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The Growth of Outdoor Learning

Across the District, outdoor learning has been on the rise. In addition to the health benefits and fresh air while outside, students have been exploring Indigenous principles and feelings of connectedness to place.

Grade 1, 2 and 3 students at Brentwood Park Elementary harvested cottonwood buds on a walk to Beecher Creek. Back at school, a District Indigenous Resource Teacher showed the students how to cure the buds in oil, add beeswax, and make a salve for inflammation and skin irritations.

Over at Clinton Elementary, their new Indigenous garden is ready for spring planting and they’ve added two outdoor classroom spaces. At University Highlands Elementary, students learned about soil composition in preparation for the planting of their school garden.

Meanwhile at Maywood Community School, Grade 4 and 5 students learned about local plants in the Burnaby Indigenous History resource. Students researched medicinal uses for the plants, under the guidance of one of the Indigenous resource teachers.

Students continue to develop an appreciation for what can be found and explored locally. For example, at Westridge Elementary they studied proportions in math – outside in the sunshine – using objects found in nature. And at Gilmore Community School, students investigated minerals, starfish and more on a neighbourhood walk to the water.

These are just some examples of what’s happening in the District. Learn more by reading Embracing Nature’s Playground and Classroom on our website.

Posted April 2021