NURTURING Curiosity & Community
OUTDOOR EDUCATION IN THE JUNIOR SCHOOL
From tulip planting in the Early Childhood Education Centre garden, to sleeping under the stars on the Grade 7 trip to Camp Fircom, Junior School Outdoor Education( OE) invites students into a lifelong relationship with the natural world— one that nurtures curiosity, stewardship, resilience and independence in the places they explore and protect and supports our commitment to responsibility.
The OE overnight programs from Grades 3 to 7 are also pivotal learning environments to develop important social-emotional skills, from selfmanagement in regulating emotions about a new, unfamiliar space and being away from home to responsible decision-making through new, unpredictable outdoor activities, and overall independence and confidence in the outdoors.
This year, the Junior School has begun re-envisioning its overnight programs to create greater continuity across grades and into Senior School, ensuring students encounter progressively new challenges. By shifting the Grade 6 program to Camp Squeah in Hope— the same site used for Grade 9 camps— a consistent thread now connects the Middle School and Senior School experiences, fostering a seamless progression in outdoor education.
As an intake year, the Grade 6 program at Camp Squeah prioritizes collaboration and bonding through structured activities.“ I’ m a new student this year, so I haven’ t had much chance to connect with the other classes,” Sophia, Grade 6, said.“ In my cabin, I got to know different people from different classes a little bit better. That was really nice.”
One collaborative activity challenged students to stand together on a mat and work as a team to flip it over successfully. Similarly, students practiced leadership and communication by guiding their blindfolded partners through sections of a low ropes course, strengthening communication skills.
“ It was a really good team building and trust exercise, the low ropes course. It was important to have patience and find different ways of communicating with each other,” Samantha, Grade 6, said.
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