Milestone comes together to build outdoor learning space for school
A project one year in the making will now provide a place for the students of Milestone school to learn outside in comfort.
Rebecca Carson is teacher at Milestone School, it was her fourth grade class that came up with the idea of building an outdoor classroom.
“The entire project was part of a deep learning cycle,” she explained. “Where they identify an issue either around their local community or around Saskatchewan that they then work towards solving. And then I work as a partner in their learning versus leading their learning and through that our outdoor classroom was built.”
The issue that the class identified was the difficulty of online learning. The students wanted to take advantage of the outdoors so they could have a physically-distanced class without masks and enjoy the outdoors.
“With online learning, a lot of the students have really struggled to be outside as much as their used to,” said Carson. “So having an outdoor leaning space will really help to benefit them in learning outdoors and getting as much benefit from that as possible.”
The project took a lot of effort by the children. The class was separated into multiple groups. Some handled organizing while others covered the other aspects of the fundraising, such as phoning businesses for potential donations, packing gift baskets that were raffled off monthly as well as many other roles.
“It was really hard to get all the fundraising done,” said Corbin, one of Carson’s students. “But it was really fun.”
In total, the class fundraised over $35,000 for the project. Work on the classroom finished on Friday.
“I’m glad that we got all the donations from local businesses and we’re supporting local businesses,” said Hunter, another fourth grader.
The project was only possible because of the local businesses that stepped in and provided the materials and time that the class needed.
“We had over $20,000 worth of equipment and building supplies and labor donated to the outdoor classroom,” said Carson. “All from locally owned businesses from around Saskatchewan, so it really has been a community effort from the very start.”
Carson also noted that the experience was great for the children, who gained valuable skills that they will use for the rest of their lives. All in all, the students are very happy their project is finally finished.
“I’m just really happy this came to reality and not just a dream,” said Kalie another student.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Another suspect arrested in Toronto Pearson airport gold heist: police
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Hailey and Justin Bieber are expecting their first child
Hailey Rhode Bieber, Canadian musician Justin Bieber's wife, announced her pregnancy on social media on Thursday. Hailey posted a series of photos showing her baby bump alongside husband Justin.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Poilievre-led government 'would never' use notwithstanding clause on abortion, his office says
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Cyclist strikes child crossing the street to catch school bus in Montreal
A video circulating on social media of a young girl being hit by a bike has some calling for better safety and more caution when designing bike lanes in the city. The video shows a four-year-old girl crossing Jeanne-Mance Street in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood to get on a school bus stopped on the opposite side of the street