School Team 3 - Round 3: Full Schedule

ECSD Elementary School Teams: Coaching for Excellence
Welcome to the third round of School Teams, where we continue to grow together in our shared commitment to student success. This round’s focus is on Coaching for Excellence, emphasizing how every educator, like even the most elite athletes, benefits from thoughtful guidance and tools to perform at their best. Through this lens, we will dive into our new curriculum subject areas, equipping you with strategies to support optimal teaching and learning.
Explore 16 impactful sessions designed to empower K-6 teachers, instructional leaders, and coaches, including a special kindergarten throughline that establishes the foundations for lifelong success. Together, we’ll foster collaboration, build skills, and set the stage for excellence in every classroom.
Dive into the schedule below to find inspiring sessions, resources, and tools to help you and your team succeed. Let’s empower our educators and students to reach new heights!

9:30am MST

Hot To Glow: Light As A Pop of Play LIMITED

Friday February 7, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am MST

Session Materials

You have a new Light Panel in your classroom - YAY! Come explore creative ways to use it, along with accompanying resources, to engage students in immersive learning experiences within the new curriculum for months February through May. Learn how translucent 3D shapes, hands-on letter and number building activities, and sand trays promote literacy and numeracy skills. We will also look at English, French, and Spanish math picture books that compliment classroom instruction. This session has been revamped and offers completely different ideas than those offered from the “Light Bright Delight” session earlier in the school year.
One set of resources will be given to each school that has not yet received them.

Speakers

Kathleen Ruff

Kindergarten Programming Consultant, Edmonton Catholic School Division

Kathleen Ruff, B.Ed. Kathleen is a Kindergarten Programming Consultant with Edmonton Catholic Schools. She enjoys providing professional development to the teachers of the youngest learners in school divisions, focusing on combining play and curricular programming in one. She is a... Read More →

Friday February 7, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am MST
2B

Kindergarten

11:00am MST

Shake It Off: Energizing Classrooms Through Music & Movement LIMITED

Friday February 7, 2025 11:00am - 12:15pm MST

Session Materials

It’s time to shake it off and turn your classroom into a space where music and movement take center stage! This session will show you how to embrace your most loved YouTube songs and videos and extend them in meaningful ways to get your students moving and grooving.
Learn how gross motor resources bring these ideas to life in your classroom. Get ready to leave with a playlist of fresh ideas and practical tools to energize your students. This session has been revamped and offers completely different ideas than those offered from the “Move, Groove, and Feel: Kindergarten Expressions” session earlier in the school year.
One set of resources will be given to each school that has not yet received them.

Speakers

Kathleen Ruff

Kindergarten Programming Consultant, Edmonton Catholic School Division

Friday February 7, 2025 11:00am - 12:15pm MST
2B

Kindergarten

1:00pm MST

Shaping Success Through Peer Feedback LIMITED

Friday February 7, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm MST

Session Materials

This session is offered in French***
This session will explore how to effectively use examples and non-examples of mentor texts to co-create success criteria with students, fostering a deeper understanding of quality writing and language use. Discover practical strategies to engage students in providing meaningful peer feedback that enhances their critical thinking and communication skills. Walk away with tools to cultivate a supportive classroom environment where students learn from each other and develop confidence in their language abilities.

Speakers

Suzanne Pitts

French Immersion Consultant, Edmonton Catholic School Division

Suzanne Pitts is a French immersion consultant with ECSD. With an insatiable appetite for snacks, an undeniable zest for sports, and an unwavering love for technology, Suzanne is a multifaceted force to be reckoned with. However, her true ardor lies in supporting and empowering teachers... Read More →

Carmen Vaugeois

French Immersion Consultant, Edmonton Catholic School Division

Carmen Vaugeois is a French Immersion consultant with ECSD. She is a cheese aficionado, a self-professed reality tv junkie and a sun worshiper. Mentoring beginning teachers in the French Immersion program is near and dear to her heart!

Friday February 7, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm MST
2B

K-6

2:30pm MST

Connections to Nature with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Literature in Kindergarten LIMITED

Friday February 7, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm MST

Session Materials

Join us for a cross-curricular extravaganza where we look at texts by Indigenous authors and illustrators that focus on connections to nature. Learn about the connection First Nations, Métis, or Inuit have with nature, by exploring Paul Windsor’s artwork in the books “Good Morning World” and “Goodnight World” and the book “Shape,” part of the First Nations Strong Readers Set. Explore how food connects to daily life through Jennie Eaglespeaker’s book “Please Don’t Hide My Vegetables.” French Immersion teachers will also examine cross-curricular connections between FILAL and other subject areas through the text “Mon Ami Agnès” by Julie Flett.
This PD is a repeat of our Summer Summit 2024 session.

Speakers

Kathleen Ruff

Kindergarten Programming Consultant, Edmonton Catholic School Division

Friday February 7, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm MST
2B

Kindergarten

School Team 3 - Round 3