September Spotlights -- all staff

Welcome back to our library!  Stop by for a coffee and a packaged treat Monday morning at Monday Sept 20 between 8:30 and 9:00 in the office adjacent to the library.   

Please RSVP on this Google form.

LIBRARY ACCESS/SUPPORTS

• The library is open for 45 minutes before and after school, and during lunch.
•  Supports provided by the teacher-librarian and library clerk are posted here.
•  Please note that Sook's hours were reduced as a result of district cutbacks:  Her hours as are follows:   Monday-Thursday 8:45 am - 2 pm; Friday 8:45 am -12:45 pm.
• The library web site  contains many useful resources - a Digital Resource Hub of reliable resources, Inquiry Pathfinders, Citation tools and much more !
• off-site passwords for all EBSCO databases in the Digital Resource Hub are as follows:      user name = vichigh/password = vh2021!
• off-site password for all GALE databases in the Digital Resource Hub is as follows:  password = vichigh (no user name required)
• Password to ALL pages beneath the Staff Resources tab on the library web page is vhstaff1914
• passwords for special subscriptions (Times Colonist, CBC Curio, etc.) are posted below the icon for the subscription on the Special Subscriptions page beneath the Staff Resources Hub

THEMES & RESOURCES

Science Literacy Week

For this year's theme  climate, the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada has assembled a list of online events/activities to help students explore this theme from different perspectives.

 Visit http://www.scienceliteracy.ca/events/ and search events by age group, event type (ex. online), and date.

The library will display a number of resources related to climate during Science Literacy week.  Teachers are welcome to organize a learning activity around this resources with Wendy in the library.

Truth & Reconciliation Week (Sept. 27- Oct. 1)

The library has ordered  the digital publication Truth and Reconciliation Week 2021 from the National Center for Truth and Reconciliation. This publication, along with the educator's guide, will be released soon.  Wendy will be posting it on the Special Subscriptions link as soon as it is received. Update - Sept. 16:   Guides are now posted in the Special Subscriptions link beneath the heading Cross-Curricular Resources.

Additionally, Les Plan Educational Resources is providing the following free online resources to teachers.  These publications are geared toward junior grades and students needing greater support in reading.

1. Building Bridges – Issue 1: This theme-based resource examines Canada’s colonial history and its impact on Indigenous Peoples through the lens of current events. The theme of the September issue is Residential Schools, including #215 and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Download this 45-page pdf,  available in two levels (Level 1– grades 5 andup; Level 2 – grades 8 and up) here.

2. The Canadian Reader– Issue 1: The September issue of this publication, aimed at students in grades 3 and up, includes the article ‘Paper Cranes Honor the Children’. This story explores a project being led by the Japanese Cultural Association in Manitoba encouraging Japanese Canadians to make paper cranes as a way of showing support for Residential School Survivors and their families, and honoring the children who died. You can find this article, and a detailed lesson plan, on pp. 24-31 of the full resource, available here. (Enter the password 'silver' to download.)

3. Currents4Kids (grades 3 and up) and News4Youth (grades 8 and up) offer a number of Indigenous and reconciliation-themed articles written for students, as well as quizzes, writing prompts, links, and extension activities. The article ‘Every Child Matters’, published in June 2021, discusses the discovery of unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.

 Access these articles and their accompanying resources by signing up for a free, no-obligation 30-day trial at Currents4Kids.com and News4Youth.com. (Note that these are separate publications; you will need to create an account for each one that you wish to access.) Click on ‘Archives’ and select ‘Indigenous’ to search for relevant content. Download a pdf of any article and quiz on the Teacher’s Corner tab. 

4. What in the World? – Issue 1:  The article 'A New Governor General for Canada' explores the significance of Mary Simon's installation as Canada's 30th – and first Indigenous – Governor General in the context of the recent discoveries of unmarked graves at former Indian Residential Schools.This article, and the accompanying curriculum, are found on pages 5-10 of thepdf available here. The password to download the Level 1 version is 'soccer'; the Level2 password is 'gold'. 

Times Colonist newspaper for your classroom

The digital edition is available from the Special Subscriptions page of the library web site.

The library and staff room will carry print copies.  If you'd like a print copy for your classroom, please email Wendy.

AUDIO VISUAL RESOURCES THAT SUPPORT CURRICULUM

Vic High will continue to enjoy access to  CBC Curio, NFB (National Film Board) Campus, and Criterion on Demand.  These rich film and documentary resources augment our hard-copy library collection (room adjacent to circulation desk) and support teaching and learning in multiple subject areas. The school district now pays for both Criterion and NFB, while Vic High Library pays for CBC Curio ($1322), which provides access to CBC News in Review, The National Geographic Channel, and the BBC channel.

Access all three resources from the Special Subscriptions page of the library web site. Log into this page with the password vhstaff1914. Click the icons and use the posted log in information adjacent to each icon.

Advantages:

• observe copyright/licensing laws
• vetted & curated for reliability, currency, age-appropriateness and curricular connections
• time-saving teacher guides/lesson plans
• starter guides to support ease of use (these are posted in the Special Subscriptions page alongside the resources)
• Other features: Check out Special features of NFB Campus,  Special features of CBC Curio

UNIQUE CROSS-CURRICULAR INQUIRY OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS

Vic High students have the opportunity to participate in inquiry learning opportunities and 21st century "new curriculum" in a project focus  that will culminate in a piece of original art -- to be installed at the renovated Grant Street campus.  The art and its installation will be funded by the Fernwood Community Association -- a generous gift to Vic High!

The focal point:  Emily Carr -- an alumna of Vic High

Possible themes for an inquiry project:  Carr's artwork, writings, breaking boundaries as a female artist/entrepreneur;  broader connections to Indigenous art/culture, representation of Indigenous cultures, Victoria's culture during Carr's  lifetime, geography/natural world of British Columbia. Other themes are possible!

Inquiry questions:  student-developed based on the above themes or other related themes

Learning outcomes/competencies:  teacher developed, based on the course, class, individual student

Ways of exploring an inquiry topic:  writing (essay, biography, poetry), artwork, photography, podcast, video -- among other formats!

The end product:  students' projects - or parts of them -- will be reproduced on paper and synthesized into a 3D sculpture created by talented local artist/sculptor Tanya Bub.  You can view Tanya's work on her Instagram profile @victoriadrifter and at https://tanyabub.myportfolio.com/

Duration:   all four quarters of the 2021-22 school year, which provides the artist a year of working time to create the sculpture for our school.

This initiative is all about the students' learning -- skills YOU want them to develop in your subject area, and themes that students want to explore.  Please think about possibilities for your teaching area(s) and we can co- plan a library-based inquiry around your classroom needs!