The Provincial Scholarships Program: What You Need to Know Webinar

The Ministry provides over 13,000 scholarships each year to graduating students. In this webinar, participants will learn about the different awards and how they work, from eligibility criteria and key dates to how to avoid errors that can cause students to miss out; participants can also take part in a question-and-answer session. This is a must-see webinar for scholarship administrators, career educators, school counsellors, staff entering data into student information systems, and others supporting student transitions to post-secondary study.

The webinar will include an introduction by Rob Hicks. Rob Hicks is the Ministry of Education’s Director of Student Transitions, overseeing the Provincial Scholarship Program in addition to dual credit policy and post-secondary partner relations. Followed by a presentation by Shona Perron, Program and Policy Lead, and Lescia Raagner, Provincial Scholarships Administrator. 


Register
November 24, 2021 3:30 - 4:30 pm

Desjardins Tech Donation Program

Desjardins is back this year with its tech donation program in collaboration with the EdCan Network for K-12 public schools across Canada in response to the immediate student needs created by the ongoing pandemic.

Desjardins is donating again this year a total of $100,000 ($5,000 to 20 schools across Canada) for students in need of computers and other tech-based tools. 

The deadline to submit your online application form is November 19, 2021 at 8 pm ET

Information | Application

Kath Murdoch Learning Series 2021-2022

Topics: Student Inquiry, Passions, Interests & Questions 

Dates: 

  • November 17, 3:45 - 5:15 pm PT
  • February 2, 3:45 - 5:15 pm PT
  • April 13, 3:45 - 5:15 pm PT

The inquiry teacher is regularly inquiring into his or her students as learners and asking, ‘What are they revealing to me?’, ‘How might I respond?’ and ‘What next?’ (The Power of Inquiry p. 135). 

Last year we were able to bring Kath Murdoch to you via Zoom for an introductory session on creating inquiry-oriented classrooms. This year, we are pleased to be offering a three part series, in which she will be introducing us to many of the ideas included in her forthcoming book due to come out before the end of 2021. The focus of this new book is on personal inquiry: how to work with children’s personal passions, interests and questions. While Kath’s focus is primarily on K-8, we know that her ideas cross all grades and ages. 

In this 3 part professional learning series, Kath Murdoch will work with participants to explore ways in which we can offer young learners the opportunity to inquire into the questions, interests, issues and passions that are important to them.  In conjunction with shared inquiry journey, opportunities to explore personal passions are highly engaging and allow learners to build their capacity as independent, thoughtful, reflective contributors to their communities.  Over the three sessions, Kath will share strategies and structures for supporting and guiding personal inquiries, various contexts in which personal inquiry can be developed and the role of the educator in the process, Drawing on her extensive experience working with teachers and children around the world, Kath will share many practical examples. Importantly, participants will be invited to reflect on the way they can include opportunities for personal inquiry in their own lives.

Register

NOIIE: November 18 Learning Burst

Learning Burst sessions are designed as a chance to have a quick burst of new learning provided by two NOIIE schools – complete with book prizes.  These events are offered free of charge and open to anyone interested in learning more about the impact of inquiry on the ground in BC schools.

We are welcoming Barb Hamblett (Principal, Valleyview Secondary School, SD 73) and Holly Zurak (Principal, Ecole Nesika Elementary School, SD 27) to our Learning Burst stage on November 18th, from 4:00-4:30pm PST. We hope to see you there!

Information

Quality Forum Health Talks Student Contest is Now Open!

We are promoting Health Talks Student Contest, a BC student opportunity for you to pass on to teachers and students at your school. This event is part of the BC Patient Safety & Quality Council's annual Quality Forum. Students are asked to apply as part of a contest to select eight speakers that will be featured at the Quality Forum event: Health Talks. 

Health Talks will take place on March 1 - the first evening of Quality Forum 2022 - and will feature eight speakers using the PechaKucha format. This diverse group of speakers representing a range of professions and perspectives will take the stage to tell us about their hopes in creative, memorable ways while displaying 20 photos for 20 seconds each. Enter the contest by November 15 at 12:00 pm!

Who can enter? All BC students. Medical school, post-secondary, high school, elementary school – every student is welcome!

Information

Chance to Win a Travel Gift Certificate from Johnson Insurance

The past year has been tough. We've all had to put our travel plans on hold as we wait for borders to open and vaccines to arrive. Now as the world slowly begins to re-open, Johnson Insurance have additional benefits for MEDOC® Travel Insurance Customers.

Contact Johnson for a quote and you'll be entered to win 1 of 5 travel gift certificates valued at $5,000 each. This contest runs until December 31st, please see the link below for details. 

Information

Current MEDOC® customers are automatically entered.

BC Ministry of Education News

Open School BC K-12 Professional Learning Resources:
As a follow-up to the Teaching Tenaciously webinar series, Open School BC has created a set of K-12 resources for educators on topics such as trauma-sensitive classroom strategies, student-centred assessment and building compassionate communities. Resources include videos with reflection prompts and activities. Educators can also access a free online course (registration required) with practical strategies for teaching in a blended learning classroom. 

Opportunity to Pilot Test Language Assessment Tool:

The Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), under the leadership of the Registrars for Teacher Certification Canada (RTCC), is recruiting English-speaking, French-speaking, and bilingual teachers and teacher candidates to participate in the pilot testing of an online pan-Canadian language assessment tool for the teaching profession. Test takers will receive a monetary incentive; bilingual test takers can take the test in both languages and will be eligible to receive the incentive twice. Please share this opportunity with your teaching staff. 


Read the Deputy Minister's Bulletins

2021 Canadian Outdoor Learning Free Fall Virtual Workshop Series

A series from Take Me Outside, and our Canadian Outdoor Learning Partners! Are you having trouble keeping track of all of the great things going on? Well, to help you keep track, here's a handy 'top 10' list for the season ahead:


Game Of Groans: Winter Is Coming!
November 18, 4:00 pm PT

Outdoor learning offers a host of social, mental, and academic outcomes for your students that they can benefit from year-round. Outdoor Educator Dave Quinn will share some ideas, tips, and tools to extend successful outdoor learning into the winter months.


BetterEducate

With the ongoing need for continuity of learning in our system, the BCPVPA has opened up free access to BetterEducate for all BC K-12 educators. Develop a BetterEducate Profile | Collaborate with Colleagues | Browse and Share Resources | Develop your Plans – All on one platform! 

Learn more here

Join the Platform!

If you haven’t yet signed up for BetterEducate, visit the site and sign up for your free membership
with the promo code BCPVPA123.  View Sign-Up Instructions

Early Intervention Program

The Early Intervention Program (EIP) is a province wide professional support service provided by the BCPVPA at no cost to you and is completely voluntary and confidential. The program supports BCPVPA Benefits Plan members experiencing health-related personal and/or professional challenges. Find out more

BC Retired Principals’ & Vice-Principals’ Association (BCRPVPA)

Are you or a colleague thinking of retirement soon? Please check the BC Retired Principals’ & Vice-Principals’ Association for benefits offered to retired members, such as affinity, health & travel insurance, prestige coverage, pensions & other topics of interest, and you will also find a mail-in application form on the site. The BCRPVPA looks forward to hearing from you if retirement is in your near future! Contact the BCRPVPA


Logo

The BC Principals' & Vice-Principals' Association is a voluntary professional association representing school leaders employed as Principals and Vice-Principals in BC's public education system. We provide our members with the professional services and supports they need to provide exemplary leadership in public education.

Search our web site:


Top