Casa Culture
Each Casa teacher enjoys using themes in their classroom, and these are rich with culture, from mammals or reptiles to the solar system or children around the world. Special activities and exercises are brought into the classrooms and the children are encouraged to bring contributions of their own.
We are very appreciative of special skills and knowledge offered by our parent community, and they often contribute. Every year we have parents help with Chinese New Year, for example, bringing information, visuals, a craft, and food! A father from Iran shared his musical skill on a traditional Iranian drum called the “tombak” with the whole school. Another parent, originally from Louisiana, has generously shared her Mardi Gras traditions with the school, complete with beads and King Cakes for all!
We also take advantage of community resources. Ontario Hydro has given a presentation on safety. We have had a police officer come to talk about stranger danger, and bullying. An individual who takes in abandoned or abused reptiles brought some of his charges to show and educate the children. We have had several demonstrations from the Mad Science group. A dental hygienist taught the children about looking after their teeth, and the milk marketing board gave a wonderful presentation. Last year two health workers on our board ordered a special kit and demonstrated the correct hand washing technique to each class. Of course this is done as part of the curriculum, but glow in the dark powder to show the “germs” you have not washed away is particularly effective! (This exercise will be repeated annually.)
Our grounds lend themselves to nature study. We have birdfeeders up around the school, and the students delight in watching the wide variety of birds that come to dine. The antics of the extremely bold squirrels are especially appreciated! In the warmer weather, chipmunks scurry around, and dart into holes in the hillside.
We see deer on the grounds several times a year. This winter a wild turkey could often be seen wandering around the school, and we rescued a screech owl that one of our students spotted hiding in a playhouse. (It was warmed up, shown to the children, and taken to a wildlife sanctuary). Raccoons have also been spotted.
In the fall and spring, the children love to accompany their teacher down the path from the school to “visit the horses”. Rare Canadian breeds are housed in a fenced area of land. The children gather fallen apples in the fall to feed to them. The horses quickly come to the fence when they notice a group approaching.
Visiting the Sisters next door adds another type of culture to the children’s lives. The School Sisters of Notre Dame are a teaching order of Catholic nuns. Most who reside here have long since retired and are quite elderly. In the fall the children are often very unsure when visiting, and stay close to their teachers. As the year progresses, they eagerly anticipate these visits, and more will approach the Sisters to talk to them
Two or three field trips each year complement classroom themes. In the past, Casa students have visited Mountsberg Conservation Area, Springridge Farm, Dundurn Castle, Westfield Heritage Village, Festival of Lights at the Children’s International Centre, and Hamilton Children’s Museum this month. Children travel to and from the locations by bus.
