SNCDSB JK/SK Students from Schreiber & Terrace Bay Collab with CSDCAB peers in TLLP Project
Outdoor Play-based learning in Northern Ontario. Photo HAS
TERRACE BAY, ON – Superior North Catholic District School Board Kindergarten teachers, Katie Hara (Holy Angels School) and Stacy Fummerton (St. Martin School) have been working on a TLLP (Teacher Learning and Leadership Program) project on Outdoor Play-based learning in Northern Ontario. The team was able to purchase supplies for their schools to encourage outdoor play to enhance the Ministry’s Full Day Kindergarten Program.
Friday, June 12th, they joined together at STMS with all the Kindergarten students from at Holy Angels,St. Martin School, and Ecole Franco-Terrace to have a Kindergarten Outdoor Explore Day. It was an amazing experience filled with unstructured outdoor exploration. The day started with Holy Angels class sharing/teaching their Action Adventure Story to the other classes that the students created themselves. Then everyone went outside to explore a variety of centers; rock painting, bug catching/drawing/reading, tubes and pipes marble-run construction, and gross motor play on the playground equipment.
Weather cooperated fully for this incredible day of innovative learning. Photo HAS
After eating lunch together outside, they experienced water activities, used the tubes and pipes again to make their own water slide contraptions, constructed with trucks, shovels and buckets, and explored bugs, bubbles, and chalk.
“It was such a great day. All the Kindergartens were so busy exploring, learning and sharing together that the whole day was without a single behavioural issue, argument or upset student. And the cooperative language and problem solving that was going on was just amazing.” said Katie Hara.
Other than making sure everyone was playing safe, and answering questions the teachers, E.C.E, and E.A’s felt invisible as the students facilitated their own learning. “We observed and listened to all the wonderful things the students were doing, sharing, saying, and experiencing. It was amazing to document our students utilizing the skills of teamwork, problem solving and creative construction that we have encouraged them to develop over the year.” commented Stacy Fummerton.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better end to the Kindergarten’s school year and our TLLP project.” agreed Stacy and Katie.
Photos HAS
SNCDSB is very proud of the work of our teachers in learning with and from students – innovative learning at it’s best !
