This newsletter is also the last newsletter of the year, have a safe, healthy, and happy holidays. The next newsletter will be sent on January 4th, 2021.
This Week at NIC:
December 11-22, 2020: 12 Days of Self-Care on Student Life Facebook Group: We are sharing little ideas encouraging you to take breaks, be kind to yourself, and practice self-care each day during exam time. We encourage you to join our NIC Student Life Facebook group to connect with us, share your views and stay updated on events and information on student life at NIC. Go to NIC Facebook page and click on “Groups”.
December 12-23, 2020: 2020 Fall Exams. Please remember to check Blackboard announcements and your college email for final exam instructions.
Check out the full exam schedule at: https://www.nic.bc.ca/student-services/key-dates/exam-schedule/
December 14th, 2020 last day to enter for a chance to win one of two 100$ VISA gift cards by completing a short survey seeking feedback on your learning experiences at NIC over the course of the term. We would appreciate you finding a few minutes to complete our Student Learning and Support Survey.
Your feedback would provide us with information about your digital and online learning experiences, your preferences for learning, what is and what isn’t working and where we could make changes. Your feedback will help the instructors, faculty and deans plan future learning experiences to meet your needs.
Virtual Indigenous Student Lounge: Connect with NIC’s Indigenous Advisors, Elders in Residence and other Indigenous students at NIC. Come with questions, or just to hang out and connect. The virtual lounge will be available till December 16th on Tuesday, from 11am-12pm and Wednesdays, from 1:30pm-2:30pm. Email indigneousadvising@nic.bc.ca for the meeting link.
Friday, December 18th forms due for Grab and Go Book Bundles: Looking for some good reads over the holidays? The NIC Library & Learning Commons will create a bundle of books especially for you!
All you need to do is complete the form on the link: https://library.nic.bc.ca/grabgo and tell the Library what you are interested in. Our library staff will pick books from our collection to suit your tastes. You will be contacted when your books ready for you to pick up, at the campus of your choice. Complete the form before December 11 to get your book bundle in time for the holidays. Books will be due back by January 8th, 2021.
Upcoming Supports and Services:
College Closed: The College will be closed for the holiday period from Thursday, December 24th at 12:00 noon and will re-open on Monday, January 4th, 2021.
Winter Orientation: We are pleased to announce the launch of our Virtual Winter Orientation! We have put together a series of pre-recorded and live sessions to help all students in their continued adjustment to digital learning. Please visit our Virtual Winter Orientation webpage to access the pre-recorded sessions. Live sessions will be offered January 6-8, 2021 at times mentioned below:
Navigating NIC Digital Learning Platforms
Wednesday, January 6, 2021 from 10 to 11:30 am PDT
A step by step orientation by Student Technical Services to all NIC digital platforms, including Blackboard, BlueJeans, and more. This session will also include a student’s perspective on how to successfully navigate.
To register, please email studentlife@nic.bc.ca
Tips for a Successful Term
Thursday, January 7, 2021 from 10 to 11:30 am PDT
Review of academic and personal supports; self-care and study tips from the perspective of counsellors, students, and faculty.
To register, please email studentlife@nic.bc.ca
North Island Students’ Union (NISU) Info Session
Thursday, January 7, 2021 from 1 to 2 pm PDT
Introduction to supports and services offered by NISU, as well as health and dental plan information.
To register, please email studentlife@nic.bc.ca
Start of Term Welcome & Celebration
Friday, January 8, 2021 from 12 to 1 pm PDT
A fun, interactive event to welcome students to the winter term, including prizes.
To register, please email studentlife@nic.bc.ca
Ongoing Supports and Services:
Virtual Mental Health Supports During COVID-19: Services are available for British Columbians who are experiencing mental health challenges, such as anxiety or depression, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please visit the link to access the services:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/managing-your-health/mental-health-substance-use/virtual-mental-health-supports
Check out Career Corner – the new blog by Student Employment Services! This month’s post is on self-care for at home and in the workplace as things get hectic over the holiday season. We hope this will help you through this busy season, let you enjoy your school break, and lead you to feeling recharged for the new year.
Thank an instructor/Staff Member
Has an NIC instructor or staff member made a difference in your life as a student? Perhaps someone’s expertise, support or kindness has made all the difference to your success, or maybe just made you smile. If you would like to recognize the contribution of an instructor or staff member, please email studentlife@nic.bc.ca with their name and the reason for your nomination. We will send the nominee a thank you card on your behalf including your comment(s). Please note – you will remain anonymous.
Bring an Elder or a support person: The NIC Library & Learning Commons welcomes you to bring an Elder or other support member to your Research, Writing, and Math Support sessions. Let the Library know when booking your appointment, if you wish to bring someone with you.
NIC Student Technical Services have new hours of service for NIC students. Technical services will now be available on Monday-Thursday 8am-6pm, Friday 8am-5pm, and Saturday 9am-5pm. Learn more about Student Technical Services at: https://library.nic.bc.ca/studenttech
Printing/Computer Bookings/Study Spaces/ Borrowing Books, Videos, and Laptops are available at the Library and Computer Lab.
Computer and Study spaces are available at the Library & Learning Commons from Monday to Friday 8:00am - 4:00pm and in the Computer Lab from 12:00pm – 4:00pm. Click HERE to book your spot or call your campus library. HERE’s the phone number. Printing and scanning during opening hours Monday to Friday 8:00am – 4:00pm. Printing is $0.10 for black and white printing and $0.20 for colour. Scanning is free. Access to the printer is available by booking a computer space online or phoning your campus Library & Learning Commons.
For more information about your printing account visit Student Tech Services.
Do you have a story or know a friend who has a story worth sharing with others? About their journey to North Island College. We would like to invite you to participate in our Students of NIC Campaign. Examples of previous students who have participated can be accessed here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/NorthIslandCollegeGlobal/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1430043710379182
The purpose of this campaign is to share stories of students and their journey to NIC in their own words. Normally, we would do this with an interview, which can be set up through BlueJeans. Another option would be for you to write your story out and send it to us via email to studentlife@nic.bc.ca. The story is intended to be raw and authentic, so we do not do much editing.
After the interview, we normally take a picture, we try to identify a good photo shot based on what comes out in your story. In this case, you might want to send a selfie somewhere that is important to you while ensuring your safety with social distancing of course. We would then share your story on North Island College Facebook and Instagram pages. Let us know if you are interested and send us an email with your story or requesting an interview through phone or BlueJeans. If you have any questions, please send us an email at studentlife@nic.bc.ca.
Self-Care – Caring for Yourself During Holidays.
Create a morning routine: make little time for yourself first in the morning. Take as little as five minutes and sit quietly with a cup of tea, meditate, journal, walk, or include other activities that feed your body, mind, heart, and soul.
Respect your budget: Figure out how much and what you can spend on holiday gift and other holiday things in advance and respect that.
Eat well: Indulge in your favorite holiday treats, but do not eat the junk you don’t really care about just because it’s there and savor the first few bites of your all-time favorites. Do not forget to include greens in your diet.
Nap: Give your body and brain a chance to recharge on, even 20 minutes will make a big difference.
Read an actual book: take a break from internet and digital devices and curl up with a good book. Instead of reading something for self-improvement or work, read something for your heart.
To learn more about self-care during holidays, visit: https://bemorewithless.com/take-care/
If you need any support during holidays visit NIC's Counselling page to access links to community supports, including 24hr crisis lines.
Share with us, how you are taking care of yourself at home. Share on social media and tag NIC on Facebook and Instagram OR send us an email at studentlife@nic.bc.ca and we will share on your behalf.
#WeAreNICe #Thrive #NICatHome
Healthy Eating - scroll down for another delicious recipe. Send us your own healthy recipes to studentlife@nic.bc.ca.
If there is information you'd like to see included in upcoming communications, or would like to share, please let us know at studentlife@nic.bc.ca.
Have a safe and healthy holidays!
Dean Martin/Disha Salhan
Student Life Team
If you wish to respond or have any questions, please click here.
Healthy Eating
5 INGREDIENT BLACK BEAN ENCHILADAS
Servings: 10
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 10 corn tortillas
- 1 15oz can black beans
- 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 avocado
- 1 cup salsa verde or green enchilada sauce
- Optional: Salsa, sour cream, or cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400.
- Wrap the corn tortillas in plastic wrap and microwave them for 30 seconds. This will lightly steam them so you can roll them without them cracking.
- Fill each tortilla with a few tablespoons of black beans and two tablespoons of cheese. Don’t fill them too full or you won’t be able to roll them up. You should end up using about 2/3 of the cheese as filling.
- Roll them and place them in a baking dish, seam side down. It helps if you have a baking dish that is the width of the tortillas so they stay snug.
- Keep lining them up until you reach the edge of the pan. Make one larger pan and one smaller pan if all do not fit in one pan.
- Pour the salsa verde over the wrapped tortillas.
- Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese has completely melted.
- Top with avocado and serve immediately.
More at: iheartvegetables
