French Catholic council takes kindergarten students out into nature
Twenty-five teachers from the council are about to complete a course offered by the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada that will certify them as forest and nature school practitioners.
Publication date :
April 16, 2022 • 28 minutes ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
Kindergarten student Aurélie, from Saint-Joseph Catholic Primary School in Orléans, climbs a tree under the watchful eye of early childhood educator Gaëlle Gabbour earlier this month.Photo by ERROL MCGIHON /Postmedia
Content of the article
Kindergarten students from 20 schools in the French Catholic School Board of Ottawa are participating in nature programs at least once a week this school year.
They visit natural areas near their schools, doing everything from hiking, singing, spotting maps and animals to art projects.
The program helps children develop everything from communication and problem-solving skills to literacy, numeracy and an understanding of the importance of preserving and respecting natural environments, the council explains.
A group of 25 teachers from the council are about to complete a 12-month course offered by the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada which will certify them as forest and nature school practitioners. They will complete the course in June.
Kindergarten student Tessa-Ivy, from Saint-Joseph Catholic Elementary School in Orléans, walks through the water with the help of early childhood educator Gaëlle Gabbour.Photo by ERROL MCGIHON /Postmedia Kindergarten students from the Saint-Joseph Catholic primary school in Orléans follow nature class support teacher Isabelle Felardeau.Photo by ERROL MCGIHON /Postmedia Kindergarten student Isaac, from Saint-Joseph Catholic primary school in Orléans, goes “fishing” during a nature lesson.Photo by ERROL MCGIHON /ERROL MCGIHON Kindergarten student Sydney, from Saint-Joseph Catholic Primary School in Orleans, asks for help from a teacher after falling in water during a nature lesson earlier this month.Photo by ERROL MCGIHON /Postmedia
