ECSD Elementary Summer Summit: Full Schedule

ECSD Elementary Summer Summit 2026: September Starts Here
Join us on August 28 for a day of learning, collaboration, and inspiration designed to help you start the school year strong! Choose from over 25 sessions featuring classroom-ready resources, practical strategies, and ready-to-use lessons across literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, assessment, inclusion, faith permeation, and wellness. Whether you’re exploring the new Grades 4–6 Social Studies curriculum, discovering Dynamic Math, or looking for fresh ideas to support every learner, you’ll leave confident, energized, and September ready!

11:00am MDT

Phonics Companion in Kindergarten (We Translated It To Human)

LIMITED

Friday August 28, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT

Limited Capacity seats available

Session Materials

In this session, teachers will explore the foundations of the Phonics Companion, focusing on the purpose of the program and what it means to teach phonics in a systematic and explicit way in Kindergarten. Lesson components will be broken down and clarified in a Kindergarten context. We will highlight the importance of pre-reading lessons, preparing materials, and making teacher notes to keep instruction focused and efficient. We will talk about if and when it is appropriate to adapt the Line Masters. Teachers will also examine the connection between this resource and the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Curriculum to better understand how they complement one another. The session will include a modeled lesson so teachers can see the flow, pacing, and structure in action, with clear guidance on what an effective lesson length looks like in practice.

Speakers

Carilynn Salisbury

English Language Arts Consultant (K-6), Edmonton Catholic School Division

English Language Arts Consultant, K-6

Kathleen Ruff

Kindergarten Programming Consultant, Edmonton Catholic School Division

Kindergarten Consultant. French Immersion teacher. Boy mom. Baker. Carbohydrate lover. TV watcher.

Courtney Cregan

Edmonton Catholic School Division

A lifelong Swiftie with a deep love play-based learning, Courtney brings heart, curiosity, and a touch of sparkle to every learning experience. When not teaching or curating magical classroom moments, you’ll find her curled up with a good book and Reputation on repeat.

Friday August 28, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
3A

Kindergarten

12:45pm MDT

Handwriting Without Tears in Kindergarten

LIMITED

Friday August 28, 2026 12:45pm - 3:30pm MDT

Limited Capacity seats available

Session Materials

The highly effective resource Handwriting Without Tears has returned! In this double block, teachers will be introduced to the foundational occupational therapy skills that support early writing development, including proper directionality, fine motor control, and print readiness. We will explore what the resource includes and why specific materials were selected. Teachers will practice some favourite activities such as using wooden pieces to build pre-printing shapes and letters, building and drawing Mat Man, and exploring multisensory approaches like the Wet-Dry-Try lesson and Roll-A-Dough activities. After this double block cross-curricular session, you will be fully equipped with practical strategies and ready-to-use resources to support writing success in your classroom.

Speakers