Sep 04

A BIG welcome to our International Program students!

Each year about 150 hundred students join us and our International Program. Coming from places like China, Austria, Mexico, South Korea, Brazil and more, these students are embraced by our classrooms and homestay families.

We’re so fortunate to have so many international students. Not only do we teach them English and about Canadian life, but they also teach us about their homes and customs.

 

 

Sep 02

School’s back, slow down!

Welcome back! Hope you had an amazing summer of fun and relaxation. From the Board of Education and everyone here at SD62, here’s to a fantastic year of learning and excitement!

Also remember to slow down in all school zones!

Aug 30

Avoiding back-to-school anxiety

As summer holidays come to a close and back-to-school becomes a reality, signs of “back to school anxiety” are easy to miss. Anxiousness is common for some kindergarteners, for students entering a new school or for students heading back after a big break.

Here are some ways to help you get your kids relaxed, ready and excited for school.

Explore. For the little ones or for students heading to a new school, go with them and walk around the school and get them familiarized with it. Talking to teachers and other parents is also a great way to help get students and you familiarized.

Prepare before! Get all school supplies, clothes, backpacks etc. ready to go a few days before school starts.

Talk, talk talk. Having casual chats about school is a good way to find out if your kids are having any worries about school. Like so many big issues for kids, listening and letting them know you’re there for them is a massive comfort to them. Find more great tips ivilliage.ca

 

Aug 29

RRU Prof remembers Rev. King Jr.’s speech 50 years later

50 years ago on August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. took to the mic for thousands to hear. I’m sure he didn’t realise at the time that millions would continue to hear him for decades to come.

SD62 is lucky to have Royal Roads University as our neighboor. Dr. Michael Real teaches there and Dr. Real also got to witness Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech firsthand on that very historical day in 1963.

Aug 22

Back to school…are you ready?

Kids are heading back to school in just over a week! The one week countdown is the time to start prepping to get back into school mode. Here are a few tips for kids AND parents!

Hint: click the photo to access the tip!

Get back on a good sleep schedule

Nut free snack ideas

Reduce anxiety by making back to school fun with a back to school- themed party!

10 Back to School Traditions you should start!

Aug 13

5 cool LOCAL things to do before school starts

Photo courtesy of Colwood.com

 

It’s unbelievable how quickly this summer is going by. I guess we really are having a lot of fun and time is flying! Here’s a short list of things to do before the school year starts up again. Bonus: these ideas also help prep our kids’ heads for coming back into the classroom.

  1. Challenge: Read three books (one each week). Obviously the size of the book should reflect the level of reader. Shorter books for those just learning and novels for good readers.
  2. Go for a swim in Thetis Lake. Not only is it warm and adult-temperature friendly, the exercise will give everyone more energy.
  3. Take out the bikes for a family ride along the Galloping Goose.
  4. Check out Witty’s Lagoon for nature & beach walks and a great educational centre.
  5.  Hike up Mount Finlayson then wonder around Goldstream.

Aug 12

International World Youth Day

On this day in the height of summer, help celebrate the UN’s International Youth Day!

[pullquote align=”left|center|right” textalign=”left|center|right” width=”30%”]This year’s theme is ‘Youth Migration: Moving Development Forward’.[/pullquote]

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 2013 World Youth Report (WYR) also comes out today and takes a multidimensional perspective of the life experiences of youth migrants.

 

Aug 07

Parents: 7 educational blogs to help you help your kids!

I’m always looking around for content to share with parents. Since you’re already online reading this, I thought I might as well just lead you to some other educational sites that will also help you out at home. Unlike blogs designed for kid use, the 7 listed below are designed for parents specifically.

Visit some of them and let me know what you think. If you have other parent educational blog suggestions, please let me know in the comments.

1. CBC Parents – nice big site with Canadian kids books, resources like healthy recipes, printables and more.

2. PBS Parents – a great site with ideas for birthday parties, child development etc.

3. ParentNet Unplugged – this U.S. site features topics about the importance of family involvement in education.

 

4. Edublogs – a blog platform with lots of different education blogs, such as Engaging Parents in School by author Larry Ferlazzo.

5. Yummy Mummy Club – a blog designed for moms. Check out the article 24 Mom Blogs you Should be Reading.

6. Parents Canada – a large site with a good list of other parenting and educational blogs.

7. School Family – this blog covers topics about kids of all ages, healthy families and a lot more.

Bonus!

8. TED Blog: Education – a fantastic list of TED Talks and posts about education.

Jul 31

5 Inforgraphics for home & the classroom

Infographics seem to be popping up everywhere and now they are moving into the classrooms and some of our homes.

What is an infographic? Basically, it’s a visual chart-like picture that businesses and people use to show stats or organization. It’s also a cool way to show people what you’ve been doing. Check out this infographic on our New Schools Website- it shows what will be in the new Belmont Secondary.

If you’re feeling creative you can make an infographic yourself for free online. Or, you can print some off to post and learn from. Some good ones to post at home:

And the list goes on. Here’s a great article that lists more than 40 different links to diy infographic sites. Some are free and easy, like Piktochart and others are a bit more complex. Either way, there are a lot of different designs and layouts, making it a fun project for home or the classroom!

Jul 30

Today is International Day of Friendship!

Photo source: UN.org (UN Photo/Marcia Weistein)

Use the potential of friendship to strengthen common bonds and inspire efforts for peace and sustainable development ~ Un.org