Day 140/141 – East to West… of the GTA
My cousins Sherina and Caliesha!
Cornell Public School is located in Scarborough and they welcomed Sarah and I yesterday. Jane Wadden works for the Hillside Outdoor Centre and helped set up the visit. The school and the centre is a great example of a school board that is still committed to outdoor education. Students visit the Rouge Conservation area, which is on the brink of becoming a National Park! Maureen Boyle, the principal of this culturally diverse population, sees a real issue with kids staying inside. So this issue needs to continue to reach out to parents and these trips to Hillside certainly help expose the students to getting dirty and hands on with nature. So the hope is that maybe those students can help champion the message of getting outside at home!
Last night, I had the opportunity to speak with educators at the Jack Smythe Field Centre north of Brampton. Rob Ridley is the Coordinator of 5 centres for the Peel board and has been a supporter of this project since its inception. We enjoyed a good bbq and had a chance to chat with one another about some of the issues that lie within getting kids outside more. It was a fun night and a great centre! With over 200 acres and lots of neat classrooms filled with lots of cool stuff to touch and feel, it’s a shining example of how curriculum can be met outside of the walls of the classroom.
And today, we were at C.R. Beaudoin P.S. in Burlington. Susan Hay from Global TV came to do a story on TMO and my thanks can’t go out enough to Nick Frankovich, the principal, for accommodating this visit. My uncle has two daughters that go to this school and he contacted Nick late last week. With EQAO testing and it being the end of the year, we’re grateful to the staff for letting us come in to not only chat with students, but spend a good chunk of the day getting shots needed for Susan’s story! Thanks to all those students who ran endless circles with me around the field just to get the perfect shot! The story will air next week… we’ll keep ya posted.
To Sherina and Caliesha, my cousins in grades 7 and 5, thanks for having me to your school! Sherina wore her “ask your teacher to take you outside” proudly. Caliesha just offered me some flexibility lessons free of charge in the backyard so I am outta here! Perhaps she can help me to actually touch my toes, which I still can’t do!
Definitely prefer being behind the lens!
