International Foods Day at ICE
In March, Island ConnectEd students and their families participated in International Foods Day. Families were sharing their different foods from their cultures. There were displays with images, flags and items to reflect their heritage. Some families even researched other cultures and shared information and snacks gathered from their research.
Spring Field Trips to the Park Avenue Farm
Spring is here and booking is now open for a Farm Spring Field trip. There are 2 ways to visit:
1. Are you interested in a jam-packed, fun, urban farm experience? The field trip is full of lessons, activities and exploration, led by Farm Education Facilitators. The experience is 90 minutes long and the fee is $165. Typically, field trips are booked for Thursdays, in the morning or afternoon, but Tuesdays are also available. Add-on packages are also available with the field trips, like live bee-hive demonstrations! Please email jennie.wharton@nanaimofoodshare.ca for more information.
2. There is an open community drop-in day every Friday from 10:00am-2:00pm. It's a great day for your class to come to the farm and connect to the urban farm land, learn how to grow food and actively participate in local food security. This is a free drop-in and would require a pre-booking for your group. It is also open to all community members. There will be two Education Facilitators at the farm to help guide your group with a project and answer any questions, but the visit would be unstructured and self guided. This would be a great opportunity for school clubs and for the schools that are close enough to just walk over and visit, you could come as often as you like. Please email jennie.wharton@nanaimofoodshare.ca for more details or to book a visit to the farm or you can register through the Eventbrite registration. https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/703467760007?aff=oddtdtcreator
More information is available on the website and you can have a look at the video of what to expect for a field trip.
Nanaimo Hatchery Offers Spring Lessons
The Nanaimo River Hatchery is offering free spring programs . The classes are offered from April 22 until May 10, 2024 between 9:15 and 11:15 am or 11:45 am until 1:45 pm. Programs include Life in H2O - Aquatic Insect/Invertebrate Study, Forest Walk/Fry Release and Salmon Game. Find out more about each.
If you are interested in booking, please contact Judy Wickland at education@nanaimoriverhatchery.ca. Be sure to provide three date and time choices as well as the age group and class size. A cell phone number in which you can be reached would be helpful.
Free Family Fun Nights
Free family fun gym nights return this spring. Beginning April 2, 2024, students and their families can attend these free events for some unstructured family play time. It's fun for all ages. Looking for more information, email mduifhuis@sd68.bc.ca.
Regular Board Meeting
At the Regular Board Meeting on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, Secretary-Treasurer Mark Walsh presented the Budget ThoughtExchange Feedback and Acting Superintendent Laura Tait presented information about the preliminary Strategic Plan. The Board approved the motion to continue providing the Before and After School Care programs at Pleasant Valley and, in principle, the expansion to an additional 1-3 sites. The Board approved the update to the Policy Committee's current workplan to include Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) policy, replacing the current Inclusion Policy.
The Board also received presentations from CUPE Local 606 on Let's Build Public Childcare and received a presentation from GoByBike regarding the spring event and Bikes for Kids. View the entire agenda here.
Push for Change Fundraiser for Youth
Remember Joe Roberts - from Skid Row to CEO? Joe went from living on the streets struggling with mental health and addiction to being named one of Vancouver's most successful CEOs. Well Joe is back supporting youth in the Nanaimo area. This time, he has partnered with the Nanaimo Youth Services Association (NYSA) for a fundraiser. You can join NYSA to Push for Change to help youth find a place to call home. There are three ways to participate:
- Register a team or become a member of an existing team and walk with a shopping cart from one end of Nanaimo to the other.
- Become a volunteer supporting the walkers on the 20-kilometre trek: first aid, participant helpers, collect pledges, donations, etc.
- Pledge your support to one of the teams or team members.
The countdown is on; save the date (May 25, 2024). Register today.
Homewood Health - Life Line Newsletters
Did you know our Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP), Homewood Health, offers monthly newsletters? The April edition is out - Healing the Invisible Wounds: Exploring Moral Injury in Healthcare. The newsletters are intended to improve your quality of life, one step at a time.
Honouring Truth and Reconciliation
REEL Canada is offering a free livestream RCtv livestream: Honouring Truth and Reconciliation on Wednesday April 17. This is a nationwide conversation reflecting on Canada's legacy of Indian Residential Schools and pathways towards reconciliation. This FREE livestream event will showcase the powerful short documentary, Honour to Senator Murray Sinclair, by legendary Abenaki filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin.
After watching the film, students can engage in a live, virtual Q&A discussion with moderators, special guests and students across the country. While watching the broadcast, youth will use an online platform to submit their questions for the special guests and participate in discussion boards, polls, chat, and more. As always, teachers will receive lesson plans and support resources geared specifically toward this event to enrich student learning.
This livestream is suitable for Grades 9-12, for both in-class or virtual learning. It’s presented as part of the annual National Canadian Film Day on April 17, at 9am PST. But even if the live date doesn’t work for teachers’ schedules, they can still watch an interactive recording afterwards. There will also be a French-subtitled recording of the livestream in the weeks following the event.