THUNDER BAY – When teacher Tanya Gouthro learned she’d be heading back to a full classroom this fall, she wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea.
With the uncertainty of COVID-19 still very much a threat in schools, the Grade 8 teacher at Claude E. Garton Public School started thinking of ways to create a little distance between her students, an effort to keep them safe – not to mention looking out for her own well-being.
On Monday, she got the answer she was looking for, thanks in part to the Northwestern Ontario section of the Canadian Institute of Forestry, which provided 27 tree stumps for students to sit on in a newly formed outdoor classroom at the Current River school.
The project provides plenty of peace of mind, Gouthro said.
“This summer, when we realized we were in fact going to be coming back to school, my first reaction was how do I get them outside? How can I keep myself outside too,” she said. “I really think fresh air is super important and we have a lot it here in Thunder Bay.
“We have a ton of space out here.”
The project has come together amazingly well, Gouthro said, adding she hopes it’s just the beginning.
“We’re doing our best to distance our kids in our classrooms and in our hallways, but I think we’ve all gotten very used to being far from people and not in crowded place. I know that my peace of mind is way easier to achieve out here than it is inside any building, right now,” she said.
Learning can be done anywhere, Gouthro reminded.
“I think these kids spend more than enough time in front of screens. Sitting in front of a white board for the full school day, sitting in one place in this current culture, is tough on them,” Gouthro said. “I don’t want to sit still for eight hours and they don’t either.
“Just the ability to move around will help those brains work a lot better.
Thirteen-year-old Willem Abbink loves the idea.
It’s much better than being cramped up in a crowded classroom all day long.
“It’d be kind of nice, because sometimes it’s really annoying because we all have to wear masks during the day, most of the time,” the youngster said.
“When we’re outside, we don’t have to, so it would just allow us to take off our masks.
Willem also sees educational benefits, acknowledging he’s eager to find out what learning outside is like.
He admitted he might get distracted at times, with so much going on around him, but added it’s also comforting given the set up, in a large field outside the school.
“My peers are a little bit further away from me, so I can focus on my work more,” Willem said.
Karen Saunders, the director of the Northwestern Ontario section of the Canadian Institute of Forestry, said when she was approached about helping put the project together, her members didn’t hesitate to take part.
“It’s National Forest Week and our theme this year is healthy forest, healthy future. Obviously health in general is at the top of people’s minds these days. I think anything to do with getting outside can typically be a healthy thing for people,” Saunders said.
