Teaching writing in kindergarten is a fun and rewarding experience! Rapinder will show you writing in a fun, relaxed, play-based kindergarten classroom. Come and see practical tips on scaffolding these early writers from September to June through photographs and video clips with lessons and examples of students’ work. She will also share ideas to support… Read more »
Category: Session A
Why Deep Connections are so Important
Vygotsky famously said, “it is through others we develop into ourselves.” Children need time and space to develop meaningful and deep connections in our care. All people want is to be seen and loved for who they truly are. We should offer opportunities for children to connect with their friends, educators, families, and local communities…. Read more »
Write from the Start
Let’s explore the earliest learners and the importance of writing early in the year. We will use hands on learning, oral language, and mentor texts to help us develop a focus on writing that can meet the child where they are and move them forward in their learning. Shelley is the District Primary Teacher for… Read more »
Queer Competency Training
In this interactive workshop, participants will first build foundational knowledge around terminology, language, and some deeply held assumptions we might have about gender and sexuality. Participants will have opportunities to engage with one another, reflect on their own biases and perceptions, and begin to construct their allyship to help LGBTQ2S students and their families feel… Read more »
Playing with Language & Story
In this session we will invite participants to explore Reggio inspired practices such as story workshop and story baskets. We will share examples from our K-3 classroom as well as from Strong Start/early learning contexts. Insights and reflections from our visit to Reggio Emilia and our professional development experience at Opal School will be presented…. Read more »
Nervous vs. Anxious
The purpose of this workshop is to assist teachers and staff in increasing their own mental health literacy and also to increase their ability to pass this literacy on to the children and families with whom they work. Especially during younger grades, separation anxiety is a common struggle but teachers and parents sometimes struggle to… Read more »
Living Libraries, PBL & Ally Work
Do you wonder how to connect children to nature and make learning more hands on and meaningful? Are you interested in Reconciliation, but not sure where to start? Do you believe that it is more important than ever to get our children connected to and interested in their environment? Then this workshop is for you!… Read more »
Introduction to Singing Games
This singing games workshop is for all, but especially for those who do not feel comfortable singing or think they can’t sing! Based on the SongWorks approach (SongWorks Educators’ Association) we will be actively involved in the playing of singing games. We will also explore how singing games can provide a rich context for social… Read more »
Foundations of Printing
The workshop will present the developmental foundations for preprinting and printing skills. These include pencil grasp, sitting position, hand dominance, and the formation of lines and shapes. We will also be presenting the program “Printing Like a Pro” which was developed by the OT’s at SunnyHill and UBC. It is simple, evidence based and importantly,… Read more »
Fine Arts and the 100 Languages
We will cover a variety of mediums, how to present them to a young audience, ways to scaffold their learning and child development with an art focus.This is an informative workshop on fine arts with a 100 languages, atelierista focus. Studying fine arts upon high school graduation, Kristi had a multitude of different careers before… Read more »