2026 NSTALL - Beyond the Book: Every Age, Every Stage, Every Subject

This session is intended for the tasks of ONLY the planning and hosting team(s) of the Professional Association. 

This workshop begins at Heritage Centre Theatre. Participants will come together at 9:00 for a Smudging and icebreaker activity Sharing Circle: What have you tried, and was it successful? Award-winning Team Members from Northumberland High will walk participants through the reasons their school has committed to creating seasonal Take it Outside Days, the process for organizing and delivering a meaningful experience, share ideas for activities, partnering with local organizations and businesses, and building relationships with local First Nations, Black, and every and any culture represented in your school community. 12:00: Both groups meet at the John B Trail (5 min drive from heritage ctr) for Lunch 12:30 to 2:30 Mi’kmaw-inspired outdoor fun activities that can be easily incorporated into a Take It Outside Day Teachers will participate in a mini Take it Outside Day with a focus on Mi’kmaw and Indigenous activities. They will participate in the following stations: Play, plant ID Bingo, lacrosse, Mi’kmaw language games, drumming station, archery, kojua and Round Dance, tobacco tie, shelter building, technical field drawing, bow drill fire-making, petroglyph carving on slate, fish cleaning, orienteering, storytelling, and wampum carving. Presenters: Gord Pictou & Jonathan Grant

Mi’kmawey Debert Interpretive Trail 1952 Plains Rd., Debert 9 - 11:30: Hike the Mi’kmawey Debert Trail with Mercedes Peters, learn about the important archeological discoveries at the site, the work towards the Mi’kmawey Debert Museum and try your hand at throwing an atlatl. When done head to the John B Trail in Millbrook for a BBQ Lunch. 12:00: Both groups meet at the John B Trail (5 min drive from heritage ctr) for Lunch 12:30 to 2:30 Mi’kmaw inspired outdoor fun activities that can be easily incorporated into a take it Outside Day Teachers will participate in a mini Take it Outside Day with a focus on Mi’kmaw and Indigenous activities. They will participate in the following stations: Play waltes, plant id Bingo, lacrosse, Mi’kmaw language games, drumming station, archery, kojua and Round Dance, tobacco tie, shelter building, technical field drawing, bow drill fire making, petroglyph carving on slate, fish cleaning, orienteering, storytelling and wampum carving. 2:30 - 3:15 Closing circle Presenters: Matthew Arsenault and Mercedes Peters

Offered through Hike Nova Scotia, the Guided Nature Play workshop is an immersive, one-day learning experience built around four key components that reflect the value of nature play and offer real, practical material for educators: 1) Guided Nature Play: special activities designed to engage children's senses (touch, smell, sight and sound) directly with the natural world around them in unique ways; 2) Creating Connections to Nature: how to transform everyday environments into places of magic, imagination and safety; 3) Storytelling: a powerful tool for inspiring adventure and imagination in children, you'll discover how to craft your own adventure stories; 4) Resources & Support: participants receive the Resource & Activity Manual with step-by-step instructions, leader scripts for activities, nature-themed games, crafts and prop-making and storyline creation templates–all designed to make leading Guided Nature Play as simple as possible for teachers. Facilitated by HIKE Nova Scotia This workshop is taking place off-site from 9 am to 2:45 pm Meeting at: Douglas Street Recreation Centre 40 Douglas St, Truro Room 1 Snacks provided at break. Bring your own lunch.

Join us for an inspiring, hands-on professional development session that connects literacy development with physical movement, environmental exploration, and creative expression — all set against the backdrop of the scenic Rail yard and SEEK in Victoria Park. Participants will engage in activities designed to spark creativity, deepen literacy practices, and enhance student engagement by weaving together biking, poetry, personal reflections, and low-organized physical education games themed around local habitats and ecosystems. Teachers participating should bring a notebook, pen/pencils/colour pencils, water bottle, bike helmet, and Trail/Mountain bike in good working order. There will be a short bike safety lesson before heading on the trails. Snacks at Break will be provided. Bring a lunch. This workshop is off-site. The presenter will contact participants with further details. Presenter: Todd Croft

Spend the day exploring how cycling can boost student engagement and build deeper school community connections. Angela manages an interdisciplinary bike program for third graders, while April facilitates numerous mountain biking clubs across the Annapolis Valley. Together, they offer actionable methods and activities tailored for your local setting. Snack at Break provided Bring your own packed lunch and water. Participants should be able to ride trails and must bring a bicycle in excellent repair. Please dress for the variable October elements for this outdoor Kentville session. Presenters: Angela Scott & April Muirhead

In this session, we will be creating a substitute website that can be accessed and edited from anywhere there is internet. Take the stress out of a sick day by being able to upload lesson plans, links, videos, and more from anywhere, at any time. This is scheduled as a full-day session so that participants leave with a finished product that is ready to use in the classroom. No prior tech knowledge necessary. This workshop is ON SITE Presenter: Carrie Burgess

This presentation will inspire teachers to think outside the box and leverage Canva’s creative tools to make their teaching materials more visually appealing and engaging. Ideally, participants will have a basic understanding of Canva and have already begun using it briefly prior to this session. Please bring a computer or Chromebook to fully participate! Presenter: Melissa Hallett Level: All

In this hands-on session, we will look at how we can create a variety of different projects using Corrugated cardboard, taking their ideas 'Beyond the Book' . We will see how this fun and engaging activity can be used at multiple grades to support the curriculum. Cardboard is a low/no cost solution that allows students to think through problems and see how imagination can be made into reality. Students of all ages (and adults) can benefit from constructing and refining ideas and concepts, making 3D solutions and models; in fact, designing and creating can help students problem-solve, deal with failed attempts, and result in products they are proud of. Participants will also look at how they can integrate other resources, such as simple machines, paper circuits, Makey Makeys, micro: bits, and B-boards to make the cardboard constructions even more interactive. Presenter: Louise Haycocks Level: All

Explore practical ways to bridge play and literacy within the elementary classroom setting. This interactive session examines how incorporating flexible, open-ended materials alongside the Writers' Workshop framework can spark creativity and enhance learning. Educators will discover hands-on techniques for utilizing tactile loose parts to guide students in visualizing, organizing, and rehearsing ideas before writing. Encouraging young learners to physically construct their narratives helps eliminate barriers for hesitant writers, fosters rich descriptive language, and strengthens foundational storytelling skills. Presenters: Brittany Edwards & Laura Jollimore Level: P-2

This yoga session will be a mingling of yoga, candlelight, essential oils, meditation, and mindfulness. Let the stress melt away as you unwind and reconnect with your body and mind in a meaningful way. Beginners are welcome and encouraged. Presenter: Kelli Cruikshank Level: All

What happens after students finish reading? This interactive workshop explores 12 practical ways to get students doing more with a text than simply answering comprehension questions. Participants will experience strategies that invite students to notice, question, infer, evaluate, discuss, defend their thinking, and create. Each strategy can be adapted across grade levels, reading abilities, and subject areas, making them useful for more than just English classrooms. Participants will leave with a ready-to-use collection of strategies and digital resources to bring back to their classrooms.
Presented by: Sarah Smith
Middle Level, Junior High, High School 

What if writing became something students looked forward to instead of something they simply had to finish? In this session, we will explore practical ways to rekindle student engagement and ownership in the writing process. Teachers will leave with classroom-ready approaches that empower students to see themselves as capable, purposeful writers. Presenter: Jasmine Webster Level: Secondary Grades 7-12

This workshop focuses on structured and explicit literacy phonics instruction for students in grades P-6. Teachers will look at different types of resources that will help students who face reading challenges learn decoding and encoding strategies. Presenter: Anne Davies Level: Gr 3-6

Clean Foundation, in partnership with EcoSchools Canada, is excited to announce EcoSchools Nova Scotia! Learn how your school can become a certified NS EcoSchool! EcoSchools’ innovative, bilingual certification program is dedicated to sustainability and environmental learning. Free for Indigenous and publicly funded schools. Join the digital platform to plan, track, and celebrate meaningful environmental actions—from reducing waste and conserving energy to integrating environmental education throughout curricula. Join us to learn how to register your school and start an EcoTeam. Build your own environmental Action Plan and learn how your EcoTeam can earn points to become a certified EcoSchool. Check out over 50 NS curriculum-aligned Action Cards as well as a library of connected learning experiences, plans and free resources. Excited to learn more? Visit www.ecoschools.ca or contact us for support at EcoSchoolsNS@cleanfoundation.ca Presenter: Clean NS Level: All

Directed at teachers of Grades Primary to 2, this session will explore how high-quality read-alouds can be used to support Social-Emotional Learning while strengthening early literacy development. Participants will engage with a variety of age-appropriate texts and consider instructional approaches that foster communication, empathy, identity, belonging, and emotional awareness. Through meaningful literature experiences, students can build language skills while developing the social and emotional competencies needed to support well-being and positive relationships. Presenter: Sarah Court McDavid Level: P-2

Book Creator has been a fixture in many of our classrooms for a number of years; however, there have been lots of innovative and cool enhancements in the last few years. Explore and revisit this resource and check out some of the new features. Presenter: Kate English Level: All

This workshop is designed for individuals interested in understanding how to differentiate instruction using artificial intelligence. It covers how and why you can apply differentiation across the curriculum using AI. We will examine modifications to the middle school science curriculum and discuss how you can differentiate in any classroom, from simple strategies to advanced programming. We will also explore features in Gemini Notebook (Notebook LM), as well as WayGround, Canva, and Copilot. While these are not the only tools available, Education Centres have approved them. Presenters: Lauchie MacKinnon Level: All

This session takes a deep dive into how the English language works, including a glimpse into its history, and explores how to help students develop the kind of word consciousness that strengthens decoding, spelling, vocabulary, and comprehension. Participants will leave with practical strategies, a list of web-based tools, as well as some ready-to-use materials. Presenter: Jody Stevenson-MacKinnon Level: Grades 3-9

Ready to strike digital gold? Join this session to hunt through a collection of fun, engaging, classroom-tested resources that can support the new 3-6 literacy curriculum. We’ll uncover teacher tools, creative programs, interactive activities, and student projects that bring literacy to life- without adding hours of prep to your day. Whether you’re looking for a quick activity, a new way to engage reluctant learners, or an exciting technology-integrated project, there’s something in this treasure chest for everyone. While the presentation is designed with the 3-6 curriculum in mind, it may also be appropriate for middle school teachers as well. Presenter: Katie Creelman Level: Gr 3-6

This session is presented in French. Idées simples à augmenter votre efficacité et confiance en appuyant votre enseignant de lecture en petits groupes (This presentation will be in French).This session will be given in French and is mainly for elementary teachers, but some strategies could be adapted for use in other grades. Presenter: Natalie Campbell Bouvette Level: P-3

In this session, participants will learn the basics of the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI) Foundations phonics program. Topics will include an overview of the program, an examination of the underlying scientific evidence in support of structured literacy, a detailed description of each of the eight parts of a lesson and the associated supporting charts and online resources. Presenter: David Margolian Level: P-2, Elementary Literacy Support

See Session Description A1

See Session Description for A2

What happens after students finish reading? This interactive workshop explores 12 practical ways to get students doing more with a text than simply answering comprehension questions. Participants will experience strategies that invite students to notice, question, infer, evaluate, discuss, defend their thinking, and create. Each strategy can be adapted across grade levels, reading abilities, and subject areas, making them useful for more than just English classrooms. Participants will leave with a ready-to-use collection of strategies and digital resources to bring back to their classrooms.
Presented by: Sarah Smith
Middle Level, Junior High, High School 

See Session Description A4

See Session Description A5

See Session Description A6

See Session Description A7

See Session Description A8

Artificial intelligence can enhance education for both learners and teachers. This workshop is open to everyone, but I will focus on neurodiversity issues relevant to practicing teachers. I have utilized this technology (AT) since the early 1990s and am an educator with a learning disability. I aim to explore how AI can boost our efficiency, minimize errors, and support more effective classroom practices. Becoming competent with AI can support learning. I will share tools, strategies, and ideas to support teachers in the classroom, particularly those with neurodiversity. Presenter: Lauchie MacKinnon Level: all

This session takes a deep dive into how the English language works, including a glimpse into its history, and explores how to help students develop the kind of word consciousness that strengthens decoding, spelling, vocabulary, and comprehension. Participants will leave with practical strategies, a list of web-based tools, as well as some ready-to-use materials. Presenter: Jody Stevenson-MacKinnon Level: Grades 3-9

See Session Description A11

Note: This session will be led in French.
Cherchez-vous des trucs et activites pour faire avant, pendant ou apres la lecture? Voulez-vous encorporer des strategies non-traditionelles dans votre salle de classe? Venez a notre session pour discuter et partager dans notre atelier de lecture. La session deroulera en francais. Presenters: Lindsay Crossman Wheaton & Rhea Fisher Level: Gr 4 -12 French

It is not mandatory to register for both sessions but participants should be aware of the focus of the two workshops. The focus of this workshop is to have participants experience the implementation of a UFLI lesson as students by having Day 1 of a UFLI lesson "taught" to them. After the lesson, considerations on how to incorporate the lesson as part of the Grade Primary-Two curriculum will be explored as well as using UFLI as remediation for Grade Primary - 5. The session will also include an introduction and demonstration of the online UFLI Toolbox website that offers free digital resources for teachers for use during instruction to augment each lesson. Presenter- David Margolian Level: P-2, Elementary Literacy Support

See Session Description for A1

See Session Description for A2

What happens after students finish reading? This interactive workshop explores 12 practical ways to get students doing more with a text than simply answering comprehension questions. Participants will experience strategies that invite students to notice, question, infer, evaluate, discuss, defend their thinking, and create. Each strategy can be adapted across grade levels, reading abilities, and subject areas, making them useful for more than just English classrooms. Participants will leave with a ready-to-use collection of strategies and digital resources to bring back to their classrooms.
Presented by: Sarah Smith
Middle Level, Junior High, High School 

See Session Description for A4

See Session Description A5

See Session Description for A6

See Session Description for A8

Welcome to your first look at Snorkl, a dynamic platform designed to bring lessons to life and boost student engagement. In this session, we’ll take a gentle dive into what Snorkl is, how it works, and why it’s quickly becoming a favourite tool for educators. You’ll see how it can simplify interactive learning, spark creativity, and make classroom activities more collaborative and fun. Whether you’re just testing the waters with tech or ready to dive deep, this introduction will help you start your Snorkl journey with confidence. Please bring a laptop or a Chromebook. Presenter: Tracy MacKinnon

Opportunities to improve reading and writing skills happen throughout the school day. In this session, we’ll “break out” of the ELA block and explore low-prep ways to strengthen reading, writing, vocabulary, and comprehension in the content areas - including math class! Presenter: Jody Stevenson-MacKinnon Level: Grades 3-9

See Session Description A11

An exploration of engaging students in the writing process. Participants will have the opportunity to explore a variety of writing lessons/centers to engage students in writing. The session is designed to allow educators to view activities that can be implemented quickly in the classroom to develop a variety of essential writing skills. There will be an interactive component for this lesson to immerse educators in lessons that explore topic development and editing. Presenter: Lacey Phinney Level: P-6

Note: This session will be led in French.
Cherchez-vous des trucs et activites pour faire avant, pendant ou apres la lecture? Voulez-vous encorporer des strategies non-traditionelles dans votre salle de classe? Venez a notre session pour discuter et partager dans notre atelier de lecture. La session deroulera en francais. Presenters: Lindsay Crossman Wheaton & Rhea Fisher Level: Gr 4 -12 French

In this session, participants will create a felted picture. Felting has long been used as a way to create traditional and modern designs; it can be used to share concepts and to express fictional and non-fictional ideas. While learning how to needle felt, participants will understand how this art form can be used to illustrate. Students find the process of felting engaging and satisfying, as it is not hard to do and positive results are nearly always achieved. Participants will also see how felting can be enhanced with simple sewable circuitry, and this can be used to tell a story or share a concept. Presenter: Louise Haycocks Level: Gr 3 and up

Continuation of Session B16.  It is not necessary to register for both but participants should be aware of of the intention of the focus of the two workshops.

The focus of this workshop is to have participants experience the implementation of a UFLI lesson as students by having Day 2 of a UFLI lesson "taught" to them. After the lesson, considerations on how to incorporate the lesson as part of the Grade Primary-Two curriculum will be explored as well as using UFLI as remediation for Grade Primary - 5. The session will also include an introduction and demonstration of the online UFLI Toolbox website that offers free digital resources for teachers for use during instruction to augment each lesson. Presenter: David Margolian Level: P-2, Elementary Literacy Support