CONNECTIONS

CONNECTIONS 


A magazine for for students and parents in in Maple the Maple Ridge Ridge - Pitt - Meadows Pitt Meadows School District 

SPRING 2013 

choice programs 

UNIQUE EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS IN SD42 

Discover and explore some of the great program options 

in Maple Ridge - Pitt Meadows School District No.42 

Montessori * Trades & Apprenticeships * Self-Directed Learning * Fine Arts * 

International Baccalaureate Program & more

2 Connections · Spring 2013 | Maple Ridge - PItt Meadows School District

inside: 

{ HIgH SCHooL ProfILES } 

{ grEat ProgramS } 



A A magazine for for students and and parents in in Maple the Maple Ridge Ridge - Pitt - Meadows Pitt Meadows School District 

05 International Baccalaureate ® World School: Garibaldi Secondary 

07 The Fine Art of Education: Maple Ridge Secondary 

09 Brains and Brawn: Pitt Meadows Secondary 

11 Microsoft ® IT Academy: Samuel Robertson Technical 

13 Self-Directed Learning: Thomas Haney Secondary 

15 A Community of Leaders: Westview Secondary 

16 Targeted Career Path: Trades and Apprenticeships. 

17 Summer Learning 2012 Gets R.E.A.L.: Pitt Meadows Secondary 

Vice-Principal Tom Levesque writes about this award-winning 

summer learning program. 

18 French Immersion: Joanne Rowen documents the nature and 

history of the SD42 French Immersion program. 

19 Reporting on the Whole Child: Learn about the new student 

inclusive conferencing in SD42. 

20 Montessori Program at Hammond Elementary: Read about this 

great program option for children from kindergarten to grade 5. 

21 SD42 Cyberschool: An interview with Dave Dixon about the 

increasingly popular SD42 Cyberschool Program. 

22 Minecraftedu at Highland Park Elementary: Teacher Joel Olson 

writes about his creative use of the MinecraftEdu program in class. 

23 SD42 Environmental School: Contextual and experiential learning 

in the Maple Ridge - Pitt Meadows School District. 

editor’s note: 

3 Connections · Spring 2013 | Maple Ridge - PItt Meadows School District 

Issue 9 Spring 2013 

Editor Irena Pochop 

Layout/Design Irena Pochop 

Contributors Jenna Crews, Leena Jokinen, Olivia 

Leaf, Tom Levesque, Joel, Olson, Joanne Rowen, 

Sara Stanley 

Cover Sarah Halliday 

SD42 Connections is published by School 

District No. 42 (Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows) in 

partnership with Maple Ridge Times newspaper. 

Approximately 9,000 copies are distributed 

through all SD42 schools and several community 

locations twice a year. SD42 is grateful to all 

the advertising sponsors and supporters who 

have made this issue possible. Proceeds from 

advertising have paid for the production and 

distribution of this issue. Remaining profits have 

gone to SD42. 

Publishing partner Maple Ridge Times 

Issue 9 - Spring 2013 

22225 Brown Avenue 

Maple Ridge, BC V2X 8N6 

www.sd42.ca 

604.463.4200 

www.facebook.com/MapleRidgePittMeadowsSchoolSD42 

Twitter: @sd42news 

Welcome to the Spring 2013 issue of Connections magazine. This is the first issue we are publishing in partnership with the Maple Ridge 

Times newspaper. We are thrilled about this opportunity and want to thank the MR Times staff for their willingness to take on this 

challenging and rewarding task. 

Since this is a fresh start of sorts, we’ve decided to seize the moment and highlight some of the great program options in the Maple Ridge 

- Pitt Meadows School District. In this issue, you will learn a little about each one of our six high schools and will also get a glimpse into a 

few of the programs that we offer district-wide. I encourage you to visit us at www.sd42.ca to learn about the many other opportunities in 

your school district. To stay in touch with us year-round, find us on Facebook and Twitter. 

A sincere thank you to all our students and staff for a wonderful school year. Wishing you a safe and happy summer,

4 Connections · Spring 2013 | Maple Ridge - Pitt Meadows School District No.42

International Baccalaureate ® World School 

Garibaldi Secondary 

LIke ALL oTheR hIgh 

schools in the Maple Ridge - 

Pitt Meadows School District, 

garibaldi Secondary offers its students 

a buffet of program options. 

The school is home to the BCIT 

Automotive Program, the BCIT 

electrician Level 1 Program, the 

Interdisciplinary Arts Academy, and the 

International Baccalaureate Program. 

This last program option - the 

International Baccalaureate Program 

or “IB” - has distinguished garibaldi 

Secondary as one of only fourteen 

International World Schools in all of BC. 

IB Program Coordinator and english 

Department head Steve Moore brought 

the program into the school six years ago 

and has since watched it thrive. 

Recognized worldwide as the very best 

preparation for university and college 

bound students, IB offers interested 

grade 11 and 12 students a rigorous 

academic program and a smooth 

transition into university. 

“Not only do the universities give 

students who complete the IB program 

first year credit, but they also expect us 

to teach it – and we do teach it – at the 

university level,” says Moore, adding 

that all IB teachers must themselves 

go through a rigorous training and 

certification program. 

The payoff for all this work on the 

part of teachers and students alike is 

not only first year university credit (a 

welcome savings in any economy), but 

also a virtual guarantee that the student’s 

transition into university will be smooth. 

For all IB courses, both internal and 

external examiners share the responsibility 

of marking student work, which Moore 

sees as especially beneficial. 

“That’s the rigor of the program,” says 

Moore. “That’s why universities court 

IB students.” 

And although the school advises 

students who are interested in the IB 

program to prepare for it by registering 

in the honours program for grades 

9 and 10, Moore explains that the 

honours track is not a prerequisite. 

“IB is committed to inclusion, so we 

have a great learning assistance system 

in place at the school that provides 

students any support they might need.” 

This support can range anywhere from 

supplying a dictation device to offering a 

student more time to complete an exam. 

“If you’re an academic kid, I really 

see no reason not to be here. We 

can teach way beyond the provincial 

curriculum,” says Moore. 


“If you’re an academic kid, I 

really see no reason not to be 

here. We can teach way beyond 

the provincial curriculum. 

- Steve Moore 

Garibaldi teachers care about 

your goals and ambitions and not 

just the mark you’re receiving in 

their class. The principal doesn’t 

sit behind a desk all day doing 

paperwork but instead has a drive 

to get everyone inspired, creating 

a monthly “Jam Sesh.” And 

instead of passing on rumours, at 

Garibaldi we pass on scarves. Every 

new student receives a scarf in our 

school colours to wear, to unite, 

to become part of this family. 

What we have in our school is 

remarkable, and I can say proudly 

that I am a Garibaldi Rebel. 

- Sara Stanley, Garibaldi student


the fine art of Education 

Maple Ridge Secondary 

FReNCh IMMeRSIoN, a 

strong Athletics Program, the 

Digital Arts Academy, iPad 

Project, Advanced Placement and 

the Culinary Arts are just a few of the 

program options offered at Maple 

Ridge Secondary School (MRSS). 

The school also has a robust Fine Arts 

program with many levels of bands, 

choirs, jazz bands, vocal jazz, chamber 

choir, and guitar. 

MRSS ensembles have earned top 

awards at festivals from hawaii to San 

Francisco and Disneyland. 

“Fine Arts are a vital component of 

an education,” says Shannon Derinzy, 

school principal. 

“They encourage creativity, social 

interactions, and higher-level thinking.” 

known in the community and in the 

province for its high caliber music 

program, MRSS offers its Fine Arts 

students unique opportunities for 

growth and development. 

“We went to New York this year!” says 

aspiring actress and music enthusiast 

Rachel Renaud. 

“every year we get to do something 

that helps us learn and that lets us apply 

what we’ve learned,” adds Rachel’s 

brother, grade 11 student Nic Renaud. 

During this year’s trip to New York, fifty 

MRSS students had the opportunity 

to train with a choreographer from The 

Phantom of the Opera and participate in 

workshops led by a Juilliard professor 

and by the conductor of the Brooklyn 

youth chorus. 

“We’re really pushed to do our best 

and get lots of opportunities to 

showcase our talent” says Nic. 

Although the annual trips are selffunded, 

students are able to help pay 

for them through fundraisers. 

In addition to their annual trips, students 

also have a chance to participate in local 

festivals, such as the Vancouver kiwanis 

Music Festival. 

The successes that MRSS music and 

drama students enjoy speak to the 

robustness of the school’s Fine Arts 

programs. 

This year the Junior Choir qualified for 

the Provincial Festival while the senior 

Jazz Band took home an “excellent” at 

the envision Jazz Festival. 

on the drama end, MRSS’s production 

of The Last Moon earned Nic Renaud 

an “excellence in Stage Management” 

award at the Sears BC Drama Festival, 

while the play’s two actresses 

emma Quan and Rachel Renaud 

snatched both “outstanding Female 

Performance” awards. 

“ I want to be a music teacher when 

I finish high school, and this school 

has really given me the training and 

experience for that,” says Nic. 


“ 

At Maple Ridge Secondary 

we have a proud tradition of 

making beautiful music. 

- Shannon Derinzy, Principal 

Photo: Denise O’Brien prepares the choir 

for a Christmas Desserts Concert


Brains and Brawn: 

Pitt Meadows Secondary 

IF You ARe searching for a 

school with a solid combination 

of academics and athletics, brains 

and brawn, look no further than Pitt 

Meadows Secondary School. 

one of two French Immersion 

secondary schools in School District 

No. 42, Pitt Meadows Secondary offers 

its students a wide selection of athletic 

programs, but also fosters and supports 

strong academic achievement. 

Students enrolled in the school’s French 

Immersion program are given national 

and international opportunities to 

flaunt and improve their French 

language chops, while all Pitt Meadows 

Secondary students can take advantage 

of the school’s unusually broad range of 

sports offerings. 

From track & field, basketball, 

football, golf, soccer and volleyball 

to hockey, Pitt Meadows Secondary 

pretty much has it all. 

And only a cursory glance at the 

local papers will tell you that some 

of these programs have enjoyed an 

especially gratifying level of success. 

Athletic Director Rich goulet, a 

recent recipient of the Community 

Leader Award at the Inaugural Prime 

Minister’s Volunteer Awards, notes 

that the school’s boys basketball team 

has been to the provincials nine out of 

ten times. This is no small feat. 

“We’re a double-A school but in 

basketball we complete in triple-A,” 

says goulet. “We’ve been able to make 

it to the provincials regularly, so we 

also have that going for us.” 

In the area of track and field, the 

school is also beginning to see many 

of its athletes placing consistently top 

three in their events and move on to 

provincial and national competitions. 

Although the time commitment for 

some of these sports can be significant, 

the results are rewarding. 

“But it’s not just about doing your sports 

and that’s it,” goulet stresses. “The 

academic side is very important here.” 

goulet reflects that a good 90% of the 

athletes on the junior basketball team - 

a team that had just finished second in 

the province - had earned As and Bs in 

their academic work. 

“I looked at the report cards and was 

pleasantly shocked,” says goulet. 

Whether you’re in search of a strong 

French Immersion program, solid 

academics, or great sports program 

options, Pitt Meadows Secondary has 

what you need. 

As Coach goulet says: “academics and 

athletics go together here and that’s 

really important. We’re proud of that.” 


“Academics and athletics go 

together here and that’s really 

important. 

- Rich Goulet, Athletic Director 

Photo: Shutterstock


microsoft ® It academy 

Samuel Robertson Technical 

MuLTI-PLATFoRM 

classes, increased directed 

studies, the School of 

Rock program, the hairdressing 

Academy and an emphasis on extracurricular 

athletics are just a few of 

the great program options available at 

Samuel Robertson Technical (SRT). 

Starting September 2013, Samuel 

Robertson Technical will be adding 

another exciting new educational 

opportunity - the Microsoft ® IT 

Academy. SD42 students enrolled in 

the school’s Microsoft ® IT Academy will 

be able to follow official Microsoft 

curriculum to receive valuable 

Microsoft Certification. 

SRT teacher Brad Dingler brought the 

Microsoft ® IT Academy to the Maple 

Ridge - Pitt Meadows School District 

with the help of CCI Learning Solutions 

Inc., who supply all training materials. 

kids need a broad range of program 

options in today’s changing world, 

Dingler observes, and that’s what this new 

and exciting program option is all about. 

“When a student leaves high school 

with three or four Microsoft 

Certifications, he or she can walk 

straight into a job,” Dingler says. 

To get certified, a student must work 

through the Microsoft curriculum as it 

is provided by CCI Learning Solutions. 

Dingler explains that the certification 

process has several levels and that 

students move through these by 

passing Microsoft Certification exams. 

A student is first certified as Specialist, 

then Expert, and finally Master. 

But it is up to each student to determine 

his or her own path in the program. 

“It takes a fair number of certifications to 

get to the Master level,” Dingler explains. 

That said, because the curriculum is 

structured towards a 100% success rate, 

a Master level is within reach for every 

student willing to invest the time. 

In all, Microsoft offers five certification 

streams - Server, Desktop, Applications, 

Database, and Developer. 

SRT has elected to jump-start its 

Academy with Microsoft’s OneNote 

application, which requires the least 

amount of time to complete. 

Dingler anticipates that the program 

will prove a popular program option in 

the Maple Ridge - Pitt Meadows School 

District. The plan, he says, is to make 

this certification available not only to 

SD42 students, but also to the Maple 

Ridge - Pitt Meadows community. 

Dingler says: “As far as I know, we’re 

the first school district in B.C. that is 

doing this. other districts are looking 

at Microsoft Certification quite actively 

but in this province we are on the 

cutting edge.” 


Don’t be fooled by our name, 

we aren’t entirely a technical 

school! Not only are the teachers 

at SRT great at their job, they 

also know how to have a laugh 

with the students! As a grade 

8 student, I felt very welcome 

when I first set foot in the school. 

SRT happens to have some of 

the most dedicated students 

around. Just pop by during spirit 

week and you’ll see what I mean! 

Whether you’re interested in the 

trades or just want to be in a 

comfortable and safe school, SRT 

is one of the best places around! 

- By Olivia Leaf, SRT student


Self-Directed Learning 

Thomas Haney Secondary 

here is a high school unlike 

any other in the district. In 

fact, here is a high school 

unlike most in the country. 

A member of the Canadian Coalition 

of Self-Directed Learning, Thomas 

haney Secondary offers its students 

a personalized, flexible and unique 

approach to education. 

While grade 8 students follow a 

“conventional” timetable in structured 

classes, this structure is gradually 

replaced by a greater degree of flexibility 

as students move into higher grades. 

With flexibility come additional 

program options, including courses 

such as scriptwriting, digital video and 

animation, languages, drama, film, or 

cook training. 

From grade 9 on, students begin to work 

individually or in group settings while 

still receiving some direct instruction in 

their scheduled classes. 

“What we offer here is a personalized 

and self-directed learning model,” says 

school principal Sean Nosek. 

This learning model effectively gives 

students control over the when, where 

and how of learning. While students who 

are struggling in a course can set aside 

additional time for that subject, those 

who are ready to move ahead can do so 

and graduate early. 

It’s the kind of flexiblity within structure 

that one sees in post-secondary settings, 

and the kind of learning model that both 

empowers students and gives them a 

sense of ownership over their education. 

The very tone of the school is unique, 

says Nosek, explaining that the relaxed, 

happy and friendly atmosphere in 

the school is a direct result of this 

approach to learning. 

“our teachers aren’t trapped in 

classroom four or five blocks a day,” 

Nosek says. 

The success and popularity of this 

learning model is reflected not only 

in the number of visits the school 

receives from educators around the 

world, but also in the steady growth 

of the school’s student population at 

a time when most other secondary 

schools in the province are struggling 

with declining enrolment. 

“It really speaks to demand,” Nosek 

reflects. 

Thomas haney attracts a broad 

range of students, from those who 

have struggled in more conventional 

classroom settings to those who are 

independent, self-motivated, and 

driven. 

“Whether it’s our welcoming 

environment or that opportunity to 

learn in a personalized way, many 

students gravitate to this school and 

find success here,” says Nosek. 


Diverse, understanding, and open 

to anything - three words that 

describe Thomas Haney Secondary, 

where the kids of today are offered 

a well-rounded way of schooling. 

This non-traditional school is from 

grade 8-12 and offers all different 

types of programs. Students at 

THSS are self-directed and unique. 

Since the school is self-directed, 

students are able to make their 

own plans with teachers as long 

as those plans follow the learning 

outcomes for the course. From 

the unique schooling option to the 

courses you can take - including 

woodshop, metal, mechanic, and 

Equestrian Academy - THSS is truly 

a well-rounded school that prepares 

students for their amazing futures 

- Jenna Crews, THSS student 

Thomas Haney’s “Call to Action” conference - a 

conference outlining the school’s 21st Century 

approach to education - attracted educators from 

across the districts and from across the country.


a Community of Leaders: 

Westview Secondary 

Boasting an impressive portfolio 

of academic, athletic and Fine 

Arts programs, Westview 

Secondary School has a great deal 

to offer. over the years, many of the 

school’s alumni have gone on to 

become notable community leaders, 

business leaders, and both amateur 

and professional athletes. 

Among the things the school does 

exceptionally well is encourage its 

students to engage in leadership 

activities, leadership classes, and 

community partnerships. 

“Leadership has really grown and been 

built on in the school in the last couple 

of years,” says Vice-Principal Tricia 

McCuaig. 

This growth, she explains, has been 

both strategic and organic. 

“We had more and more kids looking 

for those kinds of opportunities and 

wanting to participate and be a part of 

the school community, so we made a 

conscious commitment to encourage 

and support student leadership.” 

The school currently runs two 

Leadership Classes – one junior and 

one senior class. The goal of both is to 

strengthen and develop students’ skills 

in communication, team building and 

delegation, organization, self-awareness, 

goal setting, and problem solving. 

“We’re offering kids the kind of 

opportunities they might not 

otherwise have, and they’re taking full 

advantage of them,” says McCuaig. 

especially successful has been the 

strong partnership that the school 

has built up with the neighbouring 

elementary schools, glenwood and 

Laity View. 

The younger students come in to 

take cooking classes and to work 

with older buddies on various school 

improvement projects. 

“We have our leadership kids working 

on the improvement of the courtyard, 

and the little ones come in to help and 

to do some rock painting for example,” 

McCuaig explains. 

The school has also actively 

participated in a number of other 

community and leadership building 

initiatives, including the Me to We 

Program and High Five Fridays. 

McCuaig observes that once students 

have had the opportunity to engage 

in such activities, they frequently start 

taking on similar projects on their own. 

And while it is the leadership students 

who initially take on such projects, 

McCauig reflects that it isn’t long before 

the whole school community becomes 

actively involved. 

“It’s a good cultural feeling,” she says. 

15 Connections · Spring 2013 | Maple Ridge - Pitt Meadows School District No.42 

Stephanie Mastandrea and Ava Ford participate 

in the Buddy Reading Program, which promotes 

literacy and provides WSS student with 

mentorship opportunities. 

Sarir Parvizi with Amanda Bright read together. 

The program gives younges students a positive 

introduction to secondary school. 

Westview is a school that is like a 

family. We have a number of unique 

students and they are all accepted 

with open arms. If anyone is in 

need of help, they find that help 

even when it’s after school hours 

or the weekend. We can get help 

not only from our counselors, but 

also from our school principal 

and two vice-principals, who have 

shared their personal telephone 

numbers with all students. 

Leena Jokinen, WSS student

targeted Career Path 

Trades & Apprenticeships 

Photo: Students in the Westview Secondary Automotive Program 

R 

ACheLLe’S WIN marks 

the fourth year in a row that a 

Salon 42 student took the top 

prize in this category. Taylor Carrier 

won gold in 2012, Molly Liu won it in 

2011, and Melissa Blomly set the bar 

with her gold medal win in 2010. 

SRT’s successful Salon 42 program 

is only one of many trades and 

apprenticeship opportunities in the 

Maple Ridge - Pitt Meadows School 

District. Since their inception, the 

trades programs at SD42 have 

flourished and multiplied. 

“There have been over twenty years 

of program options in this school 

district that have changed the course of 

many young people’s lives,” says Ron 

Lancaster, who oversees the trades 

and apprenticeship programs at School 

District No. 42. 

In addition to Salon 42, the Maple 

Ridge - Pitt Meadows School District 

also offers a certificate program in 

the Culinary Arts, an apprenticeship 

certificate in Construction Carpentry 

Trades, Automotive Service Technician 

training, a certificate program in 

electrician Level 1 Apprenticeship, a 

certificate program in Metal Fabrication, 

a new apprenticeship in Plumbing, and 

many others. 

Trades opportunities in this school 

district are growing, Lancaster explains, 

because the appetite for trades training 

is steadily increasing. 

Recent forecasts predict a skilled 

labour shortage in BC of 160,000 

people by 2015, and parents and 

students are starting understand the 

value of a more strategically targeted 

career path. 

“At one time, there was the perception 

that the trades were dirty, dingy and 

dull, but today they’re not like that,” 

says Lancaster. “Technology has really 

changed things and has made the field 

quite competitive.” 

Lancaster points out that fewer than thirty 

percent of career paths require a university 

education today, but that the number of 


“ 

There have been over twenty 

years of program options in 

this school district that have 

changed the course of many 

young people’s lives 

- Ron Lancaster 

On April 18, 2013, Rachelle Garcia, a student enrolled in the Hairstyling Academy Salon 42 program at Samuel 

Robertson Secondary (SRT), earned the gold medal in the Skilled Trades Competition run by Vancouver 

Community College. 

students in university competing for those 

opportunities continues to grow. 

“This school district has recognized that 

not all career paths lead through the 

university, and has provided students 

with some amazing opportunities,” 

Lancaster says. 

This year has brought the strongest 

pool of applicants yet, with over 160 

applications for the trades programs. 

This is no surprise, says Lancaster. The 

perks of registering in SD42 trades 

programs are clear: SD42 trades 

programs include tuition-free collegelevel 

training from SD42 partners such 

as BCIT and Kwantlen College, early 

admission to post-secondary studies, 

secondary school apprenticeship 

scholarships, and employment 

opportunities upon program completion. 

“We have many amazing trades and 

partnerships opportunities in this district 

and students are beginning to take full 

advantage of them,” says Lancaster. “The 

word is really getting out.”

Summer Learning 2012 gets 

IN MAY 2012, our team of eight 

teachers was assembled with 

the challenge of reinventing 

the school district’s Summer 

School. By December, we had 

created and implemented a program 

that eventually went on to win the 

Canadian education Association 

(CeA) Ken Spencer Award for 

Innovation in Education. The $1,000 

that came with the award will be 

directed to this year’s Summer 

Learning program. 

Imagine that life on earth has become 

so overpopulated, polluted and 

unsustainable that we have to leave 

and find a new planet. What would 

we bring? What characteristics would 

that planet need in order to sustain 

life? This was the scenario and these 

were some of the questions faced by 

our Summer Learning students this 

past July. 

We wanted to ensure that the program 

considered the students’ needs, and 

that it helped them find success in the 

core academic subjects they’d been 

assigned for summer learning. our 

main focus was on building resiliency 

while delivering interdisciplinary 

curriculum in a textbook-free, project 

based guided inquiry. 

our slogan, “get ReAL” (Resilient, 

engaged, Active, Learning) guided our 

practice. Teachers were podded and 

used a Teacher Advisory model with 

additional assistance from a team of 

student aides. The approach helped 

build connections and allowed for 

R.E.A.L 

scaffolding through mentorship - a 

pillar of our learning model. 

Students were arranged into TA 

groups and attended daily planning 

sessions and seminars with their math/ 

science and humanities teachers. 

During seminars, students were asked 

to consider questions pertinent to the 

theme from the perspective of each 

discipline, and were also asked to keep 

a portfolio of work that would create a 

culminating demonstration of learning. 

unencumbered by textbooks, 

students were able to gather direct 

information through apps on iPads 

and laptops in a more research-based 

approach to discovery. 

At the beginning of each day, students 

met with their Teacher Advisor to 

plan their schedule. Seminars were 

compulsory but there was choice in 

activities. This way both teachers and 

students were able to choose activities 

according to their individual interests, 

skills and talents. 

Activity options included basketball, 

ball hockey, volleyball, art, cooking, 

woodwork, ropes course and guitar. 

Both separately and together these 

activities helped facilitate community 

building and a connection to curriculum. 

We also went on three field trips 

related to inquiry and the “get ReAL” 

motto. We started the second week 

with a trip to grouse Mountain, tested 

our nerves at Wild Play and ended 

with a rainy canoe trip at Alouette 

Lake. on the last day of Summer 


Learning, our culminating activity 

was a barbecue and an exhibition of 

student projects, open to the public. 

Student feedback from our surveys 

and informal discussions was 

overwhelmingly positive. 74% of 

our students said they fully applied 

themselves, 96% felt that the 

technology helped them increase 

their productivity, and approximately 

60% said that they learned new skills 

that would help them in the following 

September. 

our vision now is twofold: first, to 

expand the program to senior and 

possibly more junior grades; and, 

second, to influence current practice 

across our district. 

We have presented to each of our six 

high school staffs and our board of 

education, who have encouraged us 

to continue to further develop the 

program and to transform traditional 

education. overall we found the 

process and experience extremely 

beneficial as professionals and truly 

enjoyed the connections we made 

with our students. 

By Tom Levesque

french Immersion 

September 2014 will mark the 33rd anniversary of French Immersion (FI) being offered as a program of choice 

in SD42. The program began in 1980, enrolling 61 students at Laity View Elementary with a secondary program 

being added in 1987 at Westview Secondary. 

ToDAY, the Maple Ridge - Pitt 

Meadows School District 

offers early Immersion FI 

programs (k- 7) at eric Langton, 

Laity View, and Pitt Meadows; Late 

Immersion (6-7) at golden eras 

elementary and early and Late 

Secondary Immersion (8-12) at MRSS 

and PMSS. Today’s enrolment stands 

at 1452 (44,800 provincially) and 

employs over 60 French speaking 

teachers. 

The major goal of French Immersion 

is to provide the opportunity for 

non-francophone students to become 

bilingual in english and French. 

Bilingualism is achieved by providing 

instruction of the basic curriculum 

entirely in French during the first years 

(k-2). once a firm base in French 

has been established, instruction in 

english language arts is added in grade 

3 and gradually increases. Students 

continue to receive instruction in 

certain subjects in French at the 

secondary level so that proficiency 

is achieved in both languages by 

the end of grade 12. Students who 

successfully complete their grade 

12 program receive two Dogwood 

certificates, one in english and one in 

French. 

The ability to understand and 

speak French is only one benefit of 

French-second -language education. 

Research shows that students who 

are educated in a second languageparticularly 

those in immersion 

programs-reap additional benefits 

from the experience. Their english 

language skills are strengthened and 

they show increased mental flexibility 

and creative thinking. In addition, they 

are able to benefit from increased 

communication and cultural and 

economic opportunities. 

The curriculum content of our French 

Immersion programs parallels that of 


the regular english curriculum. here in 

SD 42 we are proud to say that not only 

do our programs align, but so do all 

initiatives: one to one Laptop, grade 3 

iPod project, Welcome to kindergarten, 

Public Speaking (Concours d’art 

oratoire - grades 4 – 12) and in Summer 

School (Apprentis lecteurs). 

Aside from teaching SD42 students 

the French language, our goal is for our 

students to experience French Culture. 

over the past few years immersion and 

FSL (French as a Second Language) 

students have learned about ‘les 

habitants and voyageurs’. Through 

song, dance, author visits and 

theatre, students have experienced 

the rich history of Canada’s French 

history. This year students learned 

about Quebec’s maple syrup industry 

including tasting ‘la tire on snow’. 

Although not part of the French 

Immersion program, many students 

in grade seven get the opportunity 

to travel to Quebec on a student 

exchange. These visits, organized 

though SeVeC (Society for 

educational visits and exchanges in 

Canada) or the YMCA, allow students 

to use the French language and meet 

new friends in Francophone cities 

across Canada. 

By Joanne Rowen

eporting on the Whole Child: 

Student Inclusive Conferencing 

A 

N exCITINg new reporting 

option is coming to elementary 

schools in the Maple Ridge 

- Pitt Meadows School District in the fall. 

For teachers who decide to switch to this 

new reporting model, a dynamic studentinclusive 

conferencing system will replace 

the traditional static report card. 

under the new model, parents will no 

longer be pulling one-page report cards 

out of their child’s backpack; they will 

instead be engaging in a comprehensive 

and meaningful conversation about 

their child’s achievements, progress and 

learning needs. 

“What we realized and what we 

heard from parents was that existing 

reporting practices in elementary 

schools just weren’t meeting the needs 

of our students, parents or teachers,” 

Vandergugten says. 

To address the problem, Vandergugten 

and the local teacher’s association 

formed a special committee of teachers, 

administrators and staff who combed 

the world for the latest research on 

reporting practices. 

For Vandergugten and his team, 

including the student’s self-assessment 

in the new reporting model was key. 

“We knew that the conversation 

would be far more meaningful if the 

student was an active participant,” 

Vandergugten explains. 

under the new model, parents sit 

down with the teacher and their child 

to discuss the child’s achievements, 

strengths, learning needs, and future 

goals. The student has a strong voice 

in this conversation, offering insights 

about her own learning experience 

and setting her own goals for personal 

and academic development. 

Parent feedback from the three 

schools that piloted the model 

confirms the value of the studentinclusive 

conferencing model and 

the importance of the student’s 

participation in that process. 

“everyone was very clear on the progress 

that had been made, what the goals 

“ 

The traditional report card 

comes alive in the conversation. 

- Sonia Baines, Parent 

were going to be, how our daughter was 

going to achieve them, how the teacher 

was going to support and monitor that, 

and then how we at home were going 

to be a part of that,” says Sonia Baines, 

adding that the process made her feel 

for the first time like a partner in her 

daughter’s education. 

“I would have to say that you are getting 

all the things that you always got [in 

the traditional report card], plus a 


whole lot more,” says Baines. “The 

traditional report card comes alive in 

the conversation.” 

Although it will be up to teachers to 

decide individually if they want to 

switch to the new reporting model, 

Vandergugten is confident that those 

who do make the switch will find the 

reporting process far more meaningful 

and gratifying. 

“Student achievement is not just about 

marks or letter grades,” he says. “It’s 

about the whole child and that’s the key.” 

Learn more about the new SD42 reporting option 

at http://schools.sd42.ca/sd42reporting 

Shutterstock

moNtESSorI Program 

at Hammond Elementary 

Photo: Cadence Mullen uses objects and the 

moveable alphabet - a box of wooden consonant 

and vowel letters - to write words. 

I 

N AN Age when parents actively 

seek out different educational 

options for their children, the 

Montessori program run out of 

hammond elementary has grown 

into a popular choice in the Maple 

Ridge - Pitt Meadows School District. 

The method, developed in the 

nineteenth century by physician and 

educator Maria Montessori, allows 

children to teach themselves in a 

teacher-prepared environment. 

“There’s a lot of freedom of choice and 

the materials are progressive in nature,” 

explains Patricia Patrick, a Montessori 

teacher at hammond elementary. 

“We do a lot of observation and then 

we introduce the materials - one-onone 

- so it’s very individualized.” 

In a Montessori classroom, children 

who have mastered the material are 

expected to teach other students in 

the class who are less familiar with it. 

“The goal,” Patrick explains, “is for 

the children to take responsibility 

for their own learning.” 

At hammond, Montessori begins at 

kindergarten and runs until grade 

5. Students then transition to the 

grade 6 and 7 school laptop program 

before moving on to high school. 

For Montessori teacher Aliyah 

Shamji, one of the great things 

about the Montessori method is 

the relationship that it has allowed 

her to build with her students. 

“I’ve had my students for three 

years now, so when they come back 

again in September, the startup 

isn’t so drastic,” Shamji says. 

This consistency is a product of the 

Montessori mixed age classrooms. 

hammond elementary currently 

has two groupings of 1/2/3 classes, 

a 3/4 class, and a 4/5 class. 

“Sometimes the older kids teach 

the younger kids, and sometimes 

it’s the reverse,” says Shamji. 

Because the teaching materials in a 

Montessori classroom are specialized, 

Montessori teachers themselves 

must have a specialized skill set. 

“All the teachers in the Montessori 

program here at hammond have 

additional training in Montessori, 

over and above their regular teaching 

qualifications,” Patrick explains. 

In addition to the specialized 

materials, each Montessori 

classroom at hammond also has an 

iPad loaded up with applications 

that support and complement the 

Montessori curriculum. Montessori 

Approach to Math or Montessori 


Approach to Geography are just 

two of the apps that teachers use 

to support student learning. 

Parents concerned about their child’s 

transition from a Montessori class into 

a more traditional classroom shouldn’t 

worry, say Shamji and Patrick. 

Armed with independence, confidence 

and a proficiency in problem-solving, 

Montessori children are able to handle 

any new situation or challenge, and 

typically perform above average once 

they move into a traditional classroom. 

Although Montessori is all over 

the world, in North America 

most Montessori schools 

are run independently. 

“It’s just fantastic that we’re able to 

offer a free Montessori public school 

option,” Patrick reflects. “And it’s 

here because parents wanted it.” 

Photo: Cassandra (Cassie) Stackhouse uses 

Baric Tablets from Sensorial materials to explore 

weight. The blindfold helps to focus concentration 

on the tactile exprience in order to correctly match 

similarly weighted tablets.

SD42CYBErSCHooL 

The SD42 CYBeRSChooL 

program has attracted a lot 

of attention. open to every 

grade 6 and 7 student in the Maple 

Ridge - Pitt Meadows School District, 

Cyberschool offers students a new 

flexibility by allowing them work from 

home, online, two days a week. 

The program is the brainchild of Maple 

Ridge teacher Dave Dixon, who found 

his inspiration at an edmonton online 

Learning Conference ten years ago. 

“At the time,” says Dixon, “Alberta was a 

hotbed of innovation in online learning.” 

Dixon attended the conference with 

another Maple Ridge teacher, keith 

Rajala, and both men were amazed by 

the innovations that Alberta had begun 

to introduce. 

even as they recognized the great 

potential of online learning, however, 

Dixon and Rajala agreed they wouldn’t 

want to sacrifice the face-to-face part of 

a classroom. 

“Back in our hotel room, we excitedly 

mapped out what would soon become 

the Cyberschool model,” Dixon recalls. 

“When we approached School District 

No. 42 [with the idea], the reaction 

from the superintendent was simply, 

‘Why not?’” 

And with district approval, the 

implementation of the Cyberschool 

program began. 

The program started out at Yennadon 

elementary School, where it quickly 

grew to two full classes. Dixon then 

began the District Cyberschool program 

at Alouette, which also soon saw a 

steady growth from one class of twenty 

students to two full classes. In 2012 - 

2013, the popular program was made 

available at Fairview elementary under 

the direction of one of Dixon’s former 

student teachers, Jeff Conway. 

A total of 150 students are now 

registered in the Cyberschool program 

across the three schools. 

The popularity of the Cyberschool 

program doesn’t surprise Dixon. 

he notes that Cyberschool has many 

benefits that both parents and students 

appreciate. Students learn to become 

independent learners, they learn to set 

their own goals, they become skilled at 

collaborative work, and they become 

proficient in using technology to 

support their learning. 

And while the task of working 

independently can initially be a 

challenge for some students, Dixon 

notes that students soon catch on and 

learn to embrace and enjoy the freedom 

of being able to set their own goals. 

“Cyberschool students are all engaged in 

what they are doing,” says Dixon. “They 

are all motivated because they have 

chosen the program themselves.” 

Particularly encouraging is the great 

feedback that the program has received 

from both parents and students. 

“The Cyberschool program is great,” 

Dave Dixon with a few of his Cyberschool students at Alouette Elementary. 


testifies Alison Turner, parent of a child 

enrolled in the program. Noting that 

Cyberschool has taught her son how to 

learn independently, manage his time 

better, and think outside of the box, 

Turner sees the program as an answer to 

the challenges and opportunities of the 

modern world: 

“In today’s world where everything is 

technology driven, this is the perfect 

learning environment of the future.” 

Learn more about Cyberschool at 

http://schools.sd42.ca/cyberschool

mINECraftEDU 

Highland Park Elementary 

I F You ARe A parent, you have 

undoubtedly heard of or have had 

some experience with the game 

Minecraft. Minecraft is one of the most 

popular games that children and adults 

are playing these days. For those of you 

who haven’t heard about it, Minecraft 

is a game that allows players to build 

constructions out of textured cubes in 

a 3D world. It’s like Lego on steroids. 

Players can log in to various worlds - 

either individually or in groups - and 

explore, discover, and build. 

A teacher in New York named Joel 

Levin played the game with his 5 yearold 

daughter and was so enthusiastic 

about its innate educational potential 

that he designed an educational 

version of the game called 

MinecraftEdu. 

MinecraftEdu allows a teacher to 

control different variables in the 

Minecraft world. Teachers can control 

the weather and the time of day, enable 

the application’s “Creative Mode,” or 

disable options such as monsters or 

player versus player. Teachers can 

also use the program to create and 

design their own worlds as a space in 

which their classes can interact. At 

highland Park elementary, we recently 

purchased the software to use in our 

computer lab. 

having taught in the computer lab for 

several years, I have always kept an eye 

out for effective software that students 

can use and enjoy, but that also serves 

an educational purpose. MinecraftEdu 

is one of the best examples of this kind 

of software that I have found. 

educational games are generally 

defined as individual or group games 

with cognitive, social, behavioral, and/ 

or emotional dimensions related to 

educational objectives. 

With the MinecraftEdu program, I am 

able create worlds in which I have 

a specific goals or objectives that 

students must learn or complete. 

Because an entire class is in the world 

together, students generally have to 

work collaboratively to complete their 

goals, and learn very quickly as a result 

what behaviors and social skills help 

them in their quest. 

one of the more valuable benefits I 

have found with this software is its 

effectiveness in teaching kids about 

good digital citizenship. 

In our social media driven world, kids 

often lack an understanding of the 

impact their digital actions can have 

on others. When students are in the 

MinecraftEdu world as a community, 

they quickly find out that negative 

actions generate consequences. 

Students are able to see how their 

digital actions affect others in a real 

time situation. 

With MinecraftEdu, we are able to 

create rules and behaviours around 

good digital citizenship, and develop 

teamwork strategies to achieve goals 

and objectives. Students are able to 

apply the lessons they learned in the 

MinecraftEdu world to their use of social 

media and to any online gaming that 

might take place in the home. 

It is a big change for some students 

to play a computer game in which the 

objective is not to shoot or destroy 

something, but rather to create a 

building or a city, or to work as a team 

to explore ancient egypt and discover 

information about a pharoah’s tomb. 

By Joel Olson 

Joel Olson is a teacher at Highland Park 

Elementary School. 


“ 

In our social media driven 

world, kids often lack an 

understanding of the impact 

their digital actions can have 

on others.

Look deep into nature and you will understand everything: 

SD42 Environmental School 

IT WILL Be almost five years now 

since Clayton Maitland and Jodi 

MacQuarrie sat down together 

to discuss contextual and experiential 

learning, and to talk about how one 

might teach to the whole child. 

Today, the vision that drove the 

conversation has been fully realized in the 

form of the SD42 environmental School, 

in which Maitland serves as Principal and 

MacQuarrie as a Support Teacher. 

The school, which is now finishing up 

its second full year, has attracted the 

attention of educators and media from 

around the world for its unique approach 

to education. 

Classes are run out of local parks or 

libraries; children from kindergarten to 

grade 7 learn in multiage groupings; and 

all learning is contextual and experiential. 

“What we do really well is provide 

opportunities for learning differently,” 

says Maitland. 

The aim and end result is that the school’s 

students develop resiliency, self and 

group reliance, and important problemsolving 

skills. Beyond this, students also 

learn how to work collaboratively as part 

of a strong and supportive community. 

While the school started out its first 

year with 63 students from k - 7, by the 

second year it had expanded into a k - 8 

school of 88 students. 

For the 2013 - 2014 school year, the 

school will be returning to its initial 

k - 7 grade span. “Adding high school 

was really challenging because it’s more 

structured and more standardized than 

the elementary school curriculum,” 

Clayton explains. 

While it may have had its challenges, 

2012 - 2013 was a great year for the 

environmental School. 

The year started off on a high note 

with a generous donation of 58 laptop 

computers to the school by three 

computer companies - hewlett-Packard, 

AMD and TLD - who’d also pledged 

to provide students with technological 

support in the field. 

For Clayton Maitland, who is more 

comfortable in a park than he is behind 

a desk, the computers are another one of 

many important resources that students 

can use to support their experiential and 

in-context learning. 

With Wi-Fi support from the Maple 

Ridge - Pitt Meadows School District in 

many of its locations, the environmental 

School can now bring the resources of 

the classroom to the great outdoors and 

further enrich student learning. 

Learn more about SD42 Environmental School at 

http://es.sd42.ca 


Photo: Dave Bull (General Manager, TLD), 

Colin McGrath (VP Western Canada, HP), 

Richard Eskandar (IT Manager, SD42), Clayton 

Maitland (Principal, Environmental School) 

“Look! Look! Look deep 

into nature and you will 

understand everything. 

- Albert Einstein

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