A Field Trip to the Beach Changed The Way My Boys Saw Community

Like every parent, education is a big decision for our children. What type of preschool or daycare will they go to? What Elementary school is best? Should they do french-immersion? What summer camps and sports should they be involved in? Each decision is part of the bigger picture of setting our children up for success. I chose the boys’ current school because of it’s strong foundation in values I hold dear and want my boys to experience.

Last year, in my boys’ kindergarten class (at a catholic elementary school) their teacher took a remarkable interest in my boys passion for nature and understanding the world around them. She researched projects in the area and teamed up with our local environmental protection agency to work with the kindergarten students on a field trip to the beach (an area all of us spend lots of time at in the summer). Students spent a half day on their field trip to the beach learning about invasive species, soil erosion, water run off and the ecosystem of the beach. They planted flowers, special plants to help with erosion and learned about all of the organisms at the beach. It was truly remarkable! My learns not only about how the ecosystem of the beach worked but their place in it. Now, each time we visit the beach they see the flower beds and understand how these flowers keep the soil in place while also providing food for the ‘pollinators’ of the area. From that day on the beach ceased to be a place we went to in the summer but a living, breathing organism that required care, nurturing and respect. While our local beach is very much the centre of our community it was not until that special field trip that we understood our role in it. The boys teacher  incorporated the value of “care for the environment” into an experiential learning opportunity the kids still talk about. For more Lessons For Life  take some time to explore the OECTA website and see what values are part of their teaching.