The Best in Class Fund

One of the best ways to help youth succeed is to responsibly engage students with technology. However, most schools lack the funds necessary to make new technology an integral component of classroom learning.

For this reason, Best Buy has set up the Best in Class Fund, a community investment program that fosters and advances learning by integrating technology into classrooms across the country.

Since the Best in Class Fund program started in 2008, Best Buy has donated $500,000 in technology grants to various schools in Canada.

In 2009, Best Buy Canada awarded a $20,000 technology grant to David Livingstone Elementary School to fund for a 30 Netbook Lab.

Thank you to Mrs. Laurie Cassie and Ms. Dorothy Watkins for their support with the application of the fund!

A HUGE Thank You to Best Buy Canada for enormous support!

The Generation Green Award

In 2011, 19 Generation Green Awards were presented to the winners of the Vancouver Foundation’s Generation Green competition. Of these nineteen awards, nine were presented to Vancouver student groups and classes, making the Vancouver School District very proud of its green student bodies!

The total amount that these nine school based winners are bringing to Vancouver Schools is close to $60,000! With these funds, the winning schools, classes and student groups will be able to create long lasting green programs. Included in the winning proposals are seven composting programs, three urban gardens, a greenhouse, an agricultural display, a recycling center, a worm farm, and one set of solar panels. With these initiatives, the Vancouver School District is one step closer to becoming the greenest school district in North America.

In the 6 to 12 age group, three Vancouver School based projects each won up to $12,500

David Livingstone Elementary School was awarded $12,500 for their Livingstone Green proposal which will create a recycling center, compost center and garden for the school and surrounding community.

For more information about David Livingstone Elementary School’s Green Project, visit http://projects.vancouverfoundationawards.ca/6-12/livingstone-green/

Thank you to Jennifer Fischer for leading the project!

A HUGE Thank You to the Vancouver Foundation for their generous support!

Breakfast Television’s Be There for Schools

Dawn Chubai of Breakfast Television was at David Livingstone Elementary school, learning about our activities, classes, programs and having a lot of fun.

As part of Breakfast Television’s Be There For Schools program, Dawn also presented us with a cheque for $1,000.

Thank You to Breakfast Television for their support!

[Video of Breakfast Television at David Livingstone Elementary School]

Mr. David Brook: 2011 Canada’s Outstanding Principal

Congratulations to our Principal, Mr. Brook, for being named one of Canada’s Outstanding Principals for 2011!

An excerpt from the Vancouver School Board:

Embracing new technology, encouraging teacher collaboration and professional development and supporting student skills and creativity are some of the many reasons that David Brook, principal of David Livingstone Elementary school has been named one of Canada’s Outstanding PrincipalsTM for 2011.

The Canada’s Outstanding PrincipalsTM program, which was developed by The Learning Partnership is now in its seventh year. This year 32 principals were recognized for demonstrating exceptional leadership, creating professional learning teams at their schools, and developing meaningful partnerships with families and communities… [Full Article on the Vancouver School Board]

An excerpt from the Vancouver Sun:

David Brook is one of four British Columbians recognized as outstanding school principals by a national organization that promotes public education, but the veteran teacher was modest Wednesday when
asked about his talents.

“I don’t know how to put this,” Brook said, after first mentioning the wonderful culture at Vancouver’s David Livingstone elementary and the exceptional efforts of teachers to promote the use of technology
in classrooms. “What I’m good at is supporting teachers with passion — and we have some pretty passionate teachers here who’ve been able to make a lot happen.”… [Full Article on the Vancouver Sun]

Ms. Sylvia Zubke: 2011 BC Teacher-Librarian of the Year

The BC Teacher-Librarians’ Association is pleased to announce that Sylvia Zubke is the 2011 recipient of the highest honour of the BCTLA, the BC Teacher-Librarian of the Year — Diana Poole Memorial Award.

Now, Sylvia would be the very first to say that she’s gonna let me finish, but that it’s Beyoncé who truly deserves the award.

Not this time, Sylvia…this one is all yours!

This award honours a practicing teacher-librarian who is making an outstanding contribution to teacher-librarianship at and beyond the school level in British Columbia. Recipients of the award are teacher-librarians who have planned and implemented a school library program of such exemplary quality that it serves as a model and inspiration for others.

Sylvia Zubke’s school library program at David Livingstone Elementary School in Vancouver, BC, is just that. In addition to being an incredibly beautiful person, inside and out, Sylvia is absolutely a
school library leader in the province. Every day, she is inquiring into and challenging and redefining traditional concepts of elementary school library service. She does this by approaching every single opportunity and challenge with the amazing and genuine attitude of “welcome!”. Hers is a school library program completely alive with the vision of being “welcoming to all”… [Full Article on The Bookmark: The Professional Journal of the BC Teacher-Librarians' Association]

Mrs. Laurie Cassie and Ms. Rebecca Robins: Certificate of Excellence Recipients of the Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence

Congratulations to Mrs. Cassie and Ms. Robins, Certificate of Excellence Recipients of the Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper with Laurie Cassie and Rebecca Robins / Le très honorable Stephen Harper avec Laurie Cassie et Rebecca Robins. Photo courtesy of the Prime Minister's Office.

Mrs. Cassie and Ms. Robin’s Profile on the Prime Minister’s Awards website

Press Release from the Prime Minister’s Awards:

The Honourable Peter Van Loan, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, on behalf of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, today announced the recipients of the 2010–11 Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence and Excellence in Early Childhood Education. Award recipients were honoured at a ceremony in Ottawa, fittingly held on World Teachers’ Day. The event also marked the launch of the nomination process for the 2011–12 Prime Minister’s Awards.

“Great teachers inspire great minds to be their best,” said Minister Van Loan. “Today, we celebrate outstanding educators who are igniting the curiosity of their students and making Canada a better place, one child at a time.”

This year, 84 Prime Minister’s Awards were presented to teachers and early childhood educators, either individually or to teams, from across Canada. The Awards include 26 national Certificates of Excellence and 58 regional Certificates of Achievement for educational excellence at all levels, from preschool to secondary school. All award recipients were recognized as exceptionally innovative leaders who help students excel and young children get the best possible start in life.

All winners receive a certificate, a pin and a letter from the Prime Minister. Certificates of Excellence are each worth $5,000 and are shared equally between the winners and their schools or childcare institutions. Certificates of Achievement are each worth $1,000 and are given directly to recipients… [Full Release on the Prime Minister's Award]

Laurie Cassie and Rebecca Robins with the Honourable Peter Van Loan / Laurie Cassie et Rebecca Robins avec l'honorable Peter Van Loan

From SMART Technologies | EDCompass:

Two SMART Exemplary Educators, Laurie Cassie and Rebecca Robins from David Livingstone Elementary School in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, are Certificate of Excellence Recipients of the 2010-2011 Prime Ministers Awards for Teaching Excellence (PMATE).

The awards recognize outstanding and innovative educators in Canada who help students excel and young children get the best possible start in life. This tech-savvy duo was honoured for their exceptional use of SMART Board interactive whiteboards, video and other technologies to make learning relevant for every student, along with their mentorship of other teachers… [Full Article on the EDCompass]

From the Vancouver Sun:

Besides, Ablett, the other teachers to get national-level certificates of excellence were Laurie Cassie and Rebecca Robbins of Vancouver’s David Livingstone elementary school; Arlene Anderson, West Vancouver’s Rockridge secondary school’s teacher-librarian; William Eaton from Similkameen elementary school in Keremeos; Christine Marin from Alfred B. Dixon elementary school in Richmond, and Harold Wardrop of Brentwood College School in Mill Bay… [Full Article on the Vancouver Sun]