Outdoor learning has become a daily routine

To whom it may concern,

I am writing this letter to inform you about how the FDK Outdoor Learning has impacted me as a parent of a student in a classroom at St. Mary's French Immersion. My son has had the privilege of being in a FDK classroom where outdoor learning has become a daily routine. The teaching staff is always creating fun activities that incorporate the outdoors with many subject areas, such as Math, Science, Languages and Art.

The students are able to engage in self-directed centres, as well as group activities and lessons where they take objects from the outdoors and use them for learning tools and manipulatives. The students are able to play outdoors with natural environmental objects and you can see that it encourages the students to use their imaginations and be more creative. They love playing with objects that they find on the nature walks or painting rocks that they have brought from home. Children play with pine cones, acorns, sticks, and rocks after school so to have it incorporated into their daily learning is a bonus.

As well, outside of the school environment, the students have taken part in quite a few field trips to St. Kateri where they are able to learn about animals, habitats, go on nature walks, visit a pond environment, and play games all while learning! My son has often come home from these field trips informing me of different things he has saw or learned. Most recently, the class went to St. Kateri and brought back many materials from the area to put into their gated play area.

Another excellent point is that I have witnessed my other son, who is still in daycare, playing in the same natural environment because they too are moving to a focus on nature and an outdoor learning environment with more natural play objects and activities. This allows for a parallel move from the daycare setting to the FDK classroom. I look forward to my second son starting at St. Mary's French Immersion and continuing to learn with these new strategies and focuses!

Amy, Parent