Killaloe Public School marks shift in education with third outdoor classroom
Every day at Killaloe Public School in Killaloe, Ont. students head outside; not just for gym or recess, but for class.
The public school roughly two hours west of Ottawa makes it possible with three outdoor classrooms. Their newest classroom is a set of 12 massive boulders donated by Valley Landscaping and Excavating.
"Outdoor learning is really important, not just during a pandemic but anytime," says school principal Anne George. "So we were very excited to create this classroom for our school."
At 10:00 a.m. Friday, Patricia Stott's Grade 7 and 8-split class held a combined math and art lesson at the new outdoor classroom, learning fractions with Minecraft selfies.
"I just try to get them out for whatever; sometimes it's just a worksheet they're working on that we went over in class, and sometimes it's an activity that has to do with the actual environment," says Stott.
"I just love it because the kids are super engaged, they like being outside, they're almost easier to teach because they're happier."
Grade 8 student Ruby Kubisewsky says both her and her classmates agree they prefer having lessons taught outside rather than inside.
"I like it, we're not just sitting around," says the 13-year-old. "Sometimes we move around when we're doing work, we explore the yard, normally every day we go out for a walk around the track, two laps."
The new method of experiential learning marks a stark contrast from what school looked like one year ago when students were home by themselves, learning behind a screen.
"I think working in a circle is important for students to be able to see everybody at the same time," says Stott of the circular shape of the boulders. "The whole desks in rows that we've had to adopt since the pandemic is a little bit robotic."
Stott adds that a sense of nature and connecting with an environment that needs saving now works its way into every day's lesson plan. Kubisewsky says the change in environment helps focus her class rather than cause distractions.
"It's really nice just to get some fresh air and not just sit inside with our masks on all day."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.