Prairie Spirit School Division Growing Together Conference

Growing Together Conference School Community Council and Parent Engagement October 20th, 2018

Program Overview Saturday, October 20, 2018 8:30-9:00

Registration

9:00 – 9:30

Opening Remarks and Welcomes

9:30 – 10:15

Keynote 1: Corey O’Soup

10:20 – 11:05

Keynote 2: Dr. Debbie Pushor

11:05 – 11:20

Break

11:20 – 12:00

Growing Together – Whole Group Collaboration Session

12:00 – 1:00

Lunch – SIEC / SaskCode

1:00 – 2:00 (please select one breakout session)

2:00 - 2:15

2:15-3:15 (please select one breakout session)

3:30 – 4:00

What do you imagine for the students of Saskatchewan?

Revisiting Childhood: Supporting Development through a Holistic Approach

Supporting Teen Mental Health

Truth and Reconciliation: Where are you in this journey?

Are School Community Councils Realizing their Mandate?

Stories of Parent Engagement in PSSD: Where are you in this journey?

My Prairie Spirit Classroom (MPSC)

Transition Planning for Students with Special Needs

Parenting Through Adolescence: How Brain Science is Informing Parenting

Social Media

Meet the ‘Bots (SaskCode)

Saskatoon Industry Education Council (SIEC)

Specific Learning Disabilities (SLDs)

Break What do you imagine for the students of Saskatchewan?

Revisiting Childhood: Supporting Development through a Holistic Approach

Supporting Teen Mental Health

Truth and Reconciliation: Where are you in this journey?

Are School Community Councils Realizing their Mandate?

Parenting Through Adolescence: How Brain Science is Informing Parenting

My Prairie Spirit Classroom (MPSC)

Transition Planning for Students with Special Needs Specific Learning Disabilities (SLDs)

Social Media

Stories of Parent Engagement in PSSD: Where are you in this journey?

Closing remarks 1|Page

Growing Together Conference Goal: This conference is for SCCs, Parents and Schools. Our goal is to develop strong roots within communities as we grow, and to honour relationships and engagement, with learning at the core.

Keynote Speakers: 9:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

Corey O’Soup is Saskatchewan’s Advocate for Children and Youth. His priorities are to find ways to reduce the number of First Nations and Métis children and youth in care, and to improve mental health services in Saskatchewan.

10:20 a.m. – 11:05 a.m.

Dr. Debbie Pushor is a professor at the University of Saskatchewan in the Department of Curriculum Studies. Debbie is an internationally renowned researcher and author on parent engagement.

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Breakout Session - Select One 1.

What do you imagine for the students of Saskatchewan?

Re-Imagine Education is a bold initiative asking us to challenge our views of what education looks like today and what it could look like in the future. This initiative will clarify the issues facing education today, imagine what the future might look like and plan how to make the vision a reality. Education is vital to the future of our province. It affects everything and everyone. The decisions we make about education today will change the way we experience tomorrow. We want to hear from you about building classrooms that meet current and future needs.

Presenter: Brian Knowles Brian is the President of the Prairie Spirit Teachers’ Association, and first-time teacher of grade twos at Osler school. Prior to his role as PSTA President, Brian taught middle years and high school art at Walter W. Brown School in Langham for seven years. Transitioning to teaching elementary has been an interesting, but exciting change. He lives in Saskatoon with his wife, Laura, and daughters, Eloise (8) and Georgia (6). Outside of work, Brian enjoys drawing, playing guitar, and getting outside with his family.

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Revisiting Childhood: Supporting Development through a Holistic Approach In this session, you will re-examine your own childhood to create connections to the children of today. As we begin to connect, we will find ways in which we can support all children in their learning journey in developmentally appropriate ways. We will also make connections between the home and early years classrooms to continue to strengthen the bridges that already exist.

Presenter: Jennifer Mason Jennifer Mason is a pre-kindergarten teacher as well as early learning consultant for Prairie Spirit School Division.

Her passion lies within early learning; which is evident not only through her practice, but her educational background and dedication to professional growth in this field. She holds a Master of Education in Educational Psychology and Special Education with a focus on inclusion in play-based learning environments. Jennifer has had the opportunity to learn alongside many inspiring early learning professionals throughout many countries; including Italy, Australia, the United States of America and here at home in Canada. Her primary focus is building relationships with the students that she is privileged to play alongside of each day and with their families, as well as following the children’s interests to provoke learning.

3.

Supporting Teen Mental Health The World Health Organization defines mental health as a “state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” (World Health Organization) This session will provide parents with information on how to support teens to obtain and maintain good mental health. We will also explore the difference between everyday stress and mental disorders and discuss what to do if you feel your teenager needs help.

Presenters: Heather Wegren and Christa Shepherd-Hills Heather Wegren, M.Ed., is a mental health counsellor working for Prairie Spirit School Division. Heather has been working with youth for the last 25 years in both health and educational settings. She is also a proud mother of three teenage daughters.

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Christa Shepherd Hills, M.S.W., is the Resilience-Building Classroom Counsellor in Prairie Spirit School Division.

Christa has worked with vulnerable children, youth and families for over a decade. She is an advocate for kids who struggle with extreme behaviour and for the adults who journey alongside them. She's been busy for a while now raising 2 teenage boys and caring for sick family members. She aspires to get a more interesting bio over the next few years - travelling and a hobby are in order!

4.

Truth and Reconciliation: Where are you in this journey?

With Truth and Reconciliation’s calls to action, many Canadians families are wondering about their own journey with Truth and Reconciliation. Truth and Reconciliation can be a sensitive topic but when individuals come together and work as a family to create healthy relationships with each other, we create better futures for our children to grow up in. The Office of the Treaty Commissioner suggests a Head, Heart, Hand Truth and Reconciliation framework that every Canadian can follow. In this session, we will work together to create meaning of this framework and have truthful conversations about our own journeys with Truth and Reconciliation. We are all treaty people and we all have a role in reconciliation.

Presenter: Charmain Laroque Charmain Laroque is a passionate PSSD learning leader. She is a Metis woman who grew up on a farm in the Duck Lake area. Charmain graduated from Stobart High School and attended the University of Saskatchewan SUNTEP program completing her Bachelor of Education degree in 2006. One of Charmain's core beliefs is community, and she considers herself lucky to have taught for the past 10 years in her home town at Stobart Community School. With influence from her 10-year-old son, Metis culture, home community and a Masters of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction, Charmain feels a strong connection to supporting the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action. She truly believes spending time as a staff, class and community getting informed, having truthful conversations and coming together as a learning community is a critical process to be authentic agents of change. Charmain has recently started working as PSSD's First Nations, Metis and Inuit Learning Support Facilitator and is excited to work along side families, communities and all learners in Prairie Spirit School Division.

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Parenting Through Adolescence: How Brain Science is Informing Parenting Adolescence can be one of the most challenging stages to parent through. Between the ages of 12 and 24, the brain changes in important, and oftentimes maddening, ways. It’s no wonder many parents approach their child’s teen years with fear and trepidation.

This session will incorporate research from renowned neuropsychiatrist Daniel Siegel and his bestselling book Brainstorm. Together we will explore exciting ways in which understanding the teenage brain functions can help parents make what is in fact an incredibly positive period of growth, change, and experimentation in their children’s lives less lonely and distressing on both sides of the generational divide.

Presenters: Heather Wegren and Christa Shepherd-Hills Heather Wegren, M.Ed., is a mental health counsellor working for Prairie Spirit School Division. Heather has been working with youth for the last 25 years in both health and educational settings. She is also a proud mother of three teenage daughters.

Christa Shepherd Hills, M.S.W., is the Resilience-Building Classroom Counsellor in Prairie Spirit School Division.

Christa has worked with vulnerable children, youth and families for over a decade. She is an advocate for kids who 4|Page

struggle with extreme behaviour and for the adults who journey alongside them. She's been busy for a while now raising 2 teenage boys and caring for sick family members. She has aspirations to get a more interesting bio over the next few years - travelling and a hobby are in order!

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Social Media Recently, 40 students from 7 schools in Prairie Spirit School Division took part in a Student – Led Peer Mentoring Program on Digital Citizenship and Social Media. This initiative aims to embrace our youth as valuable and primary resources in prevention and education. Trained students will be providing presentations to their peers and to younger students to address current concerning trends of youth online and social media behavior. They will present on topics such as; digital citizenship skills, identifying and appropriately dealing with cyberbullying, online hate, online etiquette, how to use the Internet and social media appropriately through a positive and beneficial manner.

Presenters: Students from Warman High School (Emma, Chloe and Casia)

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Are School Community Councils Realizing their Mandate?

Focal Points: • What is the mandate of School Community Councils?

• Historical context that situates this mandate • Sharing 2018 research findings – Evaluating School Community Councils • Focus on re-imagining how to engage SCCs in shared responsibility for teaching and learning – a move from involvement to meaningful and authentic parent engagement Presenter: Ted Amendt Ted Amendt is the Director of School Board Development Services, Strategic Human Resources, and Legal Services Saskatchewan School Boards Association. Ted has been involved in Saskatchewan’s provincial K-12 and postsecondary education systems for over 20 years. Ted’s K-12 experience began in 1996 as a Community School Coordinator in Saskatoon Public Schools. In 2002 Ted joined the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education and was actively involved in the development of Community Schools, School Community Councils, and First Nations and Métis education policies and partnerships. In 2009 Ted moved on to the Ministry of Advanced Education with leadership for adult basic education, skills training and apprenticeship. In 2013 Ted joined the Saskatchewan School Boards Association as a Director of Board Development Services, Strategic Human Resources, and Legal Services. Ted is a doctoral candidate at the University of Saskatchewan and recently completed an evaluation of SCCs in Saskatchewan as part of his research. Ted is proudly Métis, and a parent of a 19-year old son Joel.

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Stories of Parent Engagement in Prairie Spirit School Division: Where are you in this journey?

Parent Engagement is a priority in Prairie Spirit School Division. They believe that through building effective school and parent partnerships schools can support and improve students emotional, spiritual, physical, and mental wellbeing. School and parent partnerships are about developing common understandings about home and school learning, beliefs, and practices. Children thrive when there is parent, teacher, and student voice. By developing school and parent partnerships we hope to help parents be actively engaged in their children’s education from PreK through grade 12. Parent engagement can be central to all parts of the education process, it cannot be an add on.

Presenter: Eric Walker Eric Walker is passionate about and the potential impact of parent engagement. He was born and raised in Saskatoon. He is currently teaching at Clavet Composite and previously taught in Blaine Lake, Waldheim, supporting 5|Page

EAL students from across the division, and as a parent engagement facilitator working with schools, staff, and the division. He completed his masters in 2017. His masters work focused on supporting adult learning and engaging parents.

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My Prairie Spirit Classroom (MPSC) This session will explore the elements of the My Prairie Spirit Classroom (MPSC). My Prairie Spirit Classroom is a guiding document for the Division that describes an optimum learning environment. MPSC describes how instructional design for engagement, rigor, relevance, relationship development, assessment for learning, and creativity may look in our classrooms. This session will give participants an opportunity to “see” what this looks like in both an elementary and high school classroom, and the innovative ways teachers are trying to engage students with learning in the 21stcentury. An underlying assumption within this document suggests that engaged learning occurs more often when parents, students and teachers are all contributing to the learning environment.

Presenters– Josh Hindmarsh, Jessalyn Brickner and Paul McTavish Josh Hindmarsh is a teacher and Learning Facilitator at Martensville High School in Prairie Spirit School Division (PSSD). The learning facilitator position focuses on adult learning by providing opportunities for teachers to examine teaching practices in their classrooms. Prior to this work, Josh was an English as an Additional Language (EAL) facilitator in PSSD where he helped to facilitate teacher groups that focused on EAL instructional methods. Josh is also a proud father of three and husband to Megs.

Jessalyn Brickner is an elementary teacher in Colonsay School. Although she is a secondary teacher by training, she has taught in the elementary world for the majority of her young career. Jessalyn is fascinated by the potential in early learning and is equally as passionate about adult learning in its various capacities.

Paul McTavish. B.Ed M.Ed is the Principal at Martensville High School. Previously he was the Principal at Colonsay School, vice principal at Clavet Composite School, and was a teacher at Hague High School, Perdue School and Delisle Composite School. Paul is married to Claire and they have three boys, aged 7, 5 and 2.

10. Transition Planning for Students with Special Needs Children and youth experience many transitions throughout their school life and beyond. Transitions are a natural part of life and can be exciting for students as they progress through the education system; they may also be challenging for many students and their families, especially for those with special needs. Research has demonstrated that systematic planning, preparation, communication / sharing information in advance, and supports can help students to successfully transition into school, between grades and schools, and into postsecondary education or employment. The purpose of this presentation is to provide information to assist children and youth in transitioning smoothly and successfully throughout their school years from Pre-K into adult life.

Presenter: Leanne Griffin Leanne is a division-based special education facilitator (Capacity Building Special Education Resource Teacher) who consults with Special Education Resource Teachers (SERTs) for half of the schools in Prairie Spirit School Division.

Leanne provides leadership, programming, information, resources, and professional development to SERTs and school teams to support students with intensive and special needs in focus areas (Intensive Supports, Assessment, Life Skills, Multi-Level Curriculum Planning, Literacy Interventions, Transitions, and Behaviours). She also mentors new SERTs through orientation sessions and side-by-side learning opportunities.

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Leanne is also a published playwright with a Master’s Degree in Drama who has won Best Overall Production at thirteen Regional and three Provincial drama festivals.

11. Specific Learning Disabilities (SLDs) Specific Learning Disabilities (SLDs) are brain-based, life-long conditions that affect an individual’s ability to develop academic skills. The goal of this presentation is to increase participant knowledge and understanding of SLDs. The presenters will discuss the relationship between neurocognitive/brain processes and academic skills; how a psychologist conducts an assessment to query a SLD and how accommodations can be utilized to reduce the impact of SLDs on your child’s daily and academic functioning. If you have a child with a diagnosed SLD or suspect your child may have a SLD, you are encouraged to attend this session as participant questions and comments will be welcome throughout the presentation!

Presenters: Kathy Thorpe and Christina Scott Kathy Thorpe is a registered psychologist who has been with PSSD for 10 years. Prior to this, she practiced school psychology in the Sun West School division and prior to that, provided counselling and family-based behavioral programming through health. A large portion of her time in her current role is assessing students for SLDs, among other conditions, and working with school staff to support students with learning needs. Kathy obtained her B.A. in Psychology with High Honors from the University of Regina and her M. Ed from the University of Saskatchewan. She obtained licensure as a psychologist in the province of Saskatchewan in 2006.

Christina Scott is a Registered Psychologist with the Prairie Spirit School Division. She has a BA in Psychology and a Masters of Education in Counselling and Psychology from the University of Saskatchewan. This is Christina's fifth year with Prairie Spirit. Before joining the Learning Support Services (LSS) team as a Registered Psychologist practicing school psychology, she was a counsellor with the division. As a counsellor, she provided one-on-one therapy for students in a school setting. Currently, working on the LSS, Christina is providing students with supports for their learning through assessment and consultation with their school teams. Christina's areas of interest are how mental health affects learning and math learning disabilities.

12. Meet the ‘Bots Robotics and coding in education have been picking up S.T.E.A.M. in recent years. Come and learn about the SaskCode program, and how teachers can use robots in their classroom to infuse computational thinking into their lessons.

You’ll get a chance to take a look at Robot Mouse (Kindergarten-Grade 2), Ozobot (grades 3-4), Edison (grades 5-6) and Arduino (grades 7-9). We will also discuss how teachers help students to meet curricular outcomes using robotics.

Presenters: Bill Kapphahn and Curtis Clements Bill Kapphahn’s interest in teaching began when instructing young adults in the armed forces. After receiving his education degree, he began working for the Saskatoon Public School Division. He taught science for 26 years and was an instructional consultant for 4 years. Because of his great desire to engage 21st century learners, he felt he needed to enhance his qualifications. While he obtained a B.Sc. (Mathematics) and a B.Ed. (Secondary) in 1984 and 1985 respectively, Bill completed his M.Ed. in Educational Technology and Design in 2014.

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In 2009 Bill designed and implemented a robotics program at Walter Murray collegiate which continues to this day.

He was also involved in extensive division professional development. It was then that he recognized, that he should pursue graduate education . Bill was appointed as an instructional technology consultant and worked division wide implementing new curricula and instructional techniques. Many of the techniques he learned in the ETAD program were invaluable in his role of division consultant. Bill has collaborated with colleagues designing and implementing new STEM curricula within the division and across Saskatchewan. His latest project was developing Robotics 10/20/30 to be implemented in Saskatchewan. Bill is now employed by the Saskatoon Industry-Education Council to be the SaskCode Program Coordinator.

Curtis Clement worked in the Environmental Engineering industry for 5 years before pursuing a career in teaching. Curtis began teaching high school in Calgary in a pre-engineering program where students learned problem solving and communication skills in a unique hands-on learning environment. Curtis relocated to Saskatoon where he has taught high school within the Saskatoon Public School Division for the last 10 years. During this time, Curtis designed and implemented the Cameco Centre of Excellence at Bedford Road Collegiate with funding from a forward thinking industry partner. Students within this program have opportunities to learn design and teamwork skills that utilize robotics, CAD, CNC, pneumatics, electrical control, etc. Curtis has enjoyed sharing his enthusiasm about robots with his students during courses and extracurricular activities and is very proud to be part of the SaskCode team and share this love of learning with many more students.

13. Saskatoon Industry Education Council SIEC is a bridge between Saskatchewan’s career opportunities and Saskatoon area youth.

Through a partnership among business, secondary and post-secondary schools, unique handson career exploration events and programs are designed and delivered to students, helping them find a career that connects their passions and natural talents with current and future workforce needs. To achieve its vision of a community of shared responsibility, preparing youth for quality careers, the SIEC plays the role of career information conduit between students and employers.

Come learn how the SIEC can help your student discover career paths through events that include hands-on activities, paid work experiences, and high school credits. Be sure to check out www.saskatooniec.ca and follow the SIEC on Twitter @saskatooniec.

Presenters: Aaron Adair, Michelle Hardy and Megan Unrau Megan Unrau has been planning career-based events with the SIEC for five years. Michelle Hardy and Aaron Adair bring their prior teaching experience with Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools and Saskatoon Public School Division to their new roles as Program Coordinators.

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