Volume 13, Issue 9

"Teacher: a multi-tasking rockstar who lives to inspire and and loves to encourage."

PIE recognizes all the hard work staff and parents do to help students and children succeed. You deserve more than one day of appreciation! 🏆

How many years have you been working in education? 16+ years

What do you love about your role? I love the relationships I have with my students and their families! At IDLC we often have students for more than one year and then we also often have siblings the following years so we really get to know our families over a long period of time. This allows me to connect on a deeper level and allows a longer window to witness development, learning and progress over many years.

What is your favourite book? Ooooh- there are so many good ones that this is a tough question for me! One of my all time favourites would have to be To The Wedding by John Berger but a novel I read more recently that I really enjoyed was American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins.

Care to share a fun fact about yourself? What about a random fact or stat that students might find interesting? Fun Fact about myself: I was once hypnotized by Reveen on stage at Queen Elizabeth Theatre! Random Fact: Elephants are the only animal that can't jump!

How many years have you been working in education? 3 years.

What do you love about your role? Kids remind me to be curious, creative, and my authentic self. They show me that magic still exists everywhere in our world!

What is your favourite book? Jitterbug Perfume

Care to share a fun fact about yourself? I play with fire! No, not with my hands--I have a fire staff that I light up flow with :)

I was raised on Haida Gwaii and Vancouver Island and feel a strong connection to the coastal environment. I grew up working in my parent's family restaurant called the "Cafe Gallery" where local artists could exhibit their work and people could enjoy a cup of coffee from their favourite mug. I have fond memories of participating in community concerts and theater productions as a kid. I attended the Fort Langley Fine Arts school where I studied music briefly but it had a huge influence on my life and I just love being surrounded by captivating sounds. At UVIC I studied Spanish and Biology where I was lucky to spend time in the field, in the company of Spirit Bears, Salmon, and smelly gear. In the winter I like to cross-country ski and in the summer I like to go bird-watching.

How many years have you been working in education? Formally I have been teaching in the Public School system for 4 years, but I have been an Environmental Educator for over 10 years.

What do you love about your role? Teaching outdoors means that every day I get to consider the weather and location. I love how much this helps shape the day and feel connected to place. I also enjoy being able to sing every morning with the kiddos!

What is your favourite book? Island of the Blue Dolphins

Care to share a fun fact about yourself? What about a random fact or stat that students might find interesting? I used to do a lot of cartwheels as a kid!

In early May, K-2 students in qathet Region read Jan Brett's classic book "Town Mouse, Country Mouse" and voted on whether they would rather live in the city of country. They also studied the different sounds the letter "C" can make! Do you know what sounds "C" makes?

For her Unit 4 project in Science for Citizens 11, Mary wrote her version of the traditional North Coast Indigenous story "How the Raven Stole the Sun." Click here to read it!

PIE students had a great time with Isobel from the Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre during a virtual Interaction Day visit! We discovered who needs bones and why, studied some skulls and claws and how they differ between predator and prey animals and got to view x-rays and guess which creatures they belonged to. We also had a visit with special guests under the microscope, some rainforest invertebrate friends who stopped by from the woods outside!

PIE students in the Comox Valley enjoyed a guided historical tour of Cumberland. Here they are in front of Jumbo’s cabin which was built in the 1920's and is the last remaining building left in Chinatown.

The Science World Fantastic Forces virtual field trip was an awesome experience for PIE students! They enjoyed lots of laughs while investigating cool things forces can do, with the help of Stefano's hilarious physics demonstrations!

This lesson was presented in a blended classroom with students and staff invited to join via Teams. For this picture, we were asked to talk to a friend and think about what we noticed, in relation to patterns.

From the description: “In particular, this opportunity will focus on pattern creation and understanding of patterns and could be a great opportunity to explore other pattern based topics such as the Fibonacci sequence.”

To learn how to do Métis Fingerweaving, click here!

Students worked on creating cave art with Lisa and Katrina at the Tsolum Building in the Comox Valley.

These are some pictures from the final day of the Comox Valley Mountain Bike Club. The final day was spent in Cumberland on the 'After School Special' and '4 Pack' trails.

The return to Camp Imadene after a three-year hiatus was everything we hoped it would be. The ability to relax, have fun and make connections with students, parents and PIE staff reminded all of us of the exceptionally inclusive dynamic that emerges when we're there. The Imadene staff did an outstanding job of making the activities, including the long-time favourite Tower Game, fun and memorable for all of us.

There will be four blended classes offered next year at the Oceanview Education Centre. To learn more about what they are and when they are offered, contact Don Fairbairn.

Check out this amazing resource for teens: click here!

We are gearing up for Pride Month and have some wonderful resources and opportunities for you to enjoy.

• June 15: Pride Jewelry Making with PIE alumni, Ava
• History of the Pride Flag
• List of super LGBTQIA+ books for kids
• History of Pride for kids

June 🌞

2: Term 3 Submission Deadline

8-9: Eco-Edventure Camp - SD47 Outdoor Learning Centre

13: PIE Pool Party - Comox Valley

16: Beach Day - Mowat Bay

21: National Indigenous Peoples Day

30: Administrative Day (Schools Close)

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Email: stephanie.hall@sd47.bc.ca
Website: https://www.sd47.bc.ca/school/pie/Pages/default.aspx#/=
Location: 7105 Nootka St, Powell River, BC, Canada
Phone: (604) 485-2756
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/16157794226
Twitter: @pie_partners