My colleagues and I have continued to make tremendous progress on our curriculum development and completed a detailed program guide for the months of September to January.  The activities we have developed address the program’s core themes of Healthy Living, Anti-Gang/Drugs, Manners & Etiquette, and Aspirations/Career Exploration in an active and hands-on way.  Since students will be participating in the program after being in a full day of school, we really had to be mindful of how we approached instruction. We are hoping to finish the spring portion of the program next week.  This quick progress has really highlighted the power of collaboration in this profession, an understanding that will definitely contribute to my future practice. It is very exciting to see our program come to life, especially knowing it will be launched in September.  Hopefully we can re-visit C-SP in the fall to see our program in action!

In addition to our project, we had the opportunity to help out at a “strike camp” hosted by Burns Bog.  This visit was a refreshing change of pace from the office work we had become accustomed to.  I recently visited Burns Bog on a field trip with my grade 2 practicum class, so I appreciated the unique opportunity to see it from the other side.  Due to the overwhelming number of registered participants, the camp was divided into two age groups (5-8 years and 9-12 years).  For the majority of the day, I worked alongside the leader of the primary group, supporting her with the planned games and activities.  Despite the relentless mosquitos, it was rewarding to see how excited and willing the campers were to participate in the activities.

Even though I have visited Burns Bog numerous times over the last 10 years, there was a wealth of information to learn about the wetland and the plants and animals that live there.  As Lauren pointed out on her blog, these topics are traditionally addressed in a classroom setting in the form of Prescribed Learning Outcomes. After today’s visit to the Delta Nature Reserve, it quickly became apparent how engaging these topics are in this natural setting.  The camp participants enjoyed learning about the Bog through scavenger hunts, building forts, and doing the “Bog Jump” (since there are not many nutrients in the bog, the trees’ roots remain near the surface and can be easily shaken when moved).  I look forward to bringing this experiential and student-centered approach to my classroom to create engaging and memorable opportunities for deep learning.