North Vancouver School District #44

Notes from the desk of John Lewis, Superintendent of Schools

North Vancouver School District #44

Archives for Program Diversity

Concours d’art oratoire 2013

The Canadian Parents for French Concours d’art oratoire (French public speaking competition) is a long-standing tradition in our school district.  On April 16th 2013, 37 French Immersion (FI), Late French Immersion (LFI) and Francophone students from across North Vancouver participated in the North Vancouver School District Concours d’art oratoire final.  It was a beautiful day and students came with great enthusiasm to present a wide variety of well-prepared and entertaining speeches.

2013 District Finals, Elementary Concours Winners from left to right:
Mia Vosburgh (LFI 7e Braemar), Genevieve Naidoo (Francophone 6e Cleveland), Arthur Akbulatov (LFI 6e Boundary), Kaya Brossard (FI 7e Sherwood Park), and Spencer Haslam (FI 6e Dorothy Lynas)

 

2013 District Finals – Secondary Finalists
Secondary Concours Winners:
Kelsey Truran (FI 8e Argyle), Juliette Sachet (Francophone 8e Handsworth), Austyn Jasper (FI 9e Windsor),    Alicia Schmitt (Francophone 9e Handsworth), Stephanie Grondin (FI 10e Handsworth), Catherine Maguire (Francophone 10e Argyle), HarnieshTakhar (FI 11e Handsworth), and
Irene Carrasco (FI 12e Handsworth)

Winners from the district competition then went on to compete with students from across BC in the Provincial Concours d’art oratoire held at SFU Surrey Campus on Saturday May 4th 2013.

Austyn Jasper and Irene Carrasco at the district finals.

Huge congratulations to both Austyn Jasper (Immersion 9e – Windsor) and Irene Carrasco (Immersion 12e – Handsworth) who placed 1st in their respective categories at the provincial competition!  As Irene Carrasco is in grade 12, she has been offered a $2,000 entrance scholarship to the University of Ottawa and she now has the opportunity to go on to travel to the national Concours in Ottawa to compete for a $20,000 scholarship to the University of Ottawa, among other prizes!

This year’s Concours d’art oratoire was a very successful event.  We are proud of the effort and dedication of all students who competed in both the district and provincial competitions.   The speeches were well written and well presented to an audience of their peers, teachers and parents.

For more information about Concours d’art oratoire, please visit the Canadian Parents for French website (www.cpf.bc.ca).

Félicitations à tous!

category: Program Diversity, Sharing & Celebrating Success

VSO/Honour Band & Strings Concert

On April 22, 2013 I was pleased to attend the VSO/Honour Band & Strings Concert at Centennial Theatre. This annual concert featured our District Honour Band and District Honour Strings groups performing alongside the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. I was most impressed by the quality of the music and how enthusiastic the students were in their performances.

This concert would not be possible without the dedication and commitment of our District music teachers. Special thanks to David Bradshaw, Lasse Leslie and Janet Murray, whose significant contribution to the District music program is greatly appreciated.  We are most grateful as well for the continued partnership with the VSO to enable this unique experience for our students!

category: Program Diversity

April …the month of Idélire.

… courtesy of Stephanie Weller, French Immersion and French Second Language Facilitator

Idélire is an annual event that promotes French Canadian children and youth literature to French Immersion students.  This year we were pleased to welcome author Sylvain Dodier and illustrators Gabrielle Grimard and Josée Bisaillon, all from Québec, into our schools to conduct writing workshops and presentations for our students.

Sylvain’s poetry writing workshops were extremely successful. All the students were captivated by his passion for poetry and were all fully engaged in writing their own powerful poetry as Sylvain guided the creative process.

Sylvain Dodier leading a poetry writing workshop with the grade 9 students at Windsor Secondary.

The illustrators’ presentations were all very well received.  Both students and teachers found the explanation of the creative process from the beginning, an idea, to the end, something published in a book, newspaper or magazine, very interesting. Everyone left feeling inspired for future art endeavours.

Josée Bisaillon explaining her illustration process to grade 6 & 7 students at Larson Elementary.

For more information about Idélire, the authors and the illustrators, please visit www.idelire.ca.

category: Instructional Practice, Program Diversity

Green Fair 2013

… our Earth Day feature for 2013 is our Green Fair!

The third annual School District-wide Green Fair brought together local partners in sustainability with students representing the elementary and secondary environmental clubs and projects they are championing at their schools.

Months of planning went into Green Fair 2013, which exceeded all previous attendance and participation records. Students proudly shared their experiences and enthusiasm for school gardens, recycling, saving energy and promoting alternate modes of transportation. Our partners’ displays showcased many of the ongoing sustainability projects we have that are helping to reduce our operating costs and promote healthy school environments. The solar panels and refillable water bottle station at the new Carson Graham Secondary are just two of the many innovative initiatives in the spotlight at this year’s Fair.

We were fortunate that this year’s Fair coincided with the visit of acclaimed education consultant Claire Warden from Scotland. Ms. Warden, a passionate advocate of outdoor learning and environmental education, called Green Fair “a great example of a dynamic community in action.”

My congratulations to the staff and student members of the NVSD Sustainability Committee for organizing this successful event.

category: Community Connections, Program Diversity

18th Annual RCMP Youth Academy Camp

Students at the graduation ceremony of the RCMP Youth Academy at Camp Stillwood in Chilliwack

Over the course of eight days at the end of March, eight of our Secondary students took part in a “mini-depot” training process that simulates the six-month training program offered to new RCMP recruits.

The students, all of whom have an interest in law enforcement careers, participate in afternoon and night-time crime scenarios. Classroom work includes learning about the broader responsibilities of the RCMP in the legal and criminal justice system, and its role in peacekeeping.

With 50 students from five school districts coming together to work and learn, teamwork is a constant value in this life-changing program. This connection with the RCMP Youth Academy is facilitated by our Work Experience Program which introduces students to a wide range of career pathways and opportunities.

“The RCMP Youth Academy was a very challenging and educational experience,” says Stephen, a student at Seycove Secondary. “When we first arrived I don’t think anyone knew what to expect. The first couple of days were very grueling but once we got into the rhythm of things we bonded as a group and truly embraced this awesome experience. I strongly recommend that future candidates follow up on the application for this academy as it’s a very fun and rewarding experience. If you are thinking about a career in policing do not miss out on this opportunity to get a taste of what the RCMP is all about.”

category: Community Connections, Program Diversity

VSO/Honour String Orchestra and Honour Band Concert

April 12, 2013

The annual performance tradition continues! This year, our Elementary Honour Band and Honour Strings students will perform in a concert with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra on April 22nd. Every year, preparing for the concert provides students in our Band & Strings program with a rare opportunity to learn from local, professional musicians.

The pinnacle performance is always a not-to-be-missed event on our calendar. Tickets are available through VSO Customer Service at 604.876.3434.

category: Program Diversity, Sharing & Celebrating Success

Sutherland Music hosts Soshin Girls Wind Orchestra

Sutherland Secondary School has a rich history of music and cultural exchanges with bands from Japan.  This tradition continues with Sutherland hosting the Soshin Girls Wind Orchestra during the spring break.  On behalf of Michelle Workman and the organizing committee, I am pleased to extend to you and your family an invitation to attend this FREE concert at Centennial Theatre at 2 pm on Sunday, March 24.  You will most certainly enjoy the performance!

 

category: Community Connections, Program Diversity

Artists for Kids – After School Art Programs

Daylen Luchsinger, AFK Program Facilitator with young AFK Artist, Jasmine

Monday evening, March 11 was a celebration of the winter after school art program.  Approximately 250 people dropped by to enjoy the student exhibition hung amidst the Artists for Kids Permanent Teaching Collection. For some students this was their first foray into the life of an exhibiting young artist while for many of the students this show is a part of their regular exhibition cycle as Artist for Kids After School Art Veterans.

The celebrated Artists for Kids Program is an incredibly rich visual arts education program made possible through the generous support of the Gordon and Marion Smith Foundation for Young Artists (a registered charity) and through the sale of prints to the public provided through partnerships with our artist patrons.  The AFK Program and the Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art are unique community treasures of North Vancouver!

category: Program Diversity, Sharing & Celebrating Success

District Band and Strings Festival

This year’s District Elementary Band and Strings Festival took place on March 7th and 8th at the Lucas Centre. In all, 26 elementary schools participated in this annual celebration of music. School groups performed for each other over the two days and enjoyed the opportunity to share, learn and listen. Thursday night’s concert featuring the 2013 District Honour Band and Honour Strings performers drew a crowd of over 500 students and parents, and was standing room only! Two professional groups conducted workshops with the band and strings groups prior to their concerts – the Pacific Symphonic Wind Ensemble and the Infinitus Strings.

The Band and Strings Program is one of the exceptional features of the North Vancouver School District made possible through the tremendous efforts of our teachers, our parents, and our partner groups.  ‘Instrumental’ in providing leadership to this event has been teacher Lasse Leslie who organized over 1,000 student participants with the strong support of our District’s Band & Strings teachers.  Thank you for making this event a great success!

category: Program Diversity, Sharing & Celebrating Success

Digital Media Youth Expo 2013 at Argyle Secondary School

Argyle Secondary School is hosting the Digital Media Youth Expo 2013 on Saturday March 2, 2013. The event will run from noon to 4 PM and is hosted by the Digital Media Academy (DMA) of the North Vancouver School District.

The goal of the Digital Media Youth Expo is similar to that of the DMA which is to bring together high school students and their parents, teachers, post-secondary students and educators and members of industry to learn about the many educational and employment opportunities in digital media.  Although our key audience is high school students and their parents, this event is open to anyone in the community.  We expect that this event will be of interest to many college level students and people from industry and education.

The Expo will have over 14 different colleges and Universities represented with booths focusing on the programs offered in the areas of Film, Graphic Design, Visual Effects, Animation, Game Design, and Sound Design. There will be over 12 presentations, hands-on workshops, and demonstrations on topics ranging from Animation for Game Design, 3D Printing, CG Lighting and Shading, and Storyboard Art, to name a few.

It will be a great opportunity to network and chat with industry professionals, instructors from colleges and universities, fellow educators, and college and high school students.

 

Registration is free via the Digital Media Academy web site or facebook

http://www.dmacademy.ca/

https://www.facebook.com/DigitalMediaAcademyNVSD44

Murray Bulger

Digital Media Academy, Digital Media/IT

Argyle Secondary School

 

category: Community Connections, Information & Communication Technology, Program Diversity
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