Learning Partners Pick Pumpkins

Tagged With: learning partners, nature based
2018/10/22

In Learning Partners, teachers partner closely with families to personalize learning programs for students.

“Many insect discoveries were found, questions about what had been eating the remains of overripe pumpkins, corn and squash were found too, conversations with many generations from a grandparent to small siblings.

In this learning experience, the students learned about categories such as size, shape and colour by discussing what makes a great pumpkin. In this hybrid program, the teacher offered extension activities in the areas of math, science and vocabulary for students and families to take home.”

Learn more about Learning Partners at Phoenix Elementary School.

notes and photos:
Gerri Charlton, Learning Partners, Phoenix Elementary

Youth Leadership Project Connects Tsawout & Pender Youth

Tagged With: aboriginal, nature based, pender
2018/04/06

The Tsawout Learning House in Saanich and Pender Island School came together to nurture new connections and understandings between youth.

This reconciliation initiative involved twelve middle years students who came together weekly for eight full days of learning, connecting, understanding and creating friendships. This occurred through many shared experiences. Students learned about their shared and different histories, and heard first-hand experiences from a residential school survivor and Elder. Participants were active in drumming, canoeing, hiking, having fun together, singing, making music and many other hands-on activities.

They were guided by two teachers, an Elder, and a mentor. As part of the project, they also presented a final project with songs, skits and their documentary film to their school, community and families. This was very well received.

A traditional salmon pit cook was part of the project—feeding an entire school—with all the Youth Leadership Project students taking a leadership role. Read more about the pit cook here.

The story is currently being shown on Shaw Cable Channel 4, on the program Indigenous Voice (nine times per week until April 10), with a short interview with Elder Willard as an introduction. To find the program airtime check the TV Guide for Channel 4. You can also view this feature on YouTube.

Salt Spring Elementary’s Species At Risk Fair

Tagged With: nature based, sse
2017/03/16

Thanks to a Habitat Stewardship Program grant and the Salt Spring Island Conservancy, five classes of students at Salt Spring Elementary School have been studying “Species at Risk”. This work culminated in a Species at Risk Fair on March 13th. Student engagement was evident as they presented on species that ranged from the Threaded Vertigo and the Blue-grey Taildropper to the iconic Southern Resident Killer Whale. Most of the 42 species at risk that live on or around Salt Spring Island were represented through the students’ research projects.

Shelly Johnson,
Principal at Salt Spring Elementary

photos: John Cameron

Ocean Day

Tagged With: fernwood, nature based
2016/06/16

By Erika Verlinden, Fernwood Teacher

Last Wednesday June 8th, people all over the earth celebrated World Oceans Day. For Fernwood Elementary students that meant taking to their local shoreline for some experiential, place-based learning. Nearly 140 students took part in activities led by community member Cate McEwan and parent Leanna Boyer.

With additional parent volunteers, and Fernwood staff, students built mini watersheds using seawater to demonstrate the movement and catchment of water within their systems. Led by parent Natasha Kong, students created impermanent mandalas with found materials from the beach. It was a happy coincidence that the Grade 2/3 class had been creating mandalas recently at school! Meanwhile, for the students that chose it, a scavenger hunt kept curious minds and hands busy.

In the afternoon, the last two classes benefited from the low tide and got to do a seine net pull – a memorable experience – in which the kids plucked all sorts of marine animal, plant, and algae life from the water for closer inspection in a holding tank. Back at school students tuned in to and were mesmerized by the Fish-Eye project – an interactive underwater viewing of the kelp forest off Ogden Point in Victoria. Fernwood Elementary even got a question through to the divers – “Why is the water so green?” Answer: because there is more phytoplankton in our waters than in other areas around the globe.

Find the full video at www.fisheyeproject.org/worldoceansday

Photos: Erika Verlinden

Place Based Learning on Mayne

Tagged With: mayne, nature based, ocean
2016/05/25

On Mayne Island, on a fine Wednesday in May, students explored tidal pools and local history guided by teachers Megan Cameron and Fiona Morrison.

As a school we spent the afternoon at Georgina Point with Rob Underhill from Mayne Conservancy and Annette Witteman, Artist in the School. We engaged in exploring the tidal pools and painting the lighthouse with watercolours.

View the presentation to find out what students did, learned, and observed, about geography, biology, ecology.

Photo: from the school’s presentation

PENDER STUDENTS AWARDED FIRST PRIZE BY SHAW OCEAN DISCOVERY CENTRE

Tagged With: nature based, ocean, pender
2016/05/10

Living on an Island Surrounded by the Sea

While looking at local biodiversity at Medicine Beach the spark of excitement and curiosity began. My students extensively explored the beach with buckets and field guides in hand. The sharing and identification was declared, debated, and proved. They collected and identified different species of seaweed, shellfish, eels, and other inhabitants. They noted the birds flying over head and eating in the intertidal zone. They had a lust and passion that was inspiring.

I took their excitement and extended it into a cross curricular unit that included writing, art, public speaking, and science. Then a competition was announced and we created this video to show all our hard work and excitement about the sea.

Some students were challenged by the artwork, some were terrified by the recording of their poetry, but they were all willing to move beyond their comfort zone to create a dynamic collection to present to Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre.

We entered the competition and waited. We waited for what felt like an eternity… And today we found out that we won first prize in the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre’s beach day competition.

—Kaz Lundgren, Teacher, Grade 2/3, Pender

Here’s the video they produced:

*If you are having trouble seeing the video above, try this link