Learning in the great outdoors 

In January, several classes visited our 450-acre second campus. The trips are tied to the College’s outdoor education curriculum, teaching students about nature and environmental stewardship.

Says Katie Tanz, Norval senior teacher, “We fill our calendar with UCC classes as much as they want to come, which is about three-quarters of our time. And then we invite other schools, such as Branksome Hall, which has been coming for 25 years, and other independent Toronto schools. And we try to be good neighbours to schools in the local area.” 

Teacher Anna Crawford’s SK students enjoyed the Winter Wizard’s Birthday Party, one of Norval’s cherished traditions. 

“We work with the classroom teacher to link what students learn at Norval to the unit they’re in,” Tanz says. “There’s some make-believe involved here. Forest creatures are supposed to be throwing a surprise party for the Winter Wizard, and the SK students, who are in an inquiry unit, must ask questions to figure out how to throw the best party. It culminates with lunch, the birthday party, and a dance party.”  
 

Anna Marshall’s Year 1 class, meanwhile, were tasked with solving the mystery of the missing pies. 

“There’s a crime scene,” Tanz recounts. “There’s part of a pie, crumbs, and all sorts of evidence. They hike around and interview forest creature suspects. They make an arrest, have a trial, and vote on who they think is guilty. It ties in with their study of the parts of a story: plot, climax, and resolution. And there’s a narrative on stereotypes and how just because everyone says someone is bad, it’s not necessarily true.” 

When the weather is accommodating, there’s tobogganing involved. And in the case of Mark Ferley’s 4F and Michael Bushey’s 4B classes, the students build their own sleds. 

“This is a longtime activity we’ve done with the Year 4s,” Tanz says. “They partner up and design and build their own bobsleds out of cardboard. Then we have a big ceremony like the Olympics and they go down and test their bobsleds.” 

Students up to Year 2 come to Norval for day trips in each season, and in Year 3 they do their first overnight visit, staying at Stephen House, the main building which contains classroom and lab facilities, as well as a dining area and a couple of dozen bunk beds. 

Other recent highlights include Carly Crippin’s Year 2 students participating in a winter mapping adventure in which they had to locate various spots along a trail, and Jen Harper’s 6H class, which tackled Norval’s large low-ropes obstacle course, which is used to foster team building, co-operation and problem-solving skills.  

Norval regularly brings in Elders — including Garry Sault, an Ojibway Elder for the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation — who discuss the history of the fur trade from an Indigenous perspective as well as their connection to the land. Other guests include representatives of the Credit Valley Conservation Authority, who lead activities such as an interpretative hike for Year 8 students in an interdisciplinary unit (science and art) focusing on invasive species.

Also in January, Norval held its Winter Open House, which was well attended by families, and offered activities including cross-country skiing and tobogganing, followed by marshmallow roasting and hot chocolate at a campfire.