A new school year has just started, with new routines, new teachers, and new friends. It’s all a part of heading back to school for more than 650,000 K–12 students in British Columbia. Here are some resources to help ease the transition and get kids and families ready for the classroom.
All students in B.C. are benefiting from a new curriculum that provides a hands-on learning approach that encourages collaboration, critical thinking, and communication. The new curriculum for Grades 11 and 12 has been finalized, and is in place for the 2019/20 school year. Go to https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/ for details.
Families on income and disability assistance can get help with back to school costs like school supplies and clothing. Find out more about the School Start-up Supplement at http://ow.ly/YKUS303mQKB.
Is your child an academic star, an athlete, or an artist? Let their hard work pay off by applying for a B.C. scholarship; go to www.bced.gov.bc.ca/awards for details.
Open educational resources are tools and supports that are available at no cost. They’re designed to support learning for K–12 students and adult learners, and parents and teachers will also find them helpful in supporting students. Download the free PDFs at https://www.openschool.bc.ca/k12/ to use as a course textbook, get more practice in a difficult subject, or complete advanced study in a specific area of interest.
The high cost of textbooks has become a serious obstacle to accessing post-secondary education in B.C. However, BCcampus, an agency of the provincial government, is tasked with centralizing efforts to create and enhance open education resources in the province for those in post-secondary education. You can search for quality open textbooks offered in a variety of digital formats at https://open.bccampus.ca/.
The games are fun, the message serious. In the digital age, children need to understand the value of their privacy and the importance of protecting their personal information online. A new series of activity sheets released by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Canada aims to help teachers and parents start the important conversation about digital privacy with young children. The series, which is aimed at students in Grades 1 to 3, puts a privacy twist on familiar children’s games and activities, including “Privacy Snakes and Ladders” and a word jumble with privacy-related terms. Download PDFs of the games at http://bit.ly/2Zz8SDw.
Keep your children free from discrimination, bullying, harassment, intimidation, and violence. New resources and training for students, parents, and education and community partners, including an updated safety-reporting tool, were launched last year, and details can be found at https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/erase.
Are you concerned about your child’s mental health? Foundry centres provide a one-stop-shop for young people to access mental health care, substance-use services, primary care, social services, and youth and family peer supports. Go to http://www.foundrybc.ca/.
Browse the list of public institutions that offer tuition-free English-language learning courses, and find out how to apply, at http://bit.ly/2LGr8A7.
Are you thinking about upgrading or making a career change? Academic courses are free of charge for all B.C. adult learners. Find out more at http://ow.ly/pMEf30ezu6n.
A $1,200 grant for eligible elementary school students born after 2010 is available, and there are no additional fees or financial contributions needed to sign up for the B.C. Training and Education Savings Grant, which will help you plan for your child’s future and can be done free through most financial institution. Find out if your child is eligible and how to apply at https://bit.ly/2yPmDPK.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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