WATCH THIS PAGE FOR COMPLETE LIST OF 2016-17 TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES!!!
Summer PBS Coaches’ Institute for 2016(NEW UPDATE!)
We are happy to announce that we will once again be offering the Summer New Coaches’ Training for Positive Behaviour Support. This training will be limited to 30 participants and will be facilitated by Dr. Kent McIntosh from the University of Oregon. The training will take place from August 22-25, with follow up days on October 20, 21 and 22, 2016 in Richmond, BC. Please click here to get more information on registering for the training.
Making Connections Conference 2015-2016
The Making Connections Group is delighted to have Linden MacIntyre as the featured opening plenary speaker for our 17th Conference, October 28th, 29th & 30th, 2015.
Linden MacIntyre is a Canadian journalist, broadcaster and novelist. He has won ten Gemini Awards, an International Emmy and numerous other awards for writing and journalistic excellence, including the 2009 Scotiabank Giller Prize for his 2009 novel, The Bishop’s Man. Well known for many years for his stories on CBC’s the fifth estate, in 2014 he announced his retirement from the show. His final story, broadcast on November 21, 2014, was “The Interrogation Room” about police ethics and improper interrogation room tactics.
Linden’s latest book, Punishment, is a powerful exploration of justice and vengeance.
-source: Wikipedia
For registration information, click here.
Click here for the Preliminary Program
Making Connections Pre-Conference 2015-2016
The Making Connections Group is pleased to announce that Tom Shimmer will be facilitating a one day pre-conference workshop on how schools can establish an RtI and PBS system for the academic and behavioural support needs of all students.
Additional speakers for the Making Connections Conference 2015-2016
Dr. Rob Horner is professor of special education at the University of Oregon and director of the Educational Community Support. Dr. Horner’s 25-year history of research, grants management, and systems change efforts related to school reform and positive behavior support include helping schools and school administrators develop systems for embedding school-wide systems of positive behavior support.
Training Dates:
NEW! PBS: The Connection to Social Responsibility (Vancouver) – November 5 & 6
NEW! PBS: Enhancing Social Responsibility (Delta) – October 15 and 16
NEW! PBS: The Connection to Social Responsibility (Abbotsford) – October 8, 9 and April 15
NEW! PBS New Coaches Training 2015 (Vancouver) – August 24-27, October 29-31
List of Special Topics In-service to Support PBS Implementation
Follow Up Training from 2014-2015
During the 2014-2015 year, provincial trainers held two day team training days in the North Vancouver, Vancouver, Salt Spring Island and Nelson school districts. These districts will also have follow up training in the 2015-2016 school year. This is a provincially funded/sponsored training, through the Ministry of Education. If your district is interested in hosting one of these training sessions, please contact Don Chapman
New School Team Training, Surrey Follow up day: October 23, 2015
New School Team Training, Prince George Follow-up day: October 2, 2015
Training Resources
Introduction to PBS
These power points (provided in both ppt and pptx formats) are templates for “Introduction to PBS” presentations. They can be used to share the basic principles of and rationale for PBS for schools, districts, school boards, or community groups. They are provided in 30, 60, and 90 minute presentation formats.
90 minute presentation: ppt or pptx
60 minute presentation: ppt or pptx
30 minute presentation: ppt or pptx
This document contains activities for use during “Introduction to PBS” presentations.
PBS Introduction Presentation Resources: click here
Provincial PBS Trainers Available for Schools and Districts
Nicci Beninger
Contact: click here to email
Nicci’s experience is primarily at the secondary level – as a teacher and counselor. For the past 10 years, she has been a member of the Area counseling Team in SD 38 (Richmond) and a PBS coach assisting both elementary and secondary schools to implement school-wide PBS. In addition to offering in-service in PBS, Nicci offers professional development sessions in systems for reducing anxiety in students and helping students with anger management.
PBS Support offered
-Tier 1: New team training
-Tier 2 professional development, including Check-In, Check-Out
Kathleen Champion
Contact: click here to email
Kathleen Champion recently retired from her position as Director of Instruction, Learning Services, in the Richmond School District. She has been a regular classroom teacher, a special education teacher and a special education consultant. Kathleen has taught courses in special education for the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Simon Fraser University (SFU) and has taught master’s level courses in Curriculum and Instruction for City University.
Kathleen has been actively involved in the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). She served as the president of the BC Federation and was also a member of the Canadian Board of Directors. She has also served as the president of the British Columbia Council of Administrators of Special Education, a division of CEC.
Kathleen has been a proponent of inclusive education practices in her own district and throughout the province. She has offered workshops on a variety of topics related to inclusion, has served on district and ministry special education committees and has chaired the planning committee of an annual provincial conference, Making Connections, which focuses on Positive Behavioral Support (PBS), for the past fifteen years. Kathleen currently teaches part–time at UBC and offers consulting services in the area of special education.
PBS Support Offered
-Tier 1:new team training
Janice Coomer
Contact: click here to email, 604-936-5383
Janice Coomer is a retired educator from SD #43, who currently provides supports to schools throughout BC as an educational consultant. She is a BC Provincial Trainer for PBS and Wrap-Around, B.C. Co-Facilitator for PBS and a Coaches’ Trainer. She also is a Certified Trainer for Canadian Centre for Threat Assessment and Trauma Response, along with having an Alternative Dispute Resolution Certificate and Training with District Behaviour Teams.
PBS Support Offered
-New Team Training/Team Facilitator Training
-Coaches Training
-District Capacity Building (training and coaching systems)
-Targeted Systems
-Individual Systems (FBA and function-based support)
-Wrap-Around planning; parent info./education; community capacity building; coordinator with community agencies
Don Chapman
Contact: click here to email
Don Chapman, M.Ed., has been a long standing advocate for public education. He has worked to improve educational opportunities for students with special needs within the mainstream system. He worked in the Ministry of Education, taught at both elementary and secondary levels and served as an administrator in student services in the Maple Ridge and Coquitlam school districts. He has supported the implementation of Positive Behaviour Support in British Columbia schools for over 10 years. He currently offers consulting services to organizations and school districts in the area of special education as well as providing training to school teams in order for them to implement PBS in their schools.
PBS Support offered
-Tier 1: New team training
-Tier 2 professional development, including Check-In, Check-Out
Craig Gillis
Contact: click here to email, 250-923-6330
Craig Gillis, M.Ed. is a retired Assistant Superintendent for SD 72 (Campbell River) where he also worked as a teacher, counselor, and administrator in elementary, middle and high schools. Currently, he co-ordinates student teacher placements in SD 71 and 72 and works as a field services supervisor for Vancouver Island University. At both the school and district level he has been a strong advocate for school-wide positive behaviour support. As a presenter and facilitator who has focused on classroom management and assessment, he believes that Positive Behaviour Support can transform school culture and student achievement.
PBS Support Offered
-New Team Training/Coaches’ Training
-Targeted Systems
Risha Golby
Contact: click here to email
Risha Golby, MEd, currently works in the Vancouver School District as an Elementary Vice-Principal. As a support teacher, school and district administrator she has worked with numerous school teams to implement PBS in the Northwest Territories and the Lower Mainland. A champion for supporting inclusive classrooms, Risha recently co-authored a paper on effective practices in SWPBS and aboriginal schooling.
Cheryl Hofweber
Contact: click here to email, 250-847-3974
Cheryl Hofweber as an executive member of BC CASE, was instrumental in supporting the initial PBS initiative in BC schools. As a former Director of Student Services in SD 54 (Smithers) she developed a district level model to support schools implementing PBS. She also worked with local community interagency groups in implementing the Wraparound Approach to support high risk youth. Cheryl has taught functional behaviour assessment for the Northwest Community College. She continues her work with Child and Youth Mental Health as a provincial trainer for the FRIENDS program.
PBS Support Offered
-New Team Training/Team Facilitator Training
-Individual Systems (FBA and function-based support)
Jody Langlois
Contact: click here to email
Jody Langlois, M.Ed., is the Assistant Superintendent of the Howe Sound/Squamish School District, as well as a sessional instructor at the University of British Columbia. Jody has been a classroom teacher, a learning support teacher and a behaviour support teacher. Her areas of interest and expertise include all facets of special education, with a particular concentration in individual and system wide positive behaviour support.
Joseph M. Lucyshyn
Contact: click here to email, 604-822-1904
Joseph Lucyshyn, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education in the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia. He also is a former teacher of students with developmental disabilities; and family counselor and interventionist with families of children with developmental disabilities and behavior disorders. His areas of expertise include FA and PBS with families of children with developmental disabilities and severe problem behavior, FA and PBS with students with severe problem behavior in school settings, home-school collaboration, and instructional technology.
PBS Support Offered
-Individual Systems (FBA and function-based support)
-Special topics: Home-School Collaboration; Family-Centered PBC
-Other: Building an Effective Work Group; Minimizing Workplace Stress and Preventing Burnout
Nathan Ngieng
Contact: click here to email, 604-798-5229
Nathan Ngieng, M.Ed., is the acting District Principal of Student Services in the Chilliwack School District. He has worked as a classroom teacher, resource teacher, counsellor and school principal. Nathan has worked with a number of schools in a coaching capacity to implement or renew a PBS framework; offered workshops for schools around PBS and its implementation and offered trainings for school teams around data driven decision making and PBS.
PBS Support Offered
-New Team Training/Team Facilitator Training
-Data-Based Decision Making (SWIS and other data)
Tom Schimmer
Contact: click here to email, 250-488-3876
Tom Schimmer, M. Ed., is an independent education author, speaker, and consultant from Penticton, BC. He is an internationally recognized leader and expert in the areas of positive behaviour support, sound assessment & grading practices, as well as educational leadership. Prior to working as a consultant, Tom spent 20 years in the education system working in a variety of roles including as a classroom teacher, school administrator, and district-level leader. He was the primary facilitator of the BC-PBS Coaches Training (2003-2006) and was the lead trainer for the Departments of Education in both Nova Scotia and Newfoundland during their province-wide implementation of PBS systems. He is the author of Ten Things that Matter from Assessment to Grading (Pearson Canada).
PBS Support Offered
-New Team Training/Team Facilitator Training
-Coaches Training
-Data-based Decisions
-Targeted Systems
-Individual Systems (FBA and function-based support)
-Other (Classroom Systems, Academic Connection to Student Behaviour, Leading PBS Implementation, Planning, & Organization)
BC Positive Behaviour Support Website 