Reminder: Upcoming Workshop is this Tuesday!

 Managing Your Career with School-Aged Kids

Tuesday, February 21st  7- 8.30pm 

Main School Library

Child care will be provided

When kids start school, many parents look forward to two things: saving on daycare fees and increased flexibility in our working lives. Yet the reality is that many parents need to work outside of the 9am to 3pm hours while kids are at school. And with “Pro-d Days” and school holidays to think about, it's a lot to juggle! 

In this panel-style discussion, we will tackle the reality of managing careers in a "post pandemic" world. We will hear both from parents who have made it work and other caregivers who decided to stay home during the early years of school. 

There will be opportunities for you to meet other parents and caregivers who may be having the same challenges as you. As always, this is good chance to build some community within other Dickens families!

Save the Date! February Workshop

 Managing Your Career with School-Aged Kids

Tuesday, February 21st  7- 8.30pm 

Main School Library

Child care will be provided

When kids start school, many parents look forward to two things: saving on daycare fees and increased flexibility in our working lives. Yet the reality is that many parents need to work outside of the 9am to 3pm hours while kids are at school. And with “Pro-d Days” and school holidays to think about, it's a lot to juggle! 

In this panel-style discussion, we will tackle the reality of managing careers in a "post pandemic" world. We will hear both from parents who have made it work and other caregivers who decided to stay home during the early years of school. 

There will be opportunities for you to meet other parents and caregivers who may be having the same challenges as you. As always, this is good chance to build some community within other Dickens families!

Our Kids' Neurodiversity - recording available!

  

PAC Parent Evening Discussion 

OUR KIDS' NEURODIVERSITY

This event was hosted on Tuesday, May 10 

at the Charles Dickens Main School Library and via Zoom

If you'd like to receive a copy of the recording, 

please send a request to dickens.pac@gmail.com

by Friday, May 27 2022

Thank You!

Resources from the discussion can be found here.

Resources from "Our Kids' Neurodiversity" Discussion on Tuesday, May 10 2022

AdditudeMag.com - a fabulous ADHD resource; can subscribe digitally and/or receive the print magazine, a wealth of info with weekly emails with short but really helpful articles. A go to for ADHD info and ‘support’.

TEDx Talk (US) titled, "ADHD sucks, but not really" by Psychologist, Dr. Salif Mahamane. 

Kelty Mental Health at BC Children's Hospital - provides resources and information about Mental Health & ADHD.

Autism Community Training (ACT) - resources about Autism, including assessment process, supports and webinars.

AutismBC.ca 

FindSupportBC.com - Connecting families of persons with disabilities with resources available to them. This tool will help you navigate through the various items to consider at different stages of life. Click here for the Transitions Timeline.

Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) Paediatrics Team - resources to support Fine and Gross Motor Skills, Sensory Processing and Speech & Language. 

Neurodivergent Narwhals - infographics from NeurodiversityLibrary.org

"Our Kids' Neurodiversity"

PAC Parent Evening Discussion 

OUR KIDS' NEURODIVERSITY

Tuesday, May 10 at 7:30pm

Charles Dickens Main School Library and Zoom

Charles Dickens PAC invites you to an important and engaging panel discussion on "Our Kids' Neurodiversity" at Charles Dickens Elementary. Participants include Jennifer Chobitiuk, a Resource Teacher at the Main School along with the three parents of neurodivergent children from Dickens: Kerry Varma, Nadine Parker and David Juhasz.

Part information sharing, and part informal chat, the evening will be moderated by former PAC Chair, Amy Stanley.  

This PAC talk covers a basic introduction to Neurodiversity; existing supports for neurodiverse learning at the school; and a parent's perspective on supporting a child, or children, who is or may be neurodivergent. Time for an energetic question & answer period will wrap up the evening!

Note that this PAC event will be held in-person at the Main School Library, and Childcare will be available.  

We will also host a Zoom call for those who cannot attend in-person, and by request** we will record the call for parents who are unable to attend but would like to hear more about Neurodiversity.

**Send your email to dickens.pac@gmail.com requesting a recording of this panel discussion, and it (or a link to it) will be sent to you - thank you!

Saleema Noon's Workshop Checklist & Resources

We successfully hosted over 60 parents & guardians via Zoom at Saleema Noon's informative workshop on Tuesday, February 1 2022.  Thank you to all who attended and engaged in the Q&A session! 

You can download the Checklist shared at the workshop.  Adapted from Saleema's book "Talk Sex Today" the Checklist is intended as a guide for parents & guardians to know what to teach kids at various age-appropriate levels.

If you're interested in the book as a resource, here is some further info about Talk Sex Today: What kids need to know and how adults can teach them.  Topics include: gender identity, bullying and harassment, fostering healthy body image, internet safety, managing media influence, teaching sexual health to children and teens with special needs, and many more.

 

As per principal Julie Weatherall's email to you, Saleema Noon's Body Science Boot Camp will take place on February 15, 16 and 17 at both the annex and main schools for Grades K - 7.

Save the Date! Guest Speaker: Saleema Noon

Workshop for Parents of Preteens

Hello Dickens Community & Parents to Preteens! 

                        

Saleema Noon is providing a FREE, online LIVE workshop on supporting your preteen through the ups and downs of growing up.

Wednesday, February 24 at 4pm

Click here to register!

The workshop called Growing Up Game Plan: Parents Edition. It's a workshop focusing on the top 3 things preteens tell us they struggle with most and how parents can support them in the best way possible. More specifically, I’ve got insider intel (straight from the trenches!) on smart things to say and do. 

Been to one of my Body Science workshops before? Well, this one is totally different. In this all new workshop, I’m going to walk you through your own game plan for supporting your preteen when it comes to:

✅ Managing social media: how it impacts their self-esteem, their friendships, and their relationship with you.

✅ Coping with changing bodies during puberty, and how this affects body image.

✅The big one – bullying. In just one hour you’ll be a giant step closer to your preteen being more prepared, more confident, and less stressed about growing up. 

Reminder for November Guest Speaker - RSVP today!

Parents & Guardians at the main & annex schools are invited.

RSVP at the following link. Thank you.

Saleema Noon - Talk Sex Today :: Body Science Boot Camp for Parents

For more information about Saleema Noon Sexual Health Educators go to saleemanoon.com

Presenting "How Dickens Works: Guiding Principles of Our School"

Save the Date for our first Guest Speaker — all Parents & Guardians are welcome to attend!

Presenting "How Dickens Works: Guiding Principles of Our School"

Save the Date for our first Guest Speaker — all Parents & Guardians are welcome to attend!

Dickens Teacher, David Murphy, will present

“How Dickens Works: Guiding Principles of Our School"

Wednesday October 2, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Main School Library

*Child care will be provided*

Handout Notes—Screen Time Talk: The Parents' Guide to Media Literacy and Youth

We had a great turnout last night for the first workshop of our "Screen Time Talk" Series. The guest speaker, Maryann Kempthorne and Dickens Principal, Matt Carruthers stayed after to field questions. Parents/Guardians were also given the opportunity to share personal insights and experiences. Thanks to all who participated! More workshops to follow in the  2019/20 school year - we'll keep you posted.

A PDF copy of the Resource/Handout Notes can be viewed and downloaded here.

Screen Time Talk: The Parents' Guide to Media Literacy and Youth

Guest Speaker on "The Parents' Guide to Media Literacy and Youth"

All Parents/Guardians from the Main & Annex schools are invited!

Come and hear Media Librarian, Maryann Kempthorne, speak on managing media systems, 

app selections and privacy for your children.

Dickens PAC introduces a "Screen Time" presentation

The Parents' Guide to Media Literacy and Youth

Tuesday, April 23 from 7 - 8:30pm

Dickens Main School Library 

As we rapidly progress into the digital age, more personal devices are being used by youth. Parents/Guardians are feeling compelled to manage media systems, app selections and privacy for their kids. 

With digital learning offering so many pluses, how do we manage the extension of screen time into our children's activity-driven schedules in a happy and confident manner? 

"Screen Time" is a recurring series of presentations + workshops—topics will center around smart phone and tablet use, screen time, and strategies for safely negotiating online choices in a positive way. Designed for kids, parents and teachers, the series will cover an overview of some key digital literacy targets for families. Screen Time was birthed from dialogues about the technical and emotional work it takes to "deal with digital media" in the lives of kids and parents today.

Maryann Kempthorne is a media librarian and open access advocate who's worked in schools, libraries, cultural organizations and media for over 20 years. As a parent and social scientist, Maryann is a longstanding observer of how the media and its use shapes communities. She enjoys speaking with engaged, caring groups who share her appreciation of dialogue over the personal, family and professional development complexity of these topics. Follow her insights at twitter.com/maryakem 

Contact Brian Ganter at gantercap@gmail.com or Tamara Shand at tamara@thepackwoods.net for more info.

Guest Speaker this November: Living in Community

Guest Speaker: Dickens Teacher, David Murphy - The Dickens Model of Learning

Parents/Guardians from the Main & Annex Schools are invited to hear our first Guest Speaker for the year: 

Main School Div. 8 Teacher, David Murphy. See details here on the poster.

Anxiety in School-aged Children - Presentation

Our guest speaker, Dr Katherine Martinez from Anxiety BC, gave an insightful talk to parents/guardians on "Anxiety in School-aged Children".

Here is the link to her presentation:  Tuesday, April 24 2018

Guest Speaker on Anxiety in School-aged Children

Notes from Math Guest Speaker - Jacob Martens

This past Wednesday evening, February 21, Jacob Martens, Mathematics Coordinator for the Delta School District, spoke to Dickens Parents & Guardians on various aspects of elementary school math, and how it's taught in today's classrooms.

Click here, to find his PowerPoint presentation.