NLPS Community Supports Fair
The Department of Learning Services recently hosted a community support fair. Our community partners set up stations and shared takeaway information highlighting their services.
Regular Board Meeting
At the Regular Board Meeting on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, the Board received presentations from the Zonta Club of Nanaimo and from the Our Health, Our Community Survey Project Team. The Board also received a JEDI update, information about the NDSS consultation and the Ministry of Education and Child care Compliance Audit. View the agenda here.
NDSS Consultation
As the district takes steps to address capacity and safety issues at NDSS, it continues to seek staff and community input to ensure its decisions are driven by appropriate data and meaningful feedback. The current consultation will focus on both short- and medium-term solutions with an eye on the options for the longer term.
On January 25, 2023, the Board of Education directed staff to initiate a consultation process with potentially impacted communities and report back to the Board with recommendations and next steps for it to consider.
We invite you to read the Ensuring Capacity and Safety - Nanaimo District Secondary School information booklet where you will find background information, the consultation plan and timeline as well as the five potential scenarios. Feel free to comment on one or all scenarios or add your own. You can either email a response or choose a more engaging approach by filling out the ThoughtExchange.
Learning with Syeyutsus Speaker Series
Five continents, ten countries. When the Vannini family set out to consider what wildness and wilderness mean to people around the world, their journey revealed something very different from the picture-perfect notion of untouched nature they imagined.
Join us in conversation with Phillip and April as they share stories and highlights of their journey into the wild.
Missed a previous session from Season 3? Find them here.
NLPS JEDI Environmental Scan
The District is working on the development and implementation of a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) framework. This anonymous survey will inform the District of the current landscape and JEDI needs of our stakeholders, and help shape the District’s future JEDI actions. This survey is being conducted by Chanelle Tye Equity & Inclusion. Your responses and information will be kept confidential and stripped of all identifying information.
There will also be an opportunity to contact the consultants directly to share your thoughts.
This survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. Please fill in the responses by 6 PM Pacific Time on Friday, February 10, 2023. This work cannot be done without all stakeholder groups working together, and we appreciate your participation in this survey and throughout this ongoing work.
Still time to participate
There's still time to take the challenge! If you are not participating in the Energy Cup…. there is still time to participate in the MINI Cup! The competition ends February 28.
As a part of this MINI Cup, schools can participate in one (or more) of the energy activities and be entered to win one of three regional $400 participation prizes. Energy Cup MINI prizes are based strictly on participation. This is a scaled-back version of the Energy Cup.
Please reach out – Kevin and Mary can do educational presentations that will help inspire the kids. They have a “What is Climate Change?” presentation for a Grade 6/7 audience ready to go!! If you have any questions, please call anytime 250 268-4603.
Professional Learning Opportunity
Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools is co-sponsoring a conference with the Ministry of Children and Family Development, the Child Development Centre on Saturday, February 18. The event will be held at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre from 9 am until 3:30pm. The conference is ‘Love Builds Brains’ with Dr. Jean Clinton. The district is sponsoring registration for some teachers, EAs, counsellors, and CYFSW with an Early Years focus (newborn to 8 years – Preschool to Grade 3).
If you are interested in attending, please email Brooke.Washburn@sd68.bc.ca by February 2 and include your role and school. Sponsored seats will be on a first come, first served basis. After that, attendees are responsible for their own registration ($95).
Hul’q’umi’num’ Language | Focus on feelings
Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools (NLPS) is pleased to continue sharing Hul’q’umi’num’ phrases. This year's focus is on feelings. These phrases have been provided by the Hul’q’umi’num’ teachers of NLPS to share with educators, students and the larger community so that we can continue our learning journey together with the language of the land.
The Empty Bowl Project
NDSS is hosting The Empty Bowl on March 9, 2023 - please note the date change for event from what was previously shared. In preparation for the event, the school is looking for staff to sign up to make a bowl in advance. Join other staff members on Thursday, February 9, 2023, as we learn how to make a pottery bowl. Your bowl will be donated to the March 9 event and all the proceeds will be donated to Loaves & Fishes. Register soon as space is limited. Information about the March 9th event will be coming out soon.
Retirement Celebrations
- Celebration for Gunnar Myhrer - Friday, January 27 at the Old City Station Pub (150 Skinner Street, Nanaimo) from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. To send Gunnar off on his new adventure, friends and colleagues are welcome to stop by and share laughs and memories with Gunnar.
- If you have a retirement celebration you would like to share, please email communications@sd68.bc.ca.
Credits:
Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools