VSB: After The Bell

  There’s no doubt about it, the future is now! For some, advancements in technology can be filled with fear of the unknown. For others, the rise of technology, such as artificial intelligence or AI, is an exciting opportunity to enhance student learning and provide solutions to pre-existing barriers.   However you may feel about AI learning, the reality is that it’s here, and it’s something we mu...

We have a reoccurring segment on the show called “Matter of the Month” where we address the most talked about topics. This can be anything from a success story to a controversial issue. For this month, we’re discussing something that has sparked a lot of conversation: the Foundation Skills Assessment, or FSA.    To speak about this topic is Maureen McRae-Stanger, associate superintendent, and the...

Welcome to the 2024/25 school year! We are excited to welcome staff and students back into classes, and to our third season of VSB: After the Bell. To start off this season, we’re talking about talking. No, seriously! More specifically, we’re diving into best practices for effective communication between parents and guardians with their child’s teachers and school staff.   Parents and guardians ma...

This is the last episode of the school year! June is an exciting month for celebration and commemoration. It is National Indigenous History Month – a month dedicated to increasing our knowledge, awareness, appreciation of, and respect for Indigenous histories, traditions, cultures and contributions. It is also Pride Month – a time dedicated to celebrating and commemorating the history and contribu...

The B.C. curriculum outlines three  Core Competencies  students need to be deep, lifelong learners. These are communication, thinking, as well as personal and social. To a degree, these are rather abstract terms. Unlike math, science, English and social studies, subjects we are used to hearing about when referring to learning in schools, the shift in today’s education focuses on concepts instead o...

April is Earth Month throughout the District. From the student-led sustainability conference and the District-wide professional development session on April 22, to Earth Day celebrations, and the solar-eclipse on April 8, staff and students spent the month learning more about our planet and how to take meaningful steps to take care of it.  There’s a lot of information in the world when it comes to...

Social emotional learning shapes that way students, and later adults, understand their emotions, navigate social situations, and use behaviour to express themselves. But what exactly is social emotional learning, and what does that look like in schools throughout VSB? In this episode, district resource teacher, Deanna Barriera, and district case manager behaviour support, Sheryl Morris, discuss wh...

February presents an opportunity to honour many of the diverse cultures and backgrounds of the staff and students throughout the District. From Black History Month to World Hijab Day, Lunar New Year, the Women’s Memorial March and World Day of Social Justice, this month offers a chance for us to learn, recognize and uplift as we work to create safe, caring, welcoming and inclusive places for stude...

Black Excellence Day was Jan. 13 this month, which is a day chosen to honour civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The VSB participated in the day through a Black Excellence live stream hosted by Ninandotoo Society and the Burnaby School District. Nola Charles and Ruth Mvukiyehe were among a few VSB students who were able to attend the event in person. Both students joined us to talk abo...

With priority kindergarten registration beginning in November, this month’s episode of VSB: After the Bell focused on everything related to kindergarten. We covered a variety of topics from registration to program options families can enroll in. We spoke to District choice program teachers Eva Lin (Montessori), Melissa Peng (Mandarin Bilingual), Alexis Lefebvre (Late French Immersion) and Mary Lem...

With thanksgiving being in October, the season of gratitude is upon us. VSB acknowledges and shares appreciation for the dedication of more than 50 community partners who work to make schools more welcoming, inclusive, safe and vibrant learning environments. Support ranges from providing essential services such as food programs to arts and extracurricular activities, as well as donations to famili...

Kicking off season two of VSB: After the Bell, we take a deep dive into VSB’s first Literacy Framework. What is literacy, what does the framework do, what does it actually means for students and their families? We speak with three VSB educators behind the Framework: Suzie Polzin, Krista Ediger and Shannon Burton. For Matter of the Month, we turn our attention to Sexual Orientation and Gender Ident...

It’s the end of the school year and that calls for celebrations after months of hard work and learning. From the excitement of summer vacation to the nostalgia of saying goodbye to familiar faces, this time of year is a significant milestone in the lives of students, educators and families alike. In this episode, we travel across the Vancouver School District to speak to students and educators abo...

As we approach National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, this month on the podcast we talk about Indigenous matters. One of the three goals of the Vancouver School District’s Education Plan outlines an effort to continue our reconciliation journey with First Nations, Metis and Inuit by increasing knowledge, awareness, appreciation of, and respect for Indigenous histories, traditions cultures and...

This month on the podcast, we’re talking about District programs and the many ways a diverse student population is supported in a large public education system. With nearly 50,000 students, it takes a team of dedicated educators and support staff to cater to the diverse learning needs of students. In this episode, Directors of Instruction Aaron Davis, Janis Myers and Rosie Poetschke join us to exp...

School boards across North America are responsible for making critical financial decisions that impact the quality of education our children receive, from hiring teachers and staff to investing in technology and resources. Join us as we speak with David Green, VSB’s Secretary Treasurer to learn more about the intricacies of school board finances. For “matter of the month”, we talk about Internatio...

We all know bullying can affect friendships and learning, but, most importantly, it can impact a student’s physical and emotional health. Pink Shirt Day is an important day for school communities to lift each other up and stand against all forms of bullying, harassment, and discrimination. On this month’s podcast, we visit General Gordon Elementary to hear firsthand how students and teachers parti...

The BC Curriculum was redesigned in 2016 to respond to the technology-rich world we live in today, where communication is instant, and information is immediately accessible. The way we interact with each other personally, socially, and at work has changed and the redesigned curriculum teaches children to respond to this new demanding world. The way kids learn today is very different than the way t...

It’s time to get festive! This is our first-ever holiday episode of VSB After The Bell – and just in time for the winter break. In this episode, we go live on location at Hastings, Thunderbird, Nightingale and Hudson Elementary schools to speak with students and teachers on how they celebrate winter celebrations at school. We also get some one-one-one time with a few high school students and ask t...

Starting kindergarten is a huge milestone, for both families and their children. We know kindergarten enrolment is a hot topic in Vancouver, so we are doing a deep dive into kindergarten registration and enrolment. David Nelson, Deputy Superintendent and Michael Rossi, Acting Director of Instruction join us on the podcast to talk about all things kindergarten. In our latest episode, we answer ques...

In recognition of World Mental Health Day this month, our latest podcast episode explores what mental health looks like for students. Claire Pijanowski, counsellor at Kerrisdale and Queen Mary Elementary schools and Joe Ritchie counsellor at Templeton Secondary join us to talk about why it’s important to pay close attention to a student’s mental health. Both counsellors share what types of support...

In our first episode of VSB: After The Bell, we speak with Helen McGregor, VSB’s Superintendent. We talk about: · Her role as superintendent, · The the Education Plan, which guides the District’s work throughout the next five years, and · Address the matter of the month: back to school enrolment delays.

An introduction to VSB: After The Bell and why we created this podcast.