Mark Donkers is one of two NIDES school counsellor for Grades 10-12. (There is aslo one for k-9.) He and his colleagues collaborated to bring us the top mental health issues to be mindful of as parents of home learners.

The schools counsellors are academic counsellors, too. This means they can help students manage the pressures they are experiencing in various ways. They can look at course loads and they can connect students with local service providers to support mental health struggles. They can also check in and offer strategies similar to what Mark discusses in the 20 min video.

See the Recording

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(May 2026)

Kari Matthew Kari.mathew@sd71.bc.ca Teacher Librarian at Navigate Nides gave us a 15 minute tour of our shared online library resources that are referred to as the virtual Learning Commons! Find e-books, museum tours, and so much more.
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Passcode XyugsA0%
(Oct 2025)

The 25 min goal setting presentation starts 6 minutes into the PAC meeting video. Passcode: 8a?ZFz=A

Presented by Melissa Mullis and Wendy Chase from Navigate Nides

Melissa is a Learning Support Teacher with a Heartwood community. She explains how your role as the Home Educator/Facilitator changes over the years to support goal setting from working with your young learners, to coaching them, to just checking in! 

She offered suggestions for engaging elementary students to build goal setting skills. She also shared tools. Worksheet 1.  Worksheet 2.

Wendy is an Academic Advisor/Counsellor. Wendy works with grades 10-12 and adult students. She talked about goals from a different perspective. She introduced the “Grad Plan,” a way NIDES keeps track of the courses required for graduation, and briefly explained how student choice and graduation requirements get woven together with the support of student advisors. Nides really works to personalize students' experiences but there are some Provincial and post secondary requirements to plan towards, if post secondary is a goal. The advisors are there to help students and parents plan towards their graduation goals, whatever they may be.
Zoom Video  

Passcode: 8a?ZFz=A

(Jan 2026)