Supplied by the Huron Superior Catholic District School Board…
Sault Ste. Marie: Kindergarten students at St. Mary’s French Immersion Catholic Elementary School are
thrilled to be learning outside of their regular classroom environment and working among beautiful
landscapes and nature. The kindergarten students have been granted this exciting opportunity through
the ministry-approved, Teacher Learning and Leadership Program (TLLP). The kindergarten educator
team at St. Mary’s French Immersion diligently constructed a proposal for the TLLP and are eagerly
delving into the rich learning opportunities of the program with their students.
A team of educators and their class will visit St. Kateri Outdoor Learning Centre numerous times
throughout the 2018-2019 school year to partake in a forest / nature, kindergarten type program. With a
variety of tools and supplies for self-guided activities, the Kindergarten students will build and strengthen
numeracy/literacy skills, develop a sense of self, create character, risk assess, celebrate different cultures,
religious and Indigenous traditions. Many activities and explorations are planned throughout the year to
help instill the love of nature and respect all that God our Creator has given us.
Stephanie Francella-Stephen, Kindergarten Teacher and TLLP Lead, explains how she got involved with
such an interesting program. “Years ago, I noticed a need to take our kindergarten class outdoors more
often than just recess to help with focus, self-regulation and wellness. We quickly noticed a decline in
some behaviours and the sheer amount of outdoor space led students to explore and play without being in
each other’s space. I started taking some activities, tools and lessons outside as well as bringing nature
inside.”
Francella-Stephen’s classroom provides an excellent combination of traditional teaching, hands-on, and
nature-based learning. What started as an extended, outdoor-learning exploration has grown into partial
and full days, completely immersed in nature. The program is based at St. Mary’s French Immersion as
well as St. Kateri Outdoor Learning Centre. The TLLP budget allows for a minimum of thirty bus trips to
nature based learning spaces.
“My future goals and dreams are to eventually have a part or full-time, fully funded, nature-based
kindergarten program at St. Kateri,” added Francella-Stephen.
St. Kateri Outdoor Learning Centre offers a variety of programs for elementary and secondary school students. These programs allow the students to learn in a dynamic environment which sits on a beautiful180-acre parcel of land.
Gregory Sicoly, Elementary Programs Teacher and TLLP Team Member, has been a first-hand witness to this type of learning for the past six plus years. “The very first group of Eco EDventure students, six years ago, decided on a phrase to be the slogan for the program, ‘Being outside and learning at the same time; what could be better?’ Our philosophy at St. Kateri Outdoor Learning Centre has always been to offer an environment with an emphasis on hands-on, experiential learning,” Sicoly explained.
Over the last seven weeks the kindergarten class from St. Mary’s French Immersion has flourished in the outdoors. During their visits they have been able to incorporate the outdoors to help reinforce so many concepts taught in their classroom.
“We have seen students return for visits and initiate conversations with adults about what they had learned previously. This level of excitement and enthusiasm from the students can only lead to positive outcomes. They are becoming more and more comfortable and familiar with their environment every additional visit. It is going to be very exciting watching them grow in so many ways throughout this school year and beyond,” added Sicoly.
The Teacher Learning and Leadership Program is an opportunity for classroom teachers to submit proposals to the ministry for funding to help educators meet the following three goals: to create and support opportunities for teacher professional learning, to foster teacher leadership and to facilitate the sharing of exemplary practices with others for the broader benefit of Ontario’s students.
Since its launch in 2007, the Ministry of Education has supported hundreds of teacher-led projects. For more information regarding teacher-led TLLP projects, please visit http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/teacher/tllp.html