Everybody Outdoors! at St. Joseph’s, Douro

On a crisp, cold March morning, fun was brewing at St. Joseph’s Elementary School in Douro!  Grades 1-4 classes brimmed with excitement for a special morning of community guests and outdoor play.

Principal Julie Selby organized the day around four rotating activity centres.  Mrs. Selby led one centre herself, with a class set of snowshoes; students had a grand time traversing the large schoolyard, and wending their way through the evergreen forest on-site.  There were many pink cheeks and smiling faces of busy explorers!

A second station featured Jacob Rodenburg of Camp Kawartha for animal games and dramatic play.  Students tried ‘stalking’ like foxes to capture the ever-vigilant Jacob-Rabbit, and following animal tracks in the snow.  The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) game ‘Snow Snakes’ was a big hit, with students testing how far their waxed wooden ‘snakes’ could slide over the snow.

Pathway Coordinator Cathy Dueck focused on forest-related fun with an evergreen tree identification relay that had everyone warming up with running, sorting and laughing!  Then, a forest scavenger hunt sent student detectives to find treasures in the forest and store them in egg cartons to show the class.

Puppeteer and musician extraordinaire Glen Caradus led the fourth activity centre, where students were treated to his ‘Plugging into Nature’ puppet show, showcasing the adventures that await us when we turn off the screens and go outside!  Glen also worked his musical magic and had everyone enthusiastically joining in with his rollicking songs.

All in all, a great morning for everyone!

And for their own pre-March Break adventure, the Grade 7 and 8 students spent a day at Kawartha Nordic, learning how to cross-country ski, exploring the trails and building memories.  So exciting to see the Pathway project in action.  Many thanks to principal Julie Selby and all the wonderful staff at St. Joseph’s.