CATCA 2022

The Life Framework (Lived Inclusive For Everyone) is a document released from the Council of Catholic School Superintendents of Alberta (CCSSA) on creating and operating student groups and activities that seek to promote student inclusion within the schools. The creation of LIFE groups within schools serves students to promote eliminating all forms of bullying, including - but not restricted to - harassment and discrimination concerning sexual orientation and gender identity and promote justice, respectful relationships, and language within Catholic schools.

The session will explore the Life Framework and the considerations and best practices in setting up a group within the school while remaining faithful to the fidelity of the Church Teachings. There will be an opportunity for questions in the session. Please consider adding the questions that you wish to have answered in the Google Form.

Teachers can add questions in the Google Form to tailor their questions to the session. https://forms.gle/zsB24u6oH3fEcA6XA

Many feel uncomfortable talking about death and grief—but it is a pivotal conversation we all must face with compassion and empathy. Learn to change your perspective on loss and speak about grief in a healthy and authentic manner. Learn about the pillars of the “Healthy Grief Movement” created by bereavement author and advocate, Alexis Marie Chute. Learn to foster safe places for grief expression with tips for what to say, not say, and what are the most meaningful ways to support the mourners in your life.

Everywhere around us kids are just “looking for attention” starved for connection & positive adult relationships. This session speaks to the biological, psychological and developmental reasons kids seek our attention & uses theory & humor to look at the behaviors & brains of these kids & the survival games they play. Participants will learn the "Vitamin C" approach to attention seeking behavior & explore practical ways to nourish children & youth with the time & attention they seek…and deserve.

Now more than ever, we are witnessing the impact of trauma on the students and families we work with, and on ourselves as educators. Thankfully, the news isn’t all bad. There are strategies we can use to enhance and adapt our existing practices to respond to trauma needs within ourselves, our students, and our colleagues. In this session you will be introduced to the principles of trauma-informed practice through stories and examples of how schools in Alberta and around the world are implementing them into their classrooms. You’ll leave with practical strategies you can implement right away, and you’ll likely learn that a lot of what you’re already doing as an educator is trauma-informed.

We all have the ability to live a life we love. As educators, mentors, supporters for the youth in our classrooms, communities and in our lives we have to lead by example. If you want to empower today's youth to achieve their dreams, to get the results in their life that they would love, then we need to do that for ourselves first. In this session, learn to gain clarity on what you would lobe in your health and in your life and how to master your habits to achieve any goal in your life and ultimately live a life you love, while feeling incredible from the inside out. When you show up as your best self in all areas of your life, you are empowering everyone around you to do the same!

None of us will be able to predict the emotional state of scholars entering the classrooms next school year However, we can prepare ourselves to face a generation that has experienced tragic losses, faced a warring nation, and has been forced to keep their distance from those around them. You can master academic standard s AND provide emotional support for students in the classroom. This session will provide tips and tricks to teaching self- compassion to students in 6-12th as well as how to help them navigate, "feeling their feelings "To have access to this video you will need sign up with the following Google Form:https://forms.gle/UsdgGceaxX5mrMRx6

Say What? focuses on helping educators learn what influences student behaviour and decoding what function that behaviour serves Teachers will learn to develop a behaviour hypothesis and determine appropriate "replacement behaviours" that do not limit the child's voice, but instead teach them how to communicate that feeling in a more positive way. To have access to this video you will need sign up with the following Google Form:https://forms.gle/UsdgGceaxX5mrMRx6

The Covid-19 pandemic has created a parallel mental health pandemic causing a sharp increase in anxiety and depression symptoms among people of all ages. National award-winning speaker, author and mental health advocate, Wade Sorochan, addresses the new "mental health pandemic" and shares openly about his mental health struggles, which includes being emotionally and mentally abused and abandoned as a child, experiencing five mental breakdowns, eventually hitting rock bottom, and how he is living with mental illness today. Wade's powerful and inspiring message will connect with those who are struggling, and their supporters, providing encouragement and hope. He shares practical tips on how to maintain good mental health, especially during a challenging life event, along with facts about mental illness to help break the silence and end the stigma. Wade Sorochan is recognized as Canada's leading mental health advocate.

Being effective and at your best requires you look after yourself first. If you don’t, eventually over time you will feel burnt out and exhausted with little energy left for anyone or anything.
For many of us, putting ourselves first can be difficult as we feel selfish doing so. It starts with you is about looking after yourself first, to bring back the joy in your life, so you can have a better quality of life and continue to effectively help others.
Using a variety of simple techniques I will teach you how to lead a healthier life physically, mentally and emotionally.
If not now, then when?

Yikes! Somebody asked me a question about sexual health…now what!

Teaching sexual health in the classroom can feel awkward and intimidating for all of us!
Why is one breast bigger than the other? How do I know if I am gay? Teacher, when did you start having sex? Why did my daughter learn about birth control at school? Students, parents and teachers have lots of questions about sex and sexual health. Come to this interactive session to have an overview of the Alberta Ed/AHS resources available for educators and supports for your classroom from grades 4-12; and for yourself! Learn how to use the the question box effectively, the different types of questions students ask, how to address slang, and how to deal with those embarrassing and sometimes difficult, personal questions.

Join Willem as he shares his experience through the child welfare system, whilst navigating his own educational journey. Learn how he leads through resilience despite hardships he’s faced along the way. Willem Fraser creates an intimate experience with his audience. He will impart the audience with in-depth knowledge and understanding of strategies to support vulnerable youth through their educational journey. He hopes to empower educators through a hopeful message that they can support youth from various walks of life to become leaders of resilience too.

Participants will learn how to use creative writing in two important ways. First, as an introspective, self-care tool to mend, strengthen and restore joy to the writer’s heart. See how words can foster a renewed sense of peace, passion, and purpose. Secondly, how to craft stronger writing, tell captivating stories, and communicate powerfully to move the hearts of readers. Writing styles of focus include: free writing, memoir, poetry, and fiction.

In recent years the importance of child and adolescent mental health has been discussed in many forums, including within the education sector. Interest in mental health supports has also increased as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. As well, suicide has been identified as a leading cause of death for Canadian youth and building mental health capacity is a responsibility of all human services sectors to comprehensively address suicide prevention and intervention.

School staff play a vital role in the identification of mental health concerns, including the identification of risk for suicide and supporting youth to seek help when expressing suicidal thoughts or behaviour. Over the course of a career working within a school setting, it is not unusual for a school staff to experience an instance when they need to meet the immediate mental health needs of a student and/or maintain their safety. However, school staff often report feeling uncertain about how to best support a student in these circumstances.

A School-based Suicidal Ideation Response Protocol (SI Protocol) was launched in August 2019 by Alberta Health Services and is highlighted in the Alberta Government’s Pathways to hope: best practices in suicide prevention for Alberta schools (April 2020). It offers a standardized and structured approach for all roles within a school, whether school teachers/support staff, school mental health providers, or school administrators. The protocol contains a step-by-step process for responding to a distressed student, with activities that are appropriate to the person’s role and training. Implementation of the SI Protocol is supported by online training (freely available through the Alberta Health Services Mental Health Online Resources for Educators website; https://more.hmhc.ca).
The SI Protocol can be adopted by an individual school staff member, a school, or across an entire school authority. Between 2019 and 2021 a number of school authorities across Alberta have implemented the SI Protocol. They have provided positive feedback about its impact to date.

This presentation will provide an overview of the SI Protocol, describe the benefits experienced by early adopters, and highlight the evaluation findings to date. It will also outline the results of recent research related to completely suicide risk assessments virtually and what to pay particular attention to.

This presentation will benefit you if you:
- are interested in support child and adolescent mental health in education settings,
- are interested in improving your comfort or confidence in addressing suicidal ideation,
- want a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities within a school setting related to suicide intervention, and
- want to provide the most appropriate response for a student and their family.

Stress is disruptive to our lives and can negatively impact our emotional and physical wellbeing.
Grab a blanket, pillow, dim the lights and experience profound relaxation for your body and mind. All you have to do is lie there as Susan guides you through a deep meditation known as Yoga Nidra.
Yoga Nidra (Guided Meditation): an ancient technique, thousands of years old, that Susan studied with Yoga Masters in India having done her advanced training in this area.This session includes body sensing, pranayam (breathwork) and manomaya kosha – emotions (happiness/anger).
Our presenter does not wish to keep this recording till April 30th.

Did you know that grief does not just apply to the death of a loved one? The definition of Grief is the emotion we feel or experience when someone (friend, family, co-worker, pet) or something (job, marriage, worker) we are attached to is no longer as it was (Death, Caregiving, Loss of income). Co-Vid has caused grief for so many. Come learn the stages of grief and some natural coping mechanisms.

Stress is disruptive to our lives and can negatively impact our emotional and physical wellbeing.
Grab a blanket, pillow, dim the lights and experience profound relaxation for your body and mind. All you have to do is lie there as Susan guides you through a deep meditation known as Yoga Nidra.
Yoga Nidra (Guided Meditation): an ancient technique, thousands of years old, that Susan studied with Yoga Masters in India having done her advanced training in this area.This session includes body sensing, pranayam (breathwork) and manomaya kosha – emotions (confident/worry).
Our presenter does not wish to keep this recording till April 30th.

This session is for teachers and counsellors who wish to develop helping tools for themselves and their students. Participants will learn and apply the cognitive-behavioural techniques of locus of control, cost-benefit analysis using scales, the feared fantasy, the double-standard, the acceptance paradox, and the shame pie to themselves so that they can get a sense of how the techniques are intended to help. Participants will require a pencil and piece of paper to participate in the session; however, participants will not be expected to share what particular problems they are utilizing the techniques for.

The reality of the pain and struggles that many of our students experience is becoming more apparent, and unfortunately the coping strategy of "self-harm" is becoming more common. There is a lot of fear, misunderstanding, myth, judgement and confusion surrounding why and how students self-injure and we are left wondering how best to react (or not?) and support them as they cope. This session will provide some insight into the reasons students self-harm, the various forms this behavior can take, and the best strategies for prevention and support through both their physical and emotional healing.

Learn how to ignite your mind and fuel your imagination—and lead your students to do the same. Deepen your understanding of:
- Free writing
- The hero’s journey
- Creating cool characters
- Writing about meaningful events in your life
- Writing from new perspectives
- Crafting new worlds in fictional stories
The inspirational teaching time will open you up to new ways of looking at the world and at your own experiences. You’ll learn new methods to express yourself, get inspired, and have a blast. You’ll also come away with tools to help release stress that are healthy and empowering. Positive expressions of the mental health journey will be explored. Put these writing styles and exercises to the test—then bring them back to your classrooms.

It has taken me over 20 years to create MINDFITNESS (Mindfulness + Fitness) which is a revolutionary approach to fitness where we connect your body and mind using movement and breath. You will leave feeling energized, refreshed and grounded as this session ends with a guided meditation (Yoga Nidra) inducing profound relaxation for both your body and mind.
Our presenter does not wish to keep this recording till April 30th.

When it comes to dealing with stress, one size does not fit all. If you are wanting to explore new ways to cope during these unprecedented times, join us to learn about acupressure. It is a practice that has been around for over 5000 years that, for some, is a highly effective (and easy) way to help feel calmer during times of stress.

Participants will explore:
• What is “stress” for you?
• Understanding the biological & neurological impacts of stress
• How your stress affects the decisions you make and your workplace and emotional resiliency
• What is acupressure?
• 7 Stress Releasing Acupressure Points

Trauma in children and youth and solutions in the classroom. We bring teaching on how the brain and body are affected by stress and trauma including PTSD, ACE's, resilience, self care, compassion training and boundaries.

Visual art is our first language, which connects us to how we first began to understand the world. In this workshop, learn how visual art and creativity can engage the body, brain, and hearts of educators and students alike—and why this connection is critical for thriving mental health. Be inspired with visual art project examples that will get your creative juices flowing. Discover how to deepen the meaning of the artistic process and inspire students to think outside-the-box in all areas of their lives.

This workshop was developed and is delivered in partnership with an RSW (Registered Social Worker)who has over 10 years of experience in child protection and adoptions work. Being educated and aware of the role that Child Family Services plays in our community is an essential responsibility that all ECE's share. This workshop explains how CFS works to ensure the safety and well-being of vulnerable children and struggling families, and how and when schools may require their support. It includes discussions surrounding how children's emotional well-being and their behavior may be impacted by family conflict, instability, and residency transitions (such as being placed in foster care or with a family member). Using the Behavior Wayfinding Framework, this workshop provides strategies of how programs and educators can provide support.

Discover how shifting focus from Self-esteem to Self-compassion can vastly increase confidence, prevent 'bad' behaviour and increase success. Additional resources found here:https://albertateachersassociation-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/catca_ata_ab_ca/EvXuFgLGUVVOjjAmbQqA2NIB05FZJ10TnkMK6sFsiXzAxQ?e=75E11u
Based on Dr Kristen Neff's ten-year of study of the empowering shift from self-esteem to self-compassion, this session provides a clear understanding of the differences between the two. Clarity is provided about how focusing on self-esteem can actually be damaging, while self-compassion bolsters confidence. Five powerful steps to developing self-compassion are presented that can help you and your students develop self-compassion to feel good about themselves; bounce back from difficult situations easily and quickly; value themselves. Be happier. Build resilience and increase success.

This session is to collaborate with other K-12 Counsellors teachers. Bring any ideas to talk about and use the following 2017 and 2018 document to spring some ideas and record your responses for future EdCamp collaboration sessions. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sDXm_9OrlzYFOyslQcVJ8o1J6ETfndEQI7FtRwvG9TI/edit?usp=sharing

As a K-12 school teacher I quickly realized my role was more than teaching the curriculum. My students were stressed and anxious trying to manage their emotions, but unable to do so. They were struggling with bullying, depression, anger issues, insomnia and many kids in my classroom were labelled ADD or ADHD, unable to focus, concentrate or even sit still. Teachers and parents were also struggling. I wanted to do something. I wanted to help. So, I developed a beKIND Mindfulness Training & Kit specifically for teachers, students and parents.
During this session, I teach a variety of mindfulness techniques to manage stress, better cope with change and life’s challenges, improve focus and for self-regulation. The goal being, to practice these techniques to develop behaviors that contribute to the well-being of self and others throughout their life.
Make THE SHIFT by joining us, our Global beKIND Mindfulness Movement of over 25 000 kids, teens and adults as we begin Day 1 of the beKIND Mindfulness Challenge. The beKIND Mindfulness Challenge gives everyone the opportunity to demonstrate KINDness, respect and caring for self and others in hopes we can all lead healthier lives physically, emotionally, mentally and socially.

Global evidence suggests that children, parents, and families are presenting to all levels of educational systems with increasingly complex psychosocial needs from a variety of forms of trauma. Therefore, future success of classrooms of all ages will be dependent on the need for continually seeking out creative trauma informed interventions.

This workshop will include discussions from both a trauma informed therapeutic parent and a trauma informed family counsellor to link specific trauma informed literature bases for students of all ages. Strategies and interventions discussed will be suitable for implementation level for both individuals students as well as entire school systems.

Working with children and teens struggling with challenging behaviours can be a very difficult and stressful part of teaching. Collaborative Problem Solving® (CPS) is an evidence based, trauma informed, neurobiological approach that provides a philosophy and tools for working with children and youth with challenging behaviours. This session is an introductory training on CPS. During the session we will explore what causes challenging behaviours and provide an overview of the three key components of the approach. This training is a foundation for professionals and parents interested in learning more about CPS.

Kids contemplate loss in profound ways, whether they express it externally or not. Adults must be prepared to initiate meaningful conversations with children that help them learn, grow, and thrive through their grief. Bereaved Mom, Alexis Marie Chute, shares observations of her living children as they mourn for their sibling. Become confident in noticing signs of grief and acquire tools to gift children on their lifelong journey of healing. We can change the culture around grief from one of silent struggle to one of support, compassion, and resiliency.

The benefits of multitasking are a myth. Meaningful and productive work happen in a state of deep focus. Transformational relationships and life fulfillment are also a result of this intentional attention. What is deep focus? How can you harness its power in your life? Learn strategies to break through distraction, cultivate deep focus, and experience its powerful shift in the ways you work, love, and make a difference in your community.

There is quite a buzz about mindfulness these days, but what exactly is it and how can it help you shift out of autopilot and into healthier, more intentional responses to your life both inside and & outside work?

Participants will explore:
• What is mindfulness?
• Benefits of mindfulness in life & leadership
• Mindfulness practices
• Creating a plan to improve your awareness and presence

Life is all about self-awareness, making better choices and living a life in balance. You don't always need to be moving- getting stuff done. At times its okay, and necessary to sit back, relax and recharge.

Are YOU living a life of balance and wellness? Join Mike as he explores the "Wellness Wheel" offering you strategies to immediately being living a full-filling, happy, healthy life- in BALANCE.

Sexuality and gender is an essential aspect of growth that is embedded in all areas of childhood development; it is present in their social, physical, intellectual, and emotional well-being.
This workshop discusses how sexuality is an essential aspect of the development of children and how significant an educators’ role is in providing support. The core factors that are discussed include: knowledge about a child’s developing self, working with families, answering children’s questions, understanding age appropriate behaviour, and how you can support early childhood sexual education and diversity in the classroom.

We’ve heard it a million times “Just a take a deep breath” … as annoying as it is to hear, it is still good advice. Let’s dive into the science behind it, explore how it really works and how it can help you cope during these unprecedented times both at work and home.

Participants will explore:
• What is “stress” for you?
• Understanding the biological & neurological impacts of stress
• How your stress affects the decisions you make and your workplace and emotional resiliency
• 4 Stress Busting Breathing Techniques

Learn creative ways to engage students struggling with anxiety and other mental health challenges, particularly during the pandemic, utilizing the empowering and healing capacities of writing. Creative writing exercises will be presented in both fiction and non-fiction as tools for personal reflection and betterment. Participants will leave equipped to apply the exercises in the compassionate support of students in their schools and communities.

Change is inevitable and difficult for many. When we feel forced to change this can create a sense of losing control of our environment which can lead to increased stress, anxiety, depression, anger and loss of hope to name a few. Do we really have control over our environment and what happens to us?
CHANGE is about making a change, doing something different, so we can have a different outcome. Join us to learn a variety of techniques to help you and your students better cope and adapt to changing times.

We are all on a joy journey, but the path is not always clear. We may look for joy in different places—in people, experiences, work—but it can only be found within us. Learn how to embrace the transformational reality of joy and discover how it can change your life. Explore seven sequential steps for choosing joy every day.