Classrooms in the forest: school teaching largely outside this fall in northwestern Canada

Laura Howells, CBC News
 Posted: Wednesday, September 9, 2020 at 09:55 — Last Updated: Wednesday, September 9, 2020 at 10:07

Students learn in the forest at Hidden Valley Elementary School in Whitehorse. (Laura Howells/CBC)
Six-year-olds sit in a circle of tree stumps, watching their teacher write on a whiteboard in the forest.

Teachers carry bear spray and walkie-talkies. There are tarp shelters in case it rains.

Class is often outdoors this fall at Hidden Valley Elementary School, which has built a “forest school” on its property in the outskirts of Whitehorse.

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A California collective makes the case for outdoor schooling – PBS News Hour Weekend

As school districts across the country are trying to determine how or if they can open their doors in the fall, a California coalition has come together – offering districts everything from curriculum to architecture advice to take their classrooms outside. NewsHour Weekend’s Christopher Booker reports.

Education experts call for outdoor classes to increase student safety amid COVID-19 pandemic – The Current, CBC

As politicians and school boards grapple with the challenge of how to safely reopen schools in the fall, some education experts are suggesting a simple solution — hold class outside. 

The idea was recently suggested in a report released by Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. But according to freelance journalist Monika Warzecha, it’s not a new notion.

Warzecha said that while working on a series of stories about Toronto’s history, she stumbled across a photo depicting the now-closed High Park Forest School. 

“It’s this photo of all these kids, they’re kind of formally dressed, sitting at these desks that are wooden and solid with wrought iron in front of a chalkboard and teacher. But they’re in a forest,” she said. 

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