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North Haven School

Situated just east of 14th Street NW, close to Nose Hill Park, North Haven School is a model for environmental learning initiatives.   The teachers at North Haven have been using an enquiry based approach that began with the question “Does Nose Hill need stewardship?”

Over the past two school years, North Haven Grade K-6 students have been involved with exploring a line of enquiry about the natural world and their place in it. 

Developing Environmental Understandings through Art

Nose Hill Park is within walking distance for students from North Haven. Throughout the 2006-2007 school year students worked with a naturalist/artist in residence at the school, investigating Nose Hill Park and deepening understandings through using the environment as an integrating theme.  Students demonstrated their enhanced understandings and feelings about stewardship of Nose Hill through a variety of art media.  During excursions to Nose Hill, students used journals to record observations.  This articulated with North Haven’s AISI initiative which focused on writing skills.

Nose Hill and Water Conservation

“Using an enquiry based approach to learning and engaging students in learning in the natural world has been a powerful springboard for students to broaden their understandings about water conservation in a cross curricular manner” said Matt Lowe, Assistant Principal.   During the 2007-08 school year, students have had regular excursions to Nose Hill Park with naturalists from the City of Calgary where they have begun making connections between the ecological systems found at Nose Hill and their own lives.  Water conservation questions have emerged for students as a result of their expeditions and classroom learning.  Students have investigated safe, clean drinking water as a basic need. This has led students to organise a fundraising event to help build a well in India.  Efforts to retrofit the school with water saving devices in bathrooms and sinks have been undertaking as well.

Enhancing the Natural Area in the Schoolyard

The North Haven Parent Association built a new playground in the spring of 2007.  Our Parent Association will complete this project this year by planting a variety of native trees to increase the shade in their school yard with the added effect of making the space a healthier and more beautiful playground for students.

Sunship Earth

Grade 6 students at North Haven completed the Sunship Earth program in October 2007.  This environmental learning initiative focuses on in understanding of seven ecological processes:  energy flow, cycling, diversity, community, interrelationships, change, and adaptation.  Students are then guided through a variety of learning experiences that help to change behaviours to lessen our impact on earth, to champion the existence of other living things, and to share their understandings and feelings with others.

North Haven school is a model of integrating environmental literacy into their students’ learning experiences.  The CBE’s Education*Energy*Environment team applauds the efforts of teachers, administrators, parents, and students of North Haven School in advancing environmental stewardship in their learning community.

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Web Administrator: L. Diemert
Last Modified: September 24, 2011