New Transportation Regulations

New A new student transportation regulation that came into force Transportation Sept. 1, 2019, has brought into question whether Rocky View Regulations Schools (RVS) will introduce mid-year rider fees given that the previous transportation fee restrictions have been lifted. Any Changes in Services decision on the way forward is premature according to the Requires Planning Board of Trustees, which noted that while boards now have the legislated authority to charge bus fees, school board revenues remain unknown.

Given the late adoption of these new rules and without a provincial budget being tabled, the Board hopes government will give RVS and its families adequate time to plan for any unanticipated fees related to this service by maintaining the $1.6 million Transportation Fee Replacement Grant it receives, helping to offset revenues lost under Bill 1: An Act to Reduce School Fees. The Board believes a responsible government decision would be to maintain the previous level of funding for transportation for at least the 2019/20 school year, noting RVS has been very proactive in making efficiencies to this portfolio and to change course mid-year would require considerable planning.

NEWS TO KNOW

EC Playbook To Be Released in October To build upon the deep-dive engagements schools will undertake through their School Spring and Fall Playbooks, an Education Centre (EC) Playbook will be released in October, asking department/branch staff to engage with others in RVS' design process. With an eye to redesign collaborative, organizational and planning structures to maximize resources, professional learning opportunities, teamwork and innovation, all department/branches will be asked to share their prototypes in December via RVS’ crowd-source site 2023 by Design. Stay tuned!

AP190 Copyright RVS acknowledges that it has a statutory and ethical responsibility to respect the legitimate copyright claims of creative contributors, software developers and their publisher/distributors, while providing students and staff with a rich range of resources. Each year, teachers and staff are asked to review and understand copyright rules and the Fair Dealing Guidelines. Refer to AP190 Copyright for more detailed information.

Celebrating Indigenous Peoples in Canada Trustees celebrated A.E. Bowers’ Ripples of Change initiative, which aimed to enhance Gr. 4 students’ understanding of Indigenous cultures and raise awareness of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The year-long project saw students engaged in authentic learning experiences surrounding the 4 A’s of Reconciliation: Acknowledgement, Awareness, Atonement and Action. Through stories, artifacts, research and dialogue with Indigenous artisans and local First Nations youth, students built empathy and compassion for the histories of Indigenous People in Canada. Watch the Ripples of Change video to learn more about this important initiative.

Guide to Education Now Available The 2019/20 Guide to Education: ECS to Grade 12 is now available on the Alberta Education website, along with a Summary of Key Changes. The Guide is an important policy and planning document for K - Gr. 12 teachers in Alberta. Notable updates include: references to the Education Act and revised regulations; the absence of the section on the Special Cases Committee, as the committee no longer exists; and Updates to the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit section related to improving education outcomes experiences for these students. Please note that the French version of the Guide to Education will be released as soon as translation work is completed. Questions can be directed to Manager of Policy Integration and Coordination Sue Grundy.

Netflix Use in the Classroom Following a 2018 review of service and current copyright legislation, RVS has determined that Netflix can only be used in the classroom to feature Netflix original documentaries. All other movie and document content can be accessed by teachers through Criterion-On-Demand, Access Learning and the National Film Board of Canada. For login instructions to these platforms and more information, please refer to the Approved Digital Resources brochure, posted on RVS' website under Technology Supports / Tech News.

Call for Diploma and Achievement Working Group Nominations Alberta Education has released the call for nominations and approval of interested teachers for the 2019/20 Diploma and Provincial Achievement Test (PAT) Working Groups. The respective Expression of Interests for the Diploma Exam Working Group and the PAT Working Group must be submitted by Oct. 4, 2019. Teachers must be in exemplary standing with the school and RVS to be considered. Successfully selected teachers will be contacted in early October directly by Alberta Education. Please refer to the Appendix from Alberta Education for further details or contact Associate Superintendent of Learning Dave Morris.

RVS Approved Online Resources To enrich classroom instruction, RVS has an abundance of approved online digital resources available for teachers. To access these resources, visit RVS' Digital Literacies site. Alternatively, staff can refer to the newly revised Online Resources brochure, which lists available sites, access instructions and RVS contact information.

Managed Apple IDs and Extra Storage Space In May, staff was advised that RVS would be switching to Managed Apple Ids, enhancing staff's ability to manage RVS-owned Apple devices and apps. Moving @rockyview.ab.ca and @rvschools.ab.ca to Managed Apple IDs will result in an additional 200GB of storage in iCloud. To learn more about iCloud storage, please refer to the Aug. 13, 2019, Memorandum. Questions can be e-mailed to Software Support Analyst Jesse Paul.

Math Bursary Program To assist teachers in strengthening their knowledge, skills and confidence in teaching mathematics, Alberta Education is once again offering its Math Bursary Program. Applicants are eligible for $2,000 in funding ($1,000 per course for a maximum of two courses), following the successful completion of a math pedagogy course through an Alberta post-secondary institution. The deadline to apply for the fall 2019 term is Sept. 30, 2019. Visit the Alberta Government website for more details or e-mail [email protected].

MediaSmarts: A Day In the Life of the Jos Designed to help students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills related to online privacy and responsible internet use, A Day in the Life of the Jos is an online game for students in Gr. 6 - 8. This interactive game includes a Teacher’s Guide and gives users the ability to track student progress and download quizzes. For more information, visit RVS' web safety page, under Learning in RVS / Supporting, or contact Technology for Learning Secretary Michelle Dean.

RVS STORYTELLERS

KindSight 101 Podcast Featuring Windsong Heights' Allie Apels Windsong Heights Kindergarten teacher Allie Apels was recently featured on KindSight 101's podcast to promote the school's Kindness Ninjas program. Sponsored by Shaw, the program aims to engage students in random acts of kindness in their school, at home and within the greater community. Listen to the podcast to learn more about the Kindness Ninja initiative.

LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Numeracy PL Opportunities Teachers and numeracy leads are encouraged to review the Numeracy PL calendar and session outlines for the 2019/20 school year. A wide array of PL opportunities are available, beginning with Concept Focus: Place Value and Magnitude. The session will take place Sept. 12, 2019, from 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. Registration can be completed via the RVSPL website. Learning Department funding may available for teachers - speak with a school-based administrator for details. Questions can be directed to numeracy specialists Stacy Connolly or Shauna Pascoe.

Administrative Leadership Program Certified staff interested in pursuing a career in school administration are encouraged to register for the Administrative Leadership Program (ALP) Levels 1 and 2. The deadline to register via eForms in Atrieve is Sept. 25, 2019, and space is limited. ALP 1 is an introductory-level program that will explore several concepts and themes around leadership, particularly in the context of RVS. ALP 2 will provide an in-depth look at the area of administration for those candidates who have successfully completed level 1. For complete details, see the Sept. 5, 2019, Memorandums on ALP 1 and ALP 2. Questions can be directed to Area Director Garry Bell.

IN YOUR TOOLBOX

Robotics Kits Available Teachers, did you know that RVS has Robotics Kits available for student use in the classrooms? Each kit contains BB8s, Dots and Dashes, Spheros, Ozobots, Evos and iPads. There are currently four kits available; teachers are encouraged to reserve a kit as soon as possible, as the weekly timeslots are booking up quickly. To book a kit, please refer to the Sept. 3, 2019, Memorandum. Questions can be directed to Learning Specialist Joan Kollewyn.

RVS BLOG

RVS Guest Blogger, Superintendent of Schools Greg Luterbach:

"We" CAN - The Year Ahead After more than a year of planning, we now shift to bringing our new Four Year Plan (4YP), Innovators by Design, to life. As I have said previously, I appreciate all of the input we received in the development stage of the plan; it truly helped shape the plan and crystalized a shared vision of what we want for Rocky View Schools' students.