Author: Ms. Haigh

Looking for something to read in February? Why not pick a novel full of love and romance in honour of Valentine’s Day? Come check out our display of recommended romantic reads in the library.

“February is Black History Month and it gives British Columbians an opportunity to honour, celebrate and reflect on the stories, experiences and accomplishments of Black Canadians.  This year, Canada marks the 28th official Black History Month, and this year’s theme is “Ours to Tell.”  Sharing the many stories of success, sacrifice, resilience, triumph and community will hopefully help inspire our students and communities to work together to build a more equitable society that is inclusive and leaves no one behind.” 

– Beth Applewhite, District Principal, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

To help staff and students better recognize and celebrate Black History Month in Canada, our wonderful Alpha CARES team has generated a handout with excellent links and information.

CTV also has a great article that highlights Priceville, which was a thriving Black community in Ontario. In the article, there is a great audio clip on writer Tanya Hayles, who discusses why it’s important for Canadians to celebrate Black Excellence throughout the year.

Additional Resources:

• List of Famous Black Canadians
• Vancouver Black Library
• Black Strathcona Tours
• Periodic Tale of Black Canadian History
• Black History Month: Canadian Pioneers
• Looking at the Legacy of Joe Fortes
• Africville: A Community Destroyed
• CBC Short: Harry Jerome
• A Place to Belong: Hogan’s Alley
• The Story of Viola Desmond
• Rosemary Brown: Canada’s First Black MLA
• Remembering Canada’s All Black Batalian
• International Decade for People of African Decent
• Government of Canada: Black History Month
• Canadian Encyclopedia: Black History
• Black Scientists in Canada
• Remembering Black Loyalist and Communities

September 30th has been declared Truth and Reconciliation Day annually in Canada, in recognition of the harm the residential school system did to children’s sense of self-esteem and well being, and as an affirmation of our commitment to ensure that everyone around us matters. It is a day to listen, learn, and celebrate Indigenous cultures, strength, and resiliency. This year we are celebrating it on September 29th, in schools.

For additional information check out some of the following sites:

• A History of Residential Schools in Canada
• Where are the Children – Healing the impacts of Residential Schools
• UBC – The Residential School System
• Do You Live Near a Residential School? CBC
• 3-minute video with an interview with Phyllis Webstad.
• Heritage Minute: The Chanie Wenjack Story
• Historica: Intergenerational Trauma
• Editorial + Podcast: Kamloops 21 – What’s Happened Since?
• Wawahte – Stories from Residential Schools
• Video by Justice Murray Sinclair called “What is Reconciliation”
• Spoken word poem about Decolonization and Reconciliation
• TED talk by Kevin Lamoureux on Reconciliation
• On Reconciliation – Short Esssay by Richard Wagamese

• The National Centre for Truth & Reconciliation (NCTR) has a free educational program (September 26^th to 30^th ) that is open available now for you to register to join.  This year’s theme is “Remembering the Children”

Thank you to everyone who applied to be a library volunteer! Unfortunately there are only 21 spots and we had over 60 applicants. If you were not selected, don’t be discouraged. Please apply again next year.

If you are on the schedule, please check in with Ms. Haigh or Ms. Saul to confirm that you are available for the shift you were given. Volunteering will begin on Monday September 26th.

Welcome back! We hope the summer treated you well and that you’re ready for another year of learning, collaborating and READING!

The library is up and running and ready for students to come by. Please remember, that before you can sign out any books, you must make sure you have returned all overdue materials.

If you’re looking for something to read over the summer months while the school and Alpha’s library are closed, you can visit Tumble Books for access to lots of titles specifically for Teens. The collection includes Graphic Novels, Novels and Shakespeare.

To access the collection visit: https://www.teenbookcloud.com/autologin.aspx?u=burnabyschools&p=trial

Username:  burnabyschools
Password:   trial

This access will be available until August 15th 2022. Happy reading!

March 31st is Trans Day of Visibility which is a day dedicated to celebrating trans people and raising awareness to the discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide. For more information about how you can be a better LGBTQ2IA+ ally  check out this pdf: Guide-to-Being-an-Ally-to-Transgender-and-Nonbinary-Youth.

The guide includes:

• The difference between sex and gender
• Basics of gender — identity, expression, and perception
• Forms of address that show respect (names, pronouns, honorifics)
• Helpful tips to increase understanding
• Common mistakes and what to do if you’ve made one

Today is International Women’s Day-  a global celebration dedicated to uplifting women and honoring their achievements. Below are 5 book recommendations if you’re looking to read some powerful female authors who write strong female characters.

Ms. Marvel Vol 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona. Kamala Khan is a Muslim teen growing up in Jersey City, idolizing Captain Marvel Carol Danvers and the Avengers. Getting superpowers like Captain Marvel does not diminish her fandom but makes her have to grapple with her newfound duty to help and to her family and culture. This has been the unofficial breakout hit of Marvel’s slate of comics and it deserves all the attention.

Lumberjanes Vol. 1 by Noelle Stevenson and Grace Ellis. Diverse campers at a Girl Scout-esque summer camp who whose exclamations – Sweet Bessie Coleman! – reflect feminism and girl power? If you haven’t been reading this in issues, check out the trade paperback. It’s fun, powerful, and all about friendship.

Freakboy by Kristin Elizabeth Clark. Centering on three characters, one a transwoman and another a questioning boy wondering about gender fluidity, this novel in verse breaks stereotypes all over the place. It’s a good reminder to many of us that remembrances such as International Women’s Day and Women’s HIstory Month need to include transgender women as well as cisgender women.

The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas. This moving, timely book inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement follows Starr Carter as she deals with the aftermath of being the sole witness to her best friend Khalil’s shooting death by police. When it becomes clear the police have little interest in investigating the incident, protesters take to the streets and Starr’s neighborhood becomes a war zone. And Starr is the only person alive who can tell everyone what really happened that night.

Dumplin by Julie Murphy. Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson has always been at home in her own skin. Until she finds herself liking Bo, a hot former jock. Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her new relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant.