| Dear Sibylla Kiddle School Families, Recently, I connected with a friend who observed that we spend more time in a climate-controlled environment (aka: indoors) than any generation before us. It is certainly true that most of us spend considerable time indoors. Yet, think about how your mood, temperament, and feelings all change when you spend intentional time outside. Having dinner on a patio vs. in a restaurant has a different
feel. Driving with an open roof or window doesn’t
feel the same as keeping it closed. Walking on an indoor track compared to a walk on the Cranston Ridge
feels like two different activities. Those different feelings are real. Being outside has a completely different effect on our bodies compared to being indoors. Canadian organization,
ParticipACTION, suggests the benefits of being outdoors include: increased physical activity, lower blood pressure, access to improved air quality, improved social interaction, a boost in mood, improved immunity and a decrease in stress and anxiety. With all of these benefits, it is surprising we don’t do it more often. This upcoming week, many of our classrooms will be taking on a challenge to spend at least part of the day learning outdoors. When we learn outdoors, we are not required to learn about the outdoors (albeit, the land has much to teach us). Rather, we can find a patch of grass to sit on while reading. We can write a story while parking ourselves in the shade of birch tree. Mathematical conversations and problem-solving can be just as effective with a light breeze blowing through your hair as it can be sitting in a classroom. The weekend and week ahead have a beautiful weather forecast, what might you do to must simply
be in the outdoors? Sincerely,
Brad Emery
Principal |
