november 2014
sd38.bc.ca & richmond-news.com
@RichmondSD38
Blair gets muddy over wild Wednesdays By Graeme Wood
Muddy boots, muddy hands, muddy noses. Oh, the humanity!
The kids learn math, art, and science, among other things.
But, happy faces!
For instance, they measure puddles and count things.
Kindergarten students at Blair Elementary school are really mucking things up, in a good way, these days.
They learn about colours and textures and, as it’s fall, they use a lot of fallen leaves for art projects.
This year teacher Lauren McLean is incorporating Wilderness Wednesdays into her prescribed curriculum in an effort to show kids that nature can be fun.
They also point out animals, such as squirrels, birds, snails and worms.
“The point is to get them connected to the outdoors. So, a lot of the time I was noticing, even last week, they didn’t want to touch the mud. So they’re scared, they don’t want to get dirty, they don’t want to get in trouble by mom. It’s to get a bit more connected to the place where they’re from, we want to understand more about Richmond,” said McLean, who was raised in Richmond.
McLean said man of her science lessons are done outside where her students can witness things first hand as opposed to learning from a book.
She takes her students on nature walks every day and so far Wednesday’s are spent primarily outdoors.
“By going outside we’re trying to build empathy for our place and creative thinking outside,” said McLean.
“It looks a bit chaotic but there is a purpose to it,” said MacLean.
The vast majority of her students are immigrant or first generation ESL learners whose parents came from
Chairperson’s message............. 3 A Year in Review/ Feed-U-Cate............................... 4
And they learn about the weather.
While over the past decade much has been made of Earth Day, McLean — who just competed her masters in education — said students are still suffering from what she, and others, call “nature deficit disorder.”
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Asia. Statistically speaking the vast majority of the families likely came from big cities where there isn’t necessarily as much of an opportunity to engage with nature. McLean is hoping to ease parents’ concerns. “I don’t think many kids go outside,” said McLean. The Richmond School District cites studies noting that outdoor learning is an excellent means to reduce Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder among students. Other benefits include health, greater socialization and developing a sense of self and a meaning for where one lives. The district works with the David Suzuki Foundation to help teachers develop outdoor curriculum. Since starting Wilderness Wednesday McLean has noticed a marked improvement in learning inside the classroom, as she sees more focused and happy students following an outdoor activity. “They get back in the classroom and they’re eager to learn more,” she said. Notably, the school is currently fundraising for a new playground and hoping to build more garden plots as part of a planned garden centre.
Play Outside............................... 8 Advice for Linden..................... 10 Take That!................................. 11