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September LST Newsletter
 
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Supporting All Learners September Newsletter
Connecting Our Strengths
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Connecting in person at our Town Hall was soul-filling for many of us. Time together gave us moments to be together with some of our people and to collaborate around how we curiously see our students when we look through a thoughtful, strength-based lens. Nicholas Ferroni says “with absolute certainty: spending the first few classes pulling each student aside, talking to them individually, and getting to know them and their interests is the best ‘classroom management’ hack there is.” These moments of thoughtful time open our eyes to students' social-emotional development, interests and motivations, feelings of academic competence and confidence and understandings around school. Enjoy every one of these moments where we "get to" truly connect.
Art credit: Shoreline Community Middle School Welcome Mural designed with elders, Gerri Sam and Elmer George, by art teacher, Sonja McRae, and painted by Shoreline Middle School students.
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Community Circles Build Restorative School Cultures

Creating a classroom climate that will meet everyone's needs at this time must involve the use of restorative practices. Throughout the year, issues and conflicts will inevitably arise, and restorative practices provide a pathway for equitable discipline that reduces exclusion and improves the learning climate.
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Building Community

Inspired by @little.people.learn, our own SD61 friend and colleague, Trevor Mackenzie shows us how through a strength-based and relationship-building lens promoting a community of respect and reciprocity, he explores 5 questions with students that eventually lead to a transformative process of essential class agreements and a landscape for learning. 
To Try
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Conversation Maps

With just a pen and paper, you can track classroom discussions to be sure all voice are being heard

Bringing Families' Voices into Our Ways of Knowing

There are meaningful ways to connect our strengths with families by inviting their voices into our early conversations. Inspired by fellow LSTs, work we've done with families and students in the past, and a recent share by Trevor MacKenzie on Instagram, here are questions you can ask families in IEP meetings, on the phone or in-person informal conversations, in an email or Meet the Teacher nights, to know our students with greater depth and from the perspectives of those who most love them.
Family Student Strength Stretch Interest Inventory

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District Resources News
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Learning Support Timeline

LST Timeline - September is a busy month focused on connecting with and getting to know our students in many diverse ways, as well as collaboratively plan with their strengths and support needs in mind. As always, timelines are suggested approximations intended to be fluid and flexible, recognizing caseloads vary, experience in the role can be a factor, and you may be in the midst of new learning (e.g. CB-IEPs). Being responsive to and compassionate with ourselves, our colleagues and our students is the most important item on our agenda. 

 

 

 

Designation Requests continue to be processed through the District Referral App. The Designation (ASD, IBI, PDCH) Review Committee meets the 3rd Wednesday of each month to review new designation requests.

Support collaborating to coordinate a designation package or using the app is available with a reach out to your DLST:
Breanne Glover (Elementary)
Laurissa Evancio (Middle)
Debra Caso-Roland (Secondary)

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POPARD has many exciting VIRTUAL training opportunities scheduled for the 2022-2023 school year, with a number taking place in September. Here are just a few of the upcoming training events:

Sept 22 & 23 (9am-3pm) Understanding Challenging Behaviour
Sept 23 (9am-3pm) Supporting Executive Functioning Skills
Sept 26 & 27 (9am-3pm) Reading & ASD
Sept 27 – Nov 8: FLEX Intro to ASD Course (registration closes soon!

The POPARD BC-wide mini-workshops exclusively for BC school employees (FREE)
Sept 23 (9am-12pm) Prompting & Errorless Learning
Sept 26 (9am-12pm) Applying ABA Principles & Strategies into the Classroom
Sept 26 (1-4pm) Supporting Girls with ASD

All POPARD training events (and registration links) are posted on our website HERE 

 

 

 

Community Living BC (CLBC)
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September Snapshot Topic: Recap

Our September Snapshot is a recap of our most relevant Snapshots over the past two years under the categories of mental health, relationships, connection and technology.

Early Learning and Elementary-  Recap
Middle-  Recap
Secondary- Recap
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