L'école primaire Gardenview se joint à la grande famille B.A.S.E - EMSB
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L’école primaire Gardenview se joint à la grande famille B.A.S.E.
Pour la première fois depuis près vici, s’est entretenue avec les éduca-
de six ans, le programme des Ser- trices à propos du climat scolaire et de
vices de garde B.A.S.E. (Before and l’importance de créer des environne-
After School Enriched) a accueilli une ments sécuritaires pour les jeunes. Au
nouvelle école dans ses rangs : l’école terme d’une heure d’échanges sur la
primaire Gardenview de Ville Saint- sécurité et après avoir pris connais-
Laurent. Même si le défi était de taille sance des statistiques émanant du
parce que cette école compte l’un des sondage “Tell Them From Me” auquel
plus grands services de garde auquel ont répondu les élèves et qui avait
sont inscrits quelque 400 élèves, c’est pour objectif de recueillir des données
avec enthousiasme que le personnel sur les facteurs qui influencent la réus-
des Services de garde B.A.S.E. du site scolaire, ce fut au tour de l’atelier
centre administratif s’est mis au travail. BOKS (Build Our Kids’ Success –
L’équipe de 20 éducatrices, compo- Préparons la réussite des enfants) de
sée d’anciens membres du personnel se mettre en branle.
de l’école Gardenview et de B.A.S.E., BOKS est une initiative de la Ree-
s’est réunie le lundi 28 août 2017 à bok Canada Fitness Foundation en
l’occasion d’une journée de perfec- partenariat avec l’Agence de la santé
tionnement. L’activité a débuté par un publique du Canada et la Ligue cana-
petit-déjeuner et quelques mots de dienne de football qui vise à accroître
bienvenue adressés par la directrice, et à étendre l’activité physique dans
Demetra Droustas, et le directeur ad- les écoles primaires au Canada.
joint, Gaetano Sifoni. S’en sont suivis Lynn Rizzuto, gestionnaire des ser-
trois ateliers : le climat scolaire, BOKS vices du programme national BOKS
et On ne joue pas avec les droits. Canada, et Kim St Pierre, ancienne Les éducatrices des Services de garde B.A.S.E. à l’école Gardenview sont
La conseillère en prévention de la tout sourires à l’issue de l’atelier BOKS (Build Our Kids’ Sucess – Prépar-
violence de la CSEM, Daphna Leibo- Voir Gardenview, page 4 ons la réussite des enfants) en août 2017.
Sharing the Spoils & Fun of Edible Schoolyard Gardens! Children’s Rights
a relay race and a ring toss. I was part “I love my experience with Play it
of the decorating team. We decorated Fair! activities so far,” said Vincent
the garden with pumpkins, scarecrows, Massey Collegiate (VMC) student
fruits and veggies. Ksenia Katarina Savic, who conducts
One of my team members had the her community service hours at Pierre
idea to create an opinion box where all Elliott Trudeau B.A.S.E. Daycare. “It
the daycare students got to write about brings a different energy out of kids and
their experiences at the harvest party. I like listening to them talk and discuss
They were all positive! their experiences with each other, be-
The theme of the party was Eco- cause it’s nice to see young kids think
Friendly. Green Club members Leila a bit more seriously.”
Pozzi and Emilia Ricco liked this as- Ksenia, along with 26 other Second-
pect of the harvest party. “It was the ary 4 students, goes into one of eight
first time we organized one that was B.A.S.E. Daycares once a week to lead
zero waste!” they said. In some ways Play it Fair! (PIF) games with elemen-
it was challenging, but they learned tary school students to help them learn
there is a lot of stuff thrown away that about their rights as human beings and
can be recycled. “There was so much the values that come with those rights.
paper and cardboard in the recycling, Ksenia is one of many VMC students
and we used it to make our games and who have participated in the Support-
decorations, which gave us a sense ing Children as Leaders Through Play
of achievement that we had saved it Fair! program throughout the last
trees and cared for the environment,” three years, thanks to B.A.S.E., the
B.A.S.E. Daycare Green Club members at General Vanier concentrate said Leila and Emilia. There was also EMSB Spiritual Care and Community
on serving their harvest soup to fellow daycare students, staff, and a wash station for the soup bowls and Involvement Service and Equitas, Play
parents at their schoolyard garden harvest party on October 27, 2017. all leftovers were composted so no it Fair! creators.
garbage was created!
Every fall, all B.A.S.E. Daycares bowls and utensils (if they used any) I personally loved the food, especial-
with gardens have the opportunity to and all food scraps were composted. ly that some ingredients came from our See PIF, page 3
lure fellow daycare students into their Enjoy a compilation of photos from amazing garden. Some of the delicious
green spaces and shower them with the harvest parties on page 10 and this foods we had were: Stuffed zucchini,
the delicious spoils of the harvest snapshot of one of the harvest parties vegetable soup, chocolates with mint Inside
season. written by a Green Club student. or basil leaves from the garden mixed
This school year, 17 celebrations General vanier harvest in, squash salad and lemon balm tea. Professional Dev. Page 2
took place in October and November. This past October our Green Club We even got to take home a jar of Bulletin Board Page 3
They were also extra special as all had an amazing harvest party. It took homemade pumpkin jam. Delicious! Gardenview Page 4
schools attempted to create zero waste a lot of time and hard work to prepare, Heritage Day Page 5
events in honour of Waste Reduction but it was all worth it. Eva Cadematori, Grade 6 Activities Page 6
Week (nationally and provincially). We had a lot of tasty food, awesome General Vanier B.A.S.E. Daycare Ped Days Page 8
Students had washing stations for their decorations and amazing games, like Green Initiative Page 10
See HARVEST, page 10
2 Touching Base, Winter 2018 professional development
Learning About How There’s “No Such Thing As A Bad Kid!”
“If it’s stinkin’, change the thinkin’!”
From hugging, to high-fiving, to chanting, Charlie
Appelstein’s animated talk on “There’s No Such Thing
as a Bad Kid” at the Annual Daycare Conference defi-
nitely provided a fresh spark for the new school year.
Gathered at the Prima Luna Reception Hall on
Friday, August 25, 2017, more than 200 B.A.S.E.
Daycare technicians and educators enjoyed a half-
day conference with youth care specialist Charlie
Appelstein inspiring the crowd with these takeaways:
ELEPHANT CIRCLE
The most powerful image from the conference that
Charlie returned to several times was the circle of el-
ephants. When danger approaches, elephants form
a protective circle around their young and stay in that
circle, survival mode, and do not notice the pathways
to safer and greener pastures. Charlie then used that
image to show how a child’s mind might be stuck in
the lower part of the brain, only reacting to stimuli to
survive, unable to access higher parts of the brain to
help them problem solve and respond in a better way
to difficult situations.
Getting to the root of the behaviour and responding
to the message the child is sending, instead of just
seeing the tantrum, is the only way to help them see
beyond the situation and find better ways to handle
whatever the issue.
A CHILD’s rolodex
Another powerful image from Charlie was imagin-
ing a child trying to go to sleep at night and going
through their “rolodex” of people and events from the
day. First card: “I sucked in math today and got in
trouble with the teacher.” Second card: “Nobody sat Clockwise from top left: Charlie Appelstein; Edu-
with me at lunch today.” Third card: “Ms. So-and-So cators from Gerald McShane Daycare; Daycare
really liked my drawing after school today. She said I Technicians create “team logos” from purse
could be an artist…” contents in their meeting after the conference.
The idea that you could be in a child’s rolodex and
how the impact you have on them goes far beyond tionships between the children themselves. life. We need to fuel their engine with positive, growth
the time you spend with them is both a scary and “There is an epidemic of troubled kids without any mindsets. See mistakes, accidents or obstacles (like
inspiring thought. Charlie spoke of showing how ex- good friends,” Charlie said. “Worse than the epidemic a learning disability) simply as their train having got-
cited you should be to see each of the children in your of bullying.” Remember all those kings and queens ten off track (“Back on track, Jack!”) or road blocks
care, every day, no matter how your day is going, to arriving for their first day of school and learning to in- they only need to detour around.
help build your relationship with that student and build teract with all the other kings and queens? Changing your perspective of a child, or the la-
them up. fuel the train bels associated with a student, can change the child
The other big idea was not only about building your The final important image was how all children themself.
own relationships with the children, but building rela- need fuel for their train engine to get them through Johanna Donovan, B.A.S.E. Daycare Media Advisor
Taking a Bite Out of Environmental Education at Concordia University
LEARNING ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY
This fall I was lucky enough to be invited to Con-
cordia’s Annual “Bite Me” Conference put on by the
Concordia Food Coalition. The conference was an
excellent chance to meet organizations that are as
passionate about learning and spreading knowledge
about food as I am.
The highlight of the first day was meeting the
Concordia working group Hydroflora who gave a
workshop on how to grow things hydroponically.
Dominique Smith, who is in charge of educational
outreach, gave me a tour of the Concordia Green-
house where we talked about plants and munched on
figs from the fig tree that is growing in there. Above: Concordia’s Bite Me! conference post-
The second day I had a one-on-one workshop er; Above right: An example from HydroFlora of
about Native Pollinators from the Concordia Pollina- one way to grow plants hydroponically; Right:
tors Initiative. Did you know that honey bees are not Natural pollinator beehive.
indigenous to Canada? They were brought over here
by the Europeans. We have pollinators that are native main issues with food security for them. I learned a
to Canada too, like the blue orchard mansion bee. lot about the issues many indigenous people face
They are this beautiful iridescent colour and instead surrounding food. I also learned about some of the
of making a hive as we often picture it, they burrow amazing programs and initiatives happening to keep
into holes in trees and other nooks and lay their larva traditions alive and expand on them, including com-
there. I also learned how our gardens at B.A.S.E. munity gardens and cooking programs, as well as a
Daycare can help our native pollinators—I learned catering company called “Les Trois Soeurs” run by
how to make a hive that would attract native bees and Nahka and her two sisters.
how by planting wild flowers and different plants that From this panel, some points were reaffirmed for
feed the bees we will help our local environment. me. We as an educational body need to be aware ern Indigenous cooking looks like. We are looking to
Another highlight of the second day of the Bite that teaching our students about our Indigenous pop- the New Year to have her come in as a special guest.
Me Conference was the panel discussion about In- ulations does not stop with the colonial history. It is Being able to participate in a conference like this
digenous Food Security and Food Sovereignty. The important that we teach our students that our Indig- allows me to find new and important programs for our
panellists included Nahka Bertrand, Kanerahtiio enous citizens are not figures of the past and learn- students. It also allows me to rejuvenate my passion
Hemlock, and Wayne Robinson. It was moderated ing about the modern culture is just as important as for food and environmental sustainability, which I can
by Brooke Deer. In the discussion the panellists were remembering our problematic history. then share with our B.A.S.E. students.
asked questions about how Indigenous people in To this, I have asked Nahka to come into our cook- Melina Maria Trimarchi
Montreal keep their food traditions and what are the ing classes and teach our students about what mod- Project Development Officer; Environmental Education
bulletin board Touching Base, Winter 2018
3
PIF: A Special Year for B.A.S.E. The EMSB BASE Daycares
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 BANCROFT LEONARDO DA VINCI ACADEMY
Principal: Dorothy Ostrowicz Principal: Nadia Sammarco
“I absolutely loved my first part Technician: Monique Gaudreault Technician: Francesca Muro
of the community service experi-
ence,” said Sarina Presta, a VMC CARLYLE INTERNATIONAL MACKAY & PHILIP E. LAYTON
student who volunteers at Gen- Principal: Sabrina Petrocco Principal: Patrizia Ciccarelli
eral Vanier. “I look forward to see- Technician: Angela Crescenzi Technician: Maria Revuelta
ing their smiles and hearing their
stories every Tuesday.” CEDARCREST MICHELANGELO INTERNATIONAL
The first part of the 30-week Principal: Civita Tudino Principal: Marisa Mineiro
program is leading PIF games Technician: Georgia Stamatopoulos Technician: Nancy Salituri
and discussions with the children.
In early January, the VMC stu- CORONATION NESBITT
dents received the second part Principal: Joanna Genevezos Principal: Antoinette Scrocca
of their training to embark on the Interim Technician: Jacintha Duplan Technician: Guiseppina Santino
Community Action Project aspect
of the program. The high school DALKEITH OUR LADY OF POMPEI
students take on a more creative Principal: John Wright Principal: Steven Rebelo
and challenging leadership role Technician: Cynthia Racicot Technician: Agatina Nicita
to help guide the elementary stu- VMC students complete part 1 of their
dents through creating a project Play it Fair! training at Edward Murphy. DANTE PARKDALE
that has a positive impact on their Interim Principal: Tanya Alvares Interim Principal: George Koutsoulis
school community by utilizing all they have learned in Play it Fair! Technician: Angela Crispino Technician: Filanthi Stavrianeas
“I really learned that if I put my mind to becoming a leader, I can do it,” said
Anthony Manna, a VMC student volunteering at Our Lady of Pompei. DUNRAE GARDENS PIERRE DE COUBERTIN
This year’s program is extra special, however, for more reasons than one! Principal: Elena Zervas Principal: Ida Pisano
Firstly, the number of participating daycares doubled, including Edward Murphy, Technician: Tina Lanni Technician: Mary Simeone
Honoré Mercier and Pierre De Coubertin. Secondly, not only did 27 VMC Sec-
ondary 4 students receive training in the PIF program, but all 160 Secondary 4 EAST HILL: PIERRE ELLIOTT TRUDEAU
students learned about Play it Fair! as part of their ERC (Ethics and Religious Principal: Myrianne Lusignan Principal: Anna Sanalitro
Culture) curriculum and the Spiritual Care Community Involvement Service. Class Technician: Connie Parry Technician: Mara Filippone
time was handed over to Jennifer De Freitas from B.A.S.E. and Spiritual Animator
Rocco Speranza to train the young adults in the PIF program. EDWARD MURPHY SINCLAIR LAIRD
Thirdly, Jennifer and Rocco also received the 2017 National Play it Fair! Award. Principal: Cristina Celzi Principal: Silvana Crigna
In a ceremony at VMC on Monday, January 29, 2018, the dynamic duo received Technician: Giovanna Giuliana Technician: Pina Portaro
the award from Equitas, in front of students and staff from the EMSB, VMC, Gen-
eral Vanier, Gerald McShane and Michelangelo. Congrats to Jennifer and Rocco, ELIZABETH BALLANTYNE ST. DOROTHY
B.A.S.E. Daycare staff and students and VMC for all their hard work at creating a Principal: Michael Brown Principal: Sandra Lévillé
more inclusive community! Technician: Melodie Charette Technician: Sandra Petrillo
Vincent Massey Collegiate Students
GARDENVIEW ST. GABRIEL
Principal: Demetra Droutsas Principal: Jim Daskalakis
À L’école, on bouge au cube! Technician: Paquita Nanton Technician: Maria Mattiace
GENERAL VANIER ST. MONICA
Mesure 15023: 60 Minutes Daily Physical Activity Initiative Principal: Joseph Schembri Principal: Denise Maroun
For the 2017-2018 school year, the Ministry of Education and Higher Edu- Technician: Maria Iacono Technician: Angela Zambito
cation began the à l’école, on bouge au cube! initiative “to support schools in
making permanent educational change towards a school structure that provides GERALD McSHANE WESTMOUNT PARK
all students with the opportunity to accumulate 60 minutes of physical activity Principal: Christina Chilelli Principal: Roberto Di Marco
throughout each school day.” Technician: Clementina Fraga Technician: Deborah Mete
Out of the 10 participating EMSB schools, nine have B.A.S.E. Daycares: East
Hill, Edward Murphy, Elizabeth Ballantyne, Hampstead, Michelangelo Interna- HAMPSTEAD B.A.S.E. HEAD OFFICE
tional, Parkdale, Pierre De Coubertin, St. Dorothy and St. Raphael. Principal: David Lee
Participating schools have three years to achieve the 60 minutes objective. Technician: Cathy Agnello Evelyne Alfonsi, Interim DDG.
Financial aid will support them with putting in place their initiatives “that can be Me Benoît Duhême, DDG.
continued in a self-sufficient way after funding is terminated.” HONORE MERCIER Anna Maria Borsellino, ASS.DIR.
A designated “school leader” is chosen to be in charge of each school-wide Principal: Sonia Marotta Rosa Fuoco, Daycare Manager
physical activity initiative to help create frequent opportunities for physical activ- Technician: Daniela Buttino Jennifer De Freitas, PDO.
ity throughout the day. A meeting was held October 26 at the School Board with Melina Trimarchi, PDO. Enviro.
the school leaders to discuss current initiatives and new ideas. There were also JOHN CABOTO ACADEMY Teresa Federico, Avant Garde Tech.
presentations from BOKS (Build Our Kids’ Success) and Direction de la santé Principal: Lucy Buscemi Christine David, Office Agent 1
publique on the “My Schoolyard: A Place to Have Fun” program. Technician: Tina Nardolillo Cassandra Tedeschi, Office Agent 1
Some goals for schools are: Maximize school-
yard physical activity opportunities, encourage
and support teachers in creating classroom
physical activity breaks, create movement rooms
and/or classroom physical activity bins, and send
students on outdoor education activity field trips.
While before and after-school hours are tech-
nically not included in the ministry guidelines—
since not all students are present at those
times—B.A.S.E. Daycares offering physical ac-
tivity programs are only adding to the success
of their school’s initiative, and helping students Pierre de Coubertin’s sys-
reap the benefits, physical and cognitive, of tem of having equipment
more daily physical activity! available for students to be
Touching B.A.S.E. Editors active with during recess. Produced by: B.A.S.E. Daycare Services
English Montreal School Board
6000 Fielding Avenue, Montreal (Quebec) H3X 1T4
Letters to the Editor
What did you think of this issue of the Touching B.A.S.E. Website: www.emsbbase.com
Newspaper? Which article(s) did you like or not like?
Why or why not? Any other ideas or thoughts to share? Editor: Johanna Donovan
Send in your letters to daycarematters@gmail.com and B.A.S.E. Daycare Media Advisor
you might see yours printed in the next issue! jdonovan@emsb.qc.ca
4 Touching Base, Winter 2018 gardenview
Gardenview : Les éducatrices apprennent tout en s’amusant
SUITE DE LA PAGE 1
athlète olympique et coordonnatrice régionale du
programme BOKS pour l’est du Canada, ont fait
bouger les éducatrices dans l’espoir qu’elles puis-
sent en faire autant avec leurs élèves. Étant donné
que les classes commencent plus tard à l’école
Gardenview, les élèves passent donc plus de temps
au service de garde le matin, ce qui permet d’intégrer
un peu d’activité physique au programme!
Après le dîner, les éducatrices de Gardenview ont
participé à un atelier On ne joue pas avec les droits
présenté par Jennifer De Freitas et Melina Trimarchi,
responsables du développement de projets B.A.S.E.
Il a été question des valeurs du programme et de
ce qu’elles représentent pour les éducatrices. Par la
suite, l’équipe s’est bien amusée en jouant à des jeux
et a pris part aux discussions animées qui ont suivi.
Puis, les groupes d’éducatrices ont présenté avec
grand succès à leurs collègues les jeux On ne joue
pas avec les droits.
Il va sans dire que le début de l’année scolaire fut
marqué par une période d’adaptation au niveau de
la logistique et de l’organisation, mais avec le temps
et des efforts concertés, les difficultés se sont peu à
peu estompées.
Les éducatrices ont eu droit à un autre atelier sur
les divers guides d’activités B.A.S.E. afin d’être bien
outillées pour mettre en place leurs propres pro- Rangée supérieure (de gauche à droite) : L’éducatrice Anna s’en donne à cœur joie durant l’atelier
grammes de sept semaines pour leurs élèves. Un BOKS; Les éducatrices et Kim St-Pierre y vont d’une activité d’échauffement — des fentes ou lung-
guide d’activité leur a été assigné en fonction des es avec poignées de main — durant l’atelier BOKS; En haut (de gauche à droite) : Les éducatrices
champs d’intérêt spécifiés dans le sondage qu’elles jouent à Roche-Papier-Conflit durant l’atelier On ne joue pas avec les droits; Les éducatrices Pina (à
avaient rempli lors de la journée de perfectionnement gauche) et Adrianna (à droite) réagissent après avoir été exclues du jeu « Inclusion…Exclusion » du
professionnel. Deux groupes d’élèves ont participé à programme On ne joue pas avec les droits.
des clubs de photographie avec caméras et tablettes
iPad, tandis qu’un autre groupe a créé sa propre
publication dans le cadre du club de journaux. La
publication a été publiée en décembre et présentée
au personnel des services de garde et de l’école.
D’autres groupes de services de garde ont bien
apprécié les activités On ne joue pas avec les droits
animées par leur éducatrice, de même que celles
portant sur les habiletés en dessin, les spectacles
de marionnettes, la création de livres d’histoires et
la conception d’un jeu de société, pour n’en nommer
que quelques-unes!
Ensemble, cette grande équipe de femmes ex-
traordinaires aux compétences
multiples permettra aux élèves
dont elles ont la responsabilité
de vivre des expériences en-
richissantes.
Bienvenue au sein de la
grande famille des Services
de garde B.A.S.E. Nous som-
mes heureux de vous compter
parmi nous!
Johanna Donovan
Conseillère média –
Services de garde B.A.S.E.
Dans le sens horaire, à partir du haut : Une pièce de jeu fabriquée avec
de la pâte à modeler pendant l’activité de création d’un jeu de société
animée par une éducatrice et destinée au groupe des classes de 4e et
5e années; Les élèves présentent fièrement leur jeu de société « The
Normal House ;) », un jeu sous le thème de la maison hantée; Deux
élèves de 3e année du club de journaux prennent part à une entrevue
pour un article; La page frontispice de la publication réalisée par le
club de journaux; La toupie de main utilisée en guise de dé pour le jeu
de société « The Normal House ;) ».
heritage day Touching Base, Winter 2018
5
B.A.S.E. Helps Pull Off a Delicious Heritage Day at St. Gabriel
“Skipping” class to cook up a storm!
Before the holidays, St. Gabriel hosts a heritage
week with a buffet made up of dishes from cuisines
around the world. This year, B.A.S.E. Daycare staff
helped students cook all the dishes from various
cultures, including French Québécois, First Nations,
Japan, Greece and Guyana.
Over two days, students created nine dishes for
the final feast on Friday, December 15, 2017. Grade
6 students served the dishes as other students ar-
rived in scattered groups. Principal Jim Daskalakis
brought in speakers and created a festive mood
with an eclectic playlist. He also helped students put
together the sushi rolls and spanakopita triangles!
Grade 1 students helped make gingerbread
cookies. Oscar’s favourite part was cutting out the
cookies, “I love taking the scraps off,” he said.
Folding the chicken curry mixture into wonton
wrappers was the task of students in the SEEDS
class, while the more difficult sushi assembly was
left to Grade 6.
“Rolling the sushi was my favourite part, because
it was fun,” said Penny. “The worst part was the rice
getting stuck to your fingers.”
Sufyan couldn’t help trying some of the ingredi-
ents while assembling his sushi, “I liked the salmon,
it’s smoked so it tastes so good!”
Top: Grade 1 students roll out their gingerbread cookie dough. Above (from left); Grade 4-5 stu-
dents spoon the feta and spinach mixture onto philo pastry before folding for the spanakopita
triangles; First Nations corn and blueberry wild rice salad; Students focus on folding wonton
wrappers around the chicken curry mixture; Below (clockwise from left): Principal Jim Daskalakis
helps make sushi; One student seems to enjoy trying almost one of everything; Three Sisters
Bake from the First Nations included squash, beans, corn, honey, olive oil and various spices; two
students try the heritage buffet foods, one with satisfaction, the other not so sure!
All students got to taste all the dishes at the buffet
to varying degrees of success. Some plates were full
to the brim and others only had a few items on them
to try. Other dishes on the menu included meat pies,
a corn and blueberry wild rice salad, maple cookies,
and tzatziki sauce to go with the spanakopita.
Teachers were happy to take home the leftovers
after the event and the B.A.S.E. team enjoyed spend-
ing two days with St. Gabriel students and staff.
“I love to use food to connect with students,”
said Melina Trimarchi, B.A.S.E. team member. “To
me, it’s one of the most successful ways to get stu-
dents excited about what they’re learning and I was
so impressed with the students’ work ethic and final
dishes. I also enjoyed thinking creatively to come up
with dishes I had never made before; for example the
curry chicken bites came from the idea that it would
be a lot easier to have a finger food students could
simply pop in their mouths.”
Ryan Oxley from B.A.S.E. took a break from
running Green Club and enjoyed guiding students
through using unfamiliar ingredients. “It was great to
see the kids engaging in making the food and explor-
ing different tastes,” he said.
Hopefully, if the B.A.S.E. team is back again next
year to help with the Heritage Day, the event can be
run with a zero-waste theme, just like this past Fall’s
Green Club harvest parties. It would be great to add
another layer of education related to food, this time
including the environment.
All in all, the event was a major success and
B.A.S.E. Daycare was happy to be involved.
Johanna Donovan
B.A.S.E. Daycare Media Advisor
6 Touching Base, Winter 2018 extracurricular activities
General Vanier Recipe To Try At Home
how to better care for animals
Every Thursday afternoon this past fall session we Stuffed Zucchini
had the ENGAGE: Animal Welfare Education work- (Zucchini Boats!)
shop at daycare. We learned a lot about animals. Did
you know that about 6,500 cats are brought to the INGREDIENTS:
SPCA every year?
We made different cat toys by taking empty toilet • 4 zucchinis
paper rolls and putting cat treats inside. Then we co- • 100g feta cheese
loured a paper and wrapped it around the rolls. We • 1 egg
also made a bird’s nest from hay and twigs. • 2-3 tbsp bread crumbs
The teacher, Ms. Colleen, was so nice. She even • Parsley, dill, or herb of choice
brought in her dog, Ocean, to school one day. Now
we can tell when a dog is stressed and we made a DIRECTIONS:
poster about how to recognize if a dog is approach-
able or not. For example, if a dog is looking around 1. Cut the zucchinis in half horizontally
with his pupils in the corner and you see a lot of white in the shape of boats.
in his eyes, don’t bother him, he’s getting upset! 2. Put them in boiling water for 1-2 min-
“I like that we learned new things about animals,” utes then cool under running water.
said Alessandro Velez. “Ms. Colleen showed us great 3. Carve out (remove) the seeds with
examples of what to do when you see a loose pet,” he the help of a small teaspoon.
added. For one thing, if you don’t know a dog, never 4. In a mixing bowl, crumble the feta
try to pat its head. and mix in the egg, finely chopped
We all liked the fact that we could learn new ways herbs (parsley works well with feta),
to take care of our pets, such as how a guinea pig and bread crumbs.
needs a lot of space to run and play, “but they like 5. Fill the zucchinis with the feta mix-
to be in small spaces, like a box, too,” said Rosario ture and lay them on a baking tray.
Dongarra in Grade 4. Did you know, small animals 6. Bake until golden brown (less than
like rabbits, guinea pigs and rats can run the distance 15 minutes at 350o).
of two football fields in an hour?!
If you have a cat, you might know that if it wags TIPS:
its tail you shouldn’t bother it and if a cat shows its
Top: students enjoy meeting Ocean; Above:
teeth and lowers its body in a loop, it’s getting ready • Do NOT add salt as feta cheese is
Students learned how to recognize when a
to attack! already salty!
dog is stressed and shouldn’t be pet.
For birds, their cage bars need to be parallel so • Put less feta and more crumbs if you
they can climb, not horizontal. Also, if you let your bird like it crispier.
fly around, make sure you have curtains on your win- Mia Faella, Alessandro Velez, • Add the leftover zucchini seeds into
dows so it won’t hit its head! Tatiana Joly, Anthony Fontanarosa, Grade 4 the feta mixture, or use as a spread
We will miss you Ms. Colleen! General Vanier B.A.S.E. Daycare or dip mashed with olive oil and
herbs. Be creative!
Blanching: A Great Cooking Technique
Make those vegetables
especially tasty!
Blanching…we hear this fancy
word from chefs when they are
preparing vegetables, but what is it
exactly?
Blanching is a process where
the food you’re cooking, usually
a vegetable or fruit, is submerged
in boiling water for a brief period
of time, then quickly removed and
plunged into a bowl of ice water or
placed under cold running water
to stop the cooking process, since
food often continues cooking even
out of the pot or pan.
WHY DO WE BLANCH?
The original meaning of the word
blanch is “to whiten,” but blanching
can often serve many purposes: To
soften food, only cook it a little bit
to be saved for further cooking or
freezing later, to remove a strong Ingredients for making “Zucchini Boats” at St. Dorothy.
taste, or even to help make peeling
off skin easier, such as with almonds. • Pour the vegetables and water into a colan-
While cooking the “Zucchini Boats” students der (Ms. Diyar performed this task).
in B.A.S.E. Cooking Clubs learned how to blanch • Cool down the vegetables under cold water.
zucchinis. It is an important thing to learn as it is It was great to blanch the zucchinis as a team, but
especially effective for making those often “contro- don’t be discouraged if you don’t have four people to
versial” vegetables yummier by giving them a better help you make this recipe. It can easily be done by
texture and making them easier to digest. one person, though B.A.S.E. Cooking Club students
The reason why we blanched our zucchinis was recommend cooking the zucchini boats with a par-
to make them soft enough to be easily carved into ent or friend because cooking (and eating) together
the shape of mini boats so we could fill them with is so much fun!
the feta cheese mixture. While doing that we made Students at Nesbitt and St. Dorothy enjoyed mak-
blanching teams with each team member respon- ing and eating the feta carrying zucchini boats at the
sible for one of the following tasks: end of their classes.
• Bring the water to a boil. Why don’t you try making the recipe at home and
• Put the zucchinis into the water carefully! sharing your thoughts? We’d love to hear about your Students in Nesbitt’s B.A.S.E. Daycare Cook-
Avoid splashing hot water by slowly placing experiences! Send in your stories and photos to ing Club activity had a great time making
the vegetables into the water, preferrably with daycarematters@gmail.com! stuffed zucchini, which they preferred to call
tongs or a spoon. Diyar Mayil zucchini boats! If you try the recipe, share
• Check the timer. B.A.S.E. Daycare Animator your results with B.A.S.E.!
extracurricular activities Touching Base, Winter 2018
7
Sinclair Laird Our Lady of Pompei St. Monica
Santas At St. Monica
Students were generous with
their donations of their toys and
money this past November and De-
cember at St. Monica. There were
two big projects happening at the
school: A Book Fair and a Toy Drive.
BOOK FAIR
The Book Fair began on November 21 and last-
ed for three days. The Book Fair, organized by Ms.
Joanne and the Parent Participation Organization,
happened to raise money for the school. One idea
for using the money is to fix the senior schoolyard.
The school got books from Scholastic and parent
Daycare activities at their best! volunteers helped set up the room and with the sales
This year at Sinclair Laird, we are celebrating 60
years of education.
In keeping with healthy eating, the daycare stu-
dents decided to create a plate of 60 strawberries
(painted rocks to look like real ones), to remind every- Media Literacy Week: Inclusion
one that the sweetness of strawberries is comparable in a Connected world
to the sweet moments of learning at Sinclair Laird. At Our Lady of Pompei Daycare, we worked on
During this process, we discussed our favourite a very fun project with Ms. Silvia. We learned about
healthy foods, the importance of exercising, as well body image and different kinds of avatars during Me-
as the benefits of learning through creative means. dia Literacy Week (November 6 to 10, 2017). We went
Our culinary adventure continued with the help to the computer lab and we created our own avatars.
of Ms. Melina, by cooking an Indian soup known as Using the MediaSmarts Avatar Maker game, we
“Dal.” The delicious main dish was enjoyed by all. made our avatars in level one and level two. Level
We are so proud of our students and our achieve- one had avatars in a more cartoon form and level
ments as a school over the last 60 years—we look two’s avatars looked more like us.
From left: Doyun, Daeyheon, Stacy and Yunseo
forward to creating many more memories ahead. We all had different opinions about our creations.
look for books at the Book Fair; Below: The
Pina Portaro Trevor felt like he was creating a video game and
boxes for the CTV Spirit of Giving Campaign.
Sinclair Laird B.A.S.E. Daycare Technician could make a new look for himself based on how he
thinks he looks. Michael thought it was funny and felt
happy. When I asked Pietro about his avatar he said, of the books. Each class went to the room at a spe-
John Caboto Academy ‘’The first part was weird because I couldn’t change
the skin colour. In the second part my avatar made
cific time during school to pick their books. The cost
of the books ranged from $5 to $20.
21st Century Storybook Creation me look like a teenager and I would rather look 10 Yunseo from Grade 3 said she didn’t buy books,
The Grade 1 students at John Caboto Academy years old.” “because it was too expensive. I wanted to buy my
in Ms. Frances’ class put pencil to paper every Luca thought it was fun and he liked that we made brother a present, but I didn’t have enough money.”
Wednesday afternoon to create a story with co- a future self and a fantasy self. He also liked how “I bought two books, both Diary of a Wimpy Kid
loured drawings! there were lots of choices in level two. books, and one spy pen,” said Fergus from Grade 2.
“I enjoyed creating one of the bad guys because I As for me, I felt like I was in the future and I saw Stacy from Grade 3 liked the Book Fair “because
used my imagination,” said Benjamin Dinh. myself, but I didn’t like level one because we didn’t the books I liked were on sale.”
Then Ms. Jodi scanned the drawings into an iPad have many choices. The second level was better be- TOY Drive
and put them in an app called Book Creator. We cause we had more clothes, body shapes and skin The toy drive began in November with donation
used our voices to record our story instead of writ- colours to choose from. I liked the activity because boxes set up in the school lobby. It was part of the
ing it down. I worked with my friends and also because I could Christmas and Chanukah Toy Tea, which will ben-
“Recording our voices made me feel happy and make myself look realistic. I also enjoyed making a efit more than 5,000 children being protected from
excited because I knew I could listen to my voice boy and a girl. I really like to make stuff so it was a lot abuse or violence, as well as other children’s chari-
when we finished the story,” said Matteo Riccio. of fun for me. I think this project was very unique and ties, as well as the CTV Spirit of Giving campaign.
Recording made it extra special because we got to creative! Students could collect new toys and toys they
hear many different voices tell the story we thought Chelsea Sorrenti-Carpanzano, Grade 4 don’t use anymore and bring them to school to put in
of together. Our Lady of Pompei B.A.S.E. Daycare the boxes. Before Christmas, the donated toys were
We also used our pointer finger to write a word to given to children who do not have a lot.
go with each of our pictures. The class ended up with “I donated a lot because I’m going back to South
one big project and everybody did a little bit to help. Korea in a few months and I don’t want my suitcase
We had a book reading/viewing in the classroom to be too heavy,” said Daehyeon in Grade 6. “It’s
on the SMARTBoard. We read our story one time like we’re becoming Santa,” added Daehyeon when
to view it and a second time to play the “Find the asked why donating was important. It’s also impor-
Hidden Message Game” that Ms. Jodi had hidden tant “so we don’t waste the toys,” said Julio.
for us. You had to write down every word that had a “I’m going to donate cars that I don’t like,” said
blue cloud around it. Fergus. “I don’t like them but another kid might.”
“We got to practice our writing, and playing the Zyanne in Grade 3 thinks it’s good to donate toys
hidden message game made me feel good be- to children who don’t have any, “because it’s good
cause I got to write nice words and then read a to share.”
peaceful message about working together,” said “I will be sad to give away my toys, but it will make
Mathilde Benjamin. Play the game to find out what other kids happy so I will feel happy,” said Yunseo.
the message was on the daycare-matters.com blog! We hope you had a chance to donate at your
Vanessa Zitella, Grade 1 school and feel like Santa too!
John Caboto Academy B.A.S.E. Daycare Fergus Skene, Doyun Kim, Grade 2
Stacy Lu Yue, Yunseo Ko, Grade 3
Julio Ruiz De La Orden, Grade 5
Danny Daehyeon Kim, Grade 6
St. Monica B.A.S.E. Daycare
Top: Ms. Silvia’s group. Above (clockwise from
top left): Two avatars created in level one; three
avatars from level two. Listen to interviews
Romy Dionne-Bouayad, Grade 1, records her about the activity at daycare-matters.com in
voice for her portion of the story. the “Our Lady of Pompei: Avatars” blog post!
8 Touching Base, Winter 2018 pedagogical days
Celebrating National
Child Day at Our
Lady of Pompei
with Play it Fair!
Playing Fair at Pompei
In honor of National Child’s Day in November, we
held a Play It Fair! Pedagogical Day at Our Lady of
Pompei Daycare. The day began with an introduction
and explanation of the day’s events. This was the first
Play It Fair! (PIF) day at our school. Each child re-
ceived a Play It Fair! temporary tattoo and PIF stamps
and medals. They also decorated the classrooms and
gym in beautiful orange and purple colours.
The students were able to experience a variety of
games throughout the day. From “Flying Carpets” and
“Blind Spots,” to “Inclusion...Exclusion,” “Aliens” and
much more. The games were received with anticipa-
tion and enthusiasm by the students as well as the
educators. Each activity was meant to teach one of
the seven values of the Play It Fair! program.
At lunch time, some of the students experienced
how a person with a disability might feel. Some wore
blind folds while others tried to eat their lunch with
only one hand.
“I liked that this was very fun, educational, and inspi-
rational,” said Maya, a Grade 5 student. “We learned
how to play it fair while playing really fun games. Ev-
eryone worked as a team and helped each other out
to finish the challenges. It was different learning how
Clockwise from top: Students chosen to it felt to be left out, but it was fun anyway. Play It Fair!
be the Play it Fair! Heroes in their groups should be taken seriously!”
show off their costumes—heroes based When all the challenges were completed, each
their names and superpowers off spe- group had to choose a Play It Fair! Hero where the
cific values from the Play it Fair! (PIF) students had fun choosing a name for their hero, their
program; A students places her green superpower related to their core value, such as Re-
sticker near the center of the Bulls-Eye spect or Cooperation, and then dressing up.
discussion tool to indicate she liked the The entire day was a wonderful learning experi-
game; A discussion tool called Fortune ence and the games were innovative and fun.
Teller; Students put up decorations in Hoorray Pompei for Playing it Fair!
the gym and classrooms in PIF colours;
Students play Flying Carpets, a game Silvia Veltri
about Cooperation; A student works on Our Lady of Pompei B.A.S.E. Daycare Educator
her “Inclusion” themed Rights Graffitti;
Students participate in the PIF game,
Lunch & Disabilities.
pedagogical days Touching Base, Winter 2018
9
Gerald McShane
Skating with volunteer parents
Every year, Gerald McShane uses the Arena
Rolland Patinoire next door for a fun pedagogical
day, but this year was special. Without even being
asked, two fathers volunteered their time (and ex-
pertise!) to come and skate with their sons and the
other children on November 16, 2017.
From 9:30 am to 11:00 am, 59 students and five
educators enjoyed the free skating activity with the
help of Mario and Jeffrey.
“It was great!” said Mario, father of Gianni. “I had
a lot of fun, as I’m a kid just like them,” he added.
“I was happy to be with my son and involved in the
experience,” said Jeffrey, father of Brady.
Clementina Fraga, Daycare Technician, was just
as happy for the extra help: “The more the merrier
because I don’t skate!” she laughed.
Gerald McShane is always looking for ways to in-
volve the school’s surrounding community and hav-
ing parents volunteer is an added bonus.
“I liked that my daddy was teaching me to skate,”
said Brady. “I liked holding the black bar while skat-
ing.”
Many of the younger students used bars or cones
to help them get used to moving on thin slices of
metal, while older students whizzed around the ice.
“I like to skate because I play hockey,” said
Gianni. “It made me feel good knowing my dad was
there,” he added, though he didn’t seem to need any
extra help!
With so many children attending, it was the sec-
ond biggest pedagogical day so far this school year.
A great big thanks to Arena Rolland and to Mario and
Jeffrey for coming out to enjoy the day.
Gerald McShane B.A.S.E. Daycare
Top Row (from left): Jeffrey and son Brady;
Mario and son Gianni. Bottom Row (from
left): Jade (in blue), Piera, Falone, and Ashley;
Jahnie-Lo (left) and Sofia.
B.A.S.E. Students Get Active With Concordia Athletes!
A SPree of concordia JamboreeS
Hundreds of children running, crawling, throwing
and smiling, with a few athletes dressed in bright yel-
low poking up amidst the organized mayhem, is a
beautiful sight. A sight repeated over four pedagogical
days animated by Concordia for five daycares, either
at the schools or at the Concordia Dome.
Carlyle International, Dante, John Caboto Acad-
emy, Nesbitt and Pierre Elliott Trudeau all benefitted
from at least one Concordia ped day. Some Concor-
dia staff were from the university’s athletic teams,
while others were students of Therapeutic Recreation
or Leisure Science studies. Here are excerpts from
students about their Concordia Jamboree ped days.
CARLYLE INTERNATIONAL DANTE
Top: Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Dante Dome
On Friday, October 20, 2017, Carlyle B.A.S.E. I had a really fun day when the Concordia ath-
ped day; Above from left: Carlyle; John Cabo-
Daycare had a pedagogical day. We saw two instruc- letes, also known as Concordia Stingers, came to our
to Academy and Nesbitt Dome ped day; Dante.
tors from Concordia University arrive at the school school. They taught us new games, new movements
carrying big bags and they slung them on the gym in gymnastics and we also made flags for when we
floor. We knew right away we were going to have fun. day. It keeps the children fit. We worked together as a visited them at the Concordia Dome for an Olympic
First they introduced themselves as Valerie and team and everyone was eager to learn new games. If day on November 30 with Pierre Elliott Trudeau.
Alexy and then we warmed up with a few games of Concordia comes back on another pedagogical day, I was so happy that I was on the same team as my
tag. Next they taught us Chinese Dodgeball. When we know for sure we will have fun again. friends. I was very impressed with one of the gym-
we were playing everyone had a really good time. nasts’ flexibility when she did the splits.
We played different games both in the morning and Dina Madani, Stephen Tudor, Grade 4 The Concordia athletes are super nice people.
afternoon. The Concordia instructors knew what kids Michael Klymchuk, Grade 5 I would say that it was a very memorable day! GO
would enjoy playing and explained the games well. Kimmie Shori and Maya Vaitheeswaran, Grade 6 STINGERS GO!!
It was great to have a Concordia physical activity Carlyle International B.A.S.E. Daycare Amanda Medeiros, Grade 4, Dante B.A.S.E. Daycare
10 Touching Base, Winter 2018 green initiative
Harvest: Renewing Curiosity in the Wonderful World of Nature
Parkdale: Students planted two trees for their Fruit Orchard.
St. Monica: Groups visited the garden to play games, eat, save seeds,
compost, plant garlic and harvest carrots straight from the ground!
General Vanier: Photo booth. Cedarcrest: Washing station.
Coronation: Daycare groups visited the garden for an edible tour with
their Green Club guides and a fun waste relay race with Eco Quartier!
Parkdale: Feeling the rich earth between their fingers is one of Parkdale
Green Club’s favourite parts of gardening! Happy faces post tree planting!
Cedarcrest: At the seed saving station, visiting daycare groups saved John Caboto Academy: Even staff line up for Green Club’s tasty treats at
seeds from tomatoes, calendula flowers, beans, peas, and sunflowers! the harvest party, including fresh bread, homemade jam and more!green initiative Touching Base, Winter 2018
11
The Birth of a Gardening Community at Pierre Elliott Trudeau
Building a garden from scratch!
When I first started at Pierre Elliott Trudeau School
in 2013, our playgrounds were all cement—the ju-
nior yard and the senior yard. It did give the kids a
chance for their imaginations to show because there
was nothing to play with, but it was just plain.
When I was in Kindergarten, some parents had
the idea to build a green space. When I was in Grade
1 and Grade 2, the parents dug a big hole in the
senior yard, took out the cement, and filled it with dirt
and woodchips, before adding tables and gardens.
There were lots of workers, and parents volunteered
to work the gardens and take care of them.
Finally this year, while in Grade 3, we took out all
the weeds from the gardens, and then filled them
with fresh dirt. The person who has been doing this
is B.A.S.E. Daycare Animator Shannon, who knows
what kind of plants we take out and what kind of
plants we leave. We leave some of the plants be-
cause they are good for the gardens and the animals,
the bugs and birds. We then planted garlic just as it
was becoming fall, and in the spring we are going to Clockwise from above: Early work breaking the
plant flowers and vegetables. concrete; Weeding day, October 2017; Spread-
The green space is used for sitting down and ing the soil in November 2017.
talking to people at the benches and tables during
recess, lunch and daycare. The older kids do class- for the planet, which I care about.
room activities in the gardens. There is also a bench, Giorgia Nico Daley, Grade 3
called the “Buddy Bench.” It represents the memory Pierre Elliott Trudeau B.A.S.E. Daycare
of Ms. Mary-Kay who was a very special daycare
educator in our school community. If you have no BASE NOTE: The work to green the senior yard at
buddies, you sit on the bench. If you see someone Pierre Elliott Trudeau began in 2014-2015 with the
on the Buddy Bench, you go over and say, “Do you help of committed parent volunteers and community
need a buddy?” mobilizers like Mistaya Hemmingway, Nadine Fava,
When there is just concrete, it is grey for miles and Aaron Daly and many others. From there a group of
miles around, and you can get hurt more easily, but keen, green parents (and kids) formed a gardening
the green space has wood chips and plants. It’s a committee that has kept pushing and working for
space where you can grow things besides just put- more green space at P.E.T., and are always ready to
ting down concrete. I really appreciate that they made go at the first sign of gardening—generously donat-
the green space, because it gives more chance for ing their time (weekends!), strength and skill to help
plants to live and grow in the world, and it’s healthier make their schoolyard a greener place to play.
Hampstead Harvests Honey!
A Sticky but enjoyable experience jars. Each student
After school on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, received a jar and
Grades 3 to 6 Hampstead students went to their day- went to the bucket
care room to listen and have an experience about where a the spout
bees and honey. was opened to let
Principal David Lee had a beehive installed on the the honey pour
school roof last year by the urban beekeeping com- in. Mr. Michael’s
pany Alvéole and it was finally time to harvest the Grade 5 and 6
Hampstead beehive’s honey. group helped put
First the instructor from Alvéole, Mr. Alexis, spoke the lids on the jars.
about bees—how do they collect pollen, how they Daycare is keep-
make their honey and how they survive in the win- ing the honey to use
ter. He answered all of our questions and showed it for snack on fruit
interesting pictures, especially of how a new queen or crackers. Also,
is made by feeding the growing larvae “royal jelly.” the rest of the hon-
Afterwards, Mr. Alexis showed us a frame from our ey extracted from
beehive covered in beeswax and explained about our hive by Alvéole
how the bees “cap” or cover the honeycombs on the was sold on No-
frames with wax to preserve the honey when it is vember 16 as part
ready. Then we began the experience. of the Bake Sale
Two by two, students went up to the front and took held during parent Clockwise from above: Stu-
off all the wax covering the honey with a special fork. teacher interviews. dents uncap the honey from
Flynn thought it was a sticky process and a bit hard There were 98 jars the frame; Students help
to remove the wax! and each one cost hold the sieve steady over
The second step was to put the two frames we $5.00. The money the bucket to filter the honey;
had uncapped into the extractor machine. Students raised will be used Students help Alexis from Al-
helped hold the machine and turn the handle to for various student véole extract the honey using
spin the frames to get the honey out. As the ma- activities. centrifugal force.
chine spun, the honey came off the frame, thanks to “I liked this proj-
centrifugal force said Mr. Alexis, and dripped to the ect because it was good to know once again about
bottom of the extractor. bees,” said Flynn. “If I get another chance, I would
“I spun the handle,” said Alexandre. “At first it felt like to introduce it to other people.”
hard to do but then it got easier because it kept going It was fun to see how the honey fell off in the ex-
faster and faster.” tractor. We also learned that bees only live 30 days in
Once all the honey was extracted, Mr. Alexis the summer time—because they work so hard with-
opened the spout at the bottom of the machine and out any sleep—and each create ¼ of a teaspoon of
let the honey drip through a sieve into a bucket to honey in their lifetime!
filter out any leftover wax. Mr. Alexis explained that For some students, other than learning about the
this was the only process the honey would go through overall process, the best part was the end when they Mark Fileivich, SeongJin On, Hohyeong Shin,
which means it is not pasteurized and is better for got to taste the delicious honey. Bees are amazing Flynn Tefian, Eva Lee, Shim Dajeong, Shin Eugene,
you this way. insects. Their work is all around us and everyone Mr. Michael, Ms. Martine, Educators
Lastly, Ms. Martine’s group put the honey in the should stop and take a look. Hampstead B.A.S.E. Daycare12 Touching Base, Winter 2018 green initiative
Serres à arceaux : nos végétaux pousseront-ils durant l’hiver?
PROLONGER LA SAISON DU JARDINAGE
Deux écoles jardinières passionnées ont décidé
de relever le défi de cultiver des légumes en hiv-
er. Les élèves du club vert des Services de garde
B.A.S.E. des écoles Parkdale et St. Monica ont donc
installé des serres à arceaux dans la cour d’école
pour couvrir leurs jardins.
Une serre à arceaux est une structure simple qui
s’apparente ni plus ni moins à une serre tradition-
nelle. Il s’agit d’un film plastique que l’on dépose sur
des montants arqués en métal ou faits de tubes en
plastique résistant. Le soleil réchauffe l’intérieur de la
serre et le film plastique contribue à y emprisonner la
chaleur pour ainsi assurer la survie des plants.
Les élèves ont appris quels types de végétaux
tolèrent des températures plus froides et lesquels
ont meilleur goût lorsqu’ils sont récoltés l’hiver. Ils
ont donc planté du chou frisé (kale), de la bette à
carde et des épinards dans le bac de jardinage qu’ils
ont sélectionné parce qu’il bénéficie des meilleures
conditions d’ensoleillement durant les mois d’hiver.
Ils ont ensuite installé la serre à arceaux par-dessus
le bac et se sont assurés de bien fixer au sol le film
plastique à l’aide de briques et de piquets.
Les élèves ont pris plaisir à visiter leur jardin du-
rant la saison froide pour observer la croissance des
végétaux dans la serre. Myar, une élève de 2e année
à l’école Parkdale, y est allée d’un commentaire pour
partager son expérience : « Le soleil réchauffera
notre toute petite serre » et lors de sa récente visite
au jardin, elle s’est exclamée : « On a vu de l’humidité
à l’intérieur de la serre! »
Les élèves du club vert ont visité le jardin au début
de l’hiver en vue de surveiller les végétaux et ils ont
été à même de constater l’efficacité de la serre sur la
croissance des plants. Au début du mois de février,
ils ont procédé à la récolte et préparé une délicieuse
salade hivernale qu’ils ont dégustée avec l’équipe du
club vert.
Ryan Oxley, Animateur du club vert –
Services de garde B.A.S.E.
Dans le sens horaire, à partir du haut : Les élèves du club vert des Services de garde B.A.S.E. à
l’école Parkdale fixent la structure en métal et en plastique de leur serre à arceaux; À l’école St.
Monica, les élèves préparent une enseigne pour leur serre; La serre de St. Monica ensevelie à
la suite d’une chute de neige hâtive; Chou frisé en pleine croissance sous la bâche en plastique
du jardin de l’école St. Monica; Les élèves de l’école primaire Parkdale mettent la touche finale à
leur serre.
Helping Pollinators Bee-fore it’s Too Late!
Coronation Certified Pollinator garden During the school’s harvest party celebrations,
On June 13, 2017, the Coronation schoolyard gar- the Green Club students enjoyed giving tours of the
den received the accolade of being a “Certified Wild- garden and sharing how well their plants grew with
life Friendly Habitat” from the Canadian Wildlife Fed- the other daycare students.
eration. The school received a plaque and a donation Continuing the learning from the pollinator gar-
of 40 pollinator-friendly plants. The B.A.S.E. Daycare den, the students experienced first-hand how impor-
Green Club planted the garden and built a bug hotel tant pollinators are to us. They tried two versions of
to help transform the space into an attractive garden. a yummy fruit salad: One salad was full of delicious
After a flourishing first year of growing, Corona- berries that grew thanks to the help of pollinators
tion’s certified pollinator garden is now dormant over who pollinate fruit plants; the second was an empty
the winter months. Green Club students worked to bowl that resembled what fruit salad would like if the of the video by saying, “Bees are getting poisoned by
close the garden, but left some pollinator plants in- world’s pollinators were extinct. pesticides we are spraying on our flowers and crops
tact to provide shelter and provide a food source for Did you know, according to the Xerces Society that makes the bees lose their way back to the hive
wildlife that survive in Canada’s harsh winter weath- for Invertebrate Conservation, an organization that and die alone.”
er. Students learned that by not cutting back some works to help all pollinators, “one in every three bites To help inform the school community, Green Club
varieties or perennial flowers, the seeds are left to of food you eat is the result of insect pollination”? students will make posters to place in the garden that
feed the local bird population. To help the students understand why the bowl was will share their knowledge about pollinators and the
Perennial native flowers such as the rudbeckia empty they watched a video called, “The Death of importance of helping to protect them. The students
and Echinacea flowers are a great food source as Bees Explained–Parasites, Poisons and Humans” by also planted tulips, daffodils and hyacinths in the fall
the seeds are inside the coned shaped flower. Also, a Munich based team of designers, journalists and to provide a source of food for pollinators when the
the decaying plant material left in the garden will de- musicians who work to make science look beauti- flowers bloom in the early spring.
compose to build the soil structure in the spring just ful called Kurzgesagt (German for “in a nutshell”). Ryan Oxley
like the forest floor. Green Club member C.J. shared his understanding B.A.S.E. Daycare Green AnimatorYou can also read
