This week I enjoyed spending time at our 3 Outdoor Education experiences. Outdoor Education is a really important part of the New Zealand Curriculum and provides many opportunities for 'rich' learning to take place.

Why is Outdoor Education an important part of the New Zealand Curriculum? 

Outdoor education provides an opportunity to enhance the well-being of individuals, groups, and communities by involving them in activities that foster enjoyment, adventure, and challenge. 

Outdoor education also promotes self-discovery and the skills of living and co-operating with others. 

The personal, physical, and social skills that are learnt can enhance enjoyment of life!

Evidence suggests learning outside the classroom can help raise achievement, improve  behaviour and the engagement of learners. An extensive report published by Ofsted (our equivalent of the Education Review Office) found learning outside the classroom contributed significantly to raising standards and improving pupils’ personal, social and emotional development. 

What did I observe over the 3 days of experiences:

• Learners willing to have a go at new experiences (despite feeling nervous and anxious at times).
• Learners demonstrating GRIT when an activity was hard and challenging.
• Learners adjusting well to a new environment.
• Learners supporting and encouraging each other.
• Most importantly, learners having fun.

As a team we have already started reflecting and reviewing these experiences and discussing further ways we can experience learning outside the classroom at LWG.

What can you do in order to support what is happening at school? We acknowledge that your lives are busy however try scheduling in at least one experience every weekend that involves making the most of our local environment.

This will have a really powerful effect on your child(ren's) ability to share their learning with others either through oral language or writing. 

Below is a list of local experiences you may consider going on with your whanau. As you will see many of these are free.

https://www.christchurchnz.com/christchurch/family-fun/family-fun-that-is-easy-on-the-pocket/

A huge thank you to all our parents who assisted with these experiences. We really appreciate your help. I also want to acknowledge our staff for all their awesome organisation.

Have a great weekend getting out and exploring our local environment!

Regards

Sean | Tumuaki

principal@lemonwoodgrove.school.nz