: Our Sacred Children is a mini-documentary from the Cowichan Valley School District. A year in the making, the video focuses on the amazing work happening throughout the district to increase Indigenous ways of knowing for learners, staff, and the community.
School Board Work is Not for the Faint of Heart
If there is one thing to know as a school leader, it’s that there is more than one thing to know. Back in the 1800s, when public schools first were being formed in most places around the country, the local school board provided basic oversight of a fledgling operation. The work included building a school (often one room), and then making sure it was heated, books and other supplies were secured and, of course, teachers were hired. School board members typically also handled maintenance and other hands-on duties to keep the school running.
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