Registration is now open for the All Superintendents, BCSTA, and BCASBO association meetings (Feb. 9) and the annual Partner Liaison Meeting (Feb. 10). Details have also been sent to district EAs to register all district attendees (Superintendents, Secretary-Treasurers, and Board Chairs) on your behalf. This year’s event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel Vancouver, with agendas for both full days to be provided in the coming weeks.
Friday, January 13, 2023
Deputy Minister of Education and Child Care
Hi, everyone. This week please find information on several important and time-limited items, including open registration for the February All Superintendents and Partner Liaison meetings, information on the 2022/23 District/Authority Scholarships, a reminder request for students and parents/caregivers of available course options for the new Indigenous-focused graduation requirement that comes into effect next year, as well as the access to the Brain Waves program – a free, informative, and fun neuroscience educational program for Grades 4–6 students. A reminder as well that today is Black Excellence Day, a day set aside annually to celebrate and learn about the history, stories, and art of Black people in Canada, and to acknowledge barriers and hardships that continue in present day due to systemic racism and discrimination. Please see the Premier’s joint statement below for more information.
Today is also Friday the 13th, so watch out for black cats and don’t walk under any ladders. Stay safe and have a great weekend!
For Action
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Due February 15: Applications for BC Excellence and Pathway to Teacher Education Scholarships
Please remind staff and students that applications for the BC Excellence and Pathway to Teacher Education scholarships are open. Applicants must be on track to graduate and meet core eligibility and scholarship-specific requirements by August 31, 2023. Recipients are awarded a $5,000 scholarship voucher. They can use that voucher to be reimbursed for tuition paid at a designated post-secondary institution or B.C.-authorized trades training provider (Excellence) or an approved teacher education program at a B.C. post-secondary institution (Pathway). Online applications are due February 15, 2023, 2:59 pm PST. Contact scholarships@gov.bc.ca with questions.
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2022/23 District/Authority Scholarships
Information is now available for administrators regarding 2022/23 District/Authority scholarships, including allocations, awarding guidelines, and how to report conditional recipients to the Ministry by June 30, 2023. Please plan to use your full allocation and ensure your selected students are on track to meet core and scholarship-specific eligibility requirements by August 31, 2023. Please inform students that the award is conditional on those requirements being met on time. Scholarship vouchers will be sent to confirmed recipients in November 2023. Contact scholarships@gov.bc.ca with questions.
For Information
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2022/23 First Nation Student Rates
The 2022/23 First Nation Student Rates have been posted. Please contact SDFR@gov.bc.ca if you have any questions.
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Indigenous-focused Graduation Requirement
As student course selection for the 2023/24 school year ramps up in the coming weeks, school and district administrators are encouraged to remind students and parents/caregivers of available course options for the new Indigenous-focused graduation requirement that comes into effect next year. Several tools are available on the Ministry website to support conversations about the new requirement, including a video and a brochure for parents/caregivers. For more information, please contact GradRequirements@gov.bc.ca.
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erase Winter Training Information
Course and registration details for winter erase training sessions are now available. This includes a new training – Scenario Based Learning: erase Provincial Protocol. This one-day, in-person training will be offered across the province between January–March and will focus on best practices when responding to threat-related behaviour and other school safety matters. Please send any questions to erase@gov.bc.ca.
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Respiratory Illness Social Media Toolkit
BC Children’s Hospital and Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) have created a respiratory illness social media toolkit to make it easy for schools to share important provincial messages about prevention of respiratory illness in children. Feel free to use, modify, or adapt for your social media channels.
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Blueprint Builder tool is retiring in February 2023
As part of a WorkBC website redesign, the Blueprint Builder tool will retire in February, as the technology is no longer supported. If you have a Blueprint Builder account, it will no longer be available, but you can find the same resources on the new website when it launches in February.
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Brain Waves Program
Brain Waves is a free, informative, and fun neuroscience educational program for Grades 4–6 students in B.C. Delivered by trained university student volunteers, these 1-hour virtual presentations are aligned with the themes of basic anatomy and functions of the brain, nervous system, and spinal cord that are built into the B.C. curriculum. Highlights include proper helmet fitting and the importance of protecting brains from preventable injuries.
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Catch the Spirit Program
In conjunction with the 2023 Canada Winter Games (Feb. 18–Mar. 5), the Prince Edward Island Department of Education and Lifelong Learning would like to share free resources with educators across the country. These resources are designed by teachers to inspire children in Grades K–9 to “catch the spirit” of the Canada Games and learn about the many benefits of physical activity and sport.
