The third and final School visit in Newfoundland was to St. Andrew’s Elementary school where diversity and acceptance come together to promote safe spaces to learn and grow. Dr. Andy Hargreaves and I had the absolute pleasure of meeting the incredible administrators and educators at St. Andrew’s to discuss the work they have been doing to introduce play into their classroom practices.
With inclusion at the forefront, St. Andrew’s uses play as a way to cater to the whole child and address the diverse needs of their student population!
The School
We were welcomed by the CPSN team; Principal Joanne Anthony, Megan Fleming (Grade 5 teacher), Susan McCarthy (Vice Principal/ Librarian), Caroline Walker (Grade 5 teacher) and Jessica Williams (Reading Specialist). With over 300 students and 25 teachers, this K-5 school embodies their motto “St. Andrew’s where we are safe, loved and learn together”. As our arrival was during Ramadan (the 9th month of the Islamic calendar observed as the month fasting, prayer and reflection), the entranceway celebrated the festival with decorations and lantern drawings colored by students. With inclusion being of high priority, the walls were decorated to reflect a vision of diversity that is seen and needs that are nurtured.
“We want to cater to the whole child” Joanne explained as she walked us through the many ways the school addresses concerns of identity and wellbeing.
Play: A Whole Child Perspective
Prior to the CPSN project, a school-wide initiative was in place for students to access shoes and clothing if needed. The school closet has a variety of clothing items in a variety of sizes, donated and maintained by staff to ensure that children feel supported and equipped, regardless of their background and home-life conditions. Joanne highlighted the diverse student needs in terms of ESL, behaviors, and ability, with many students exposed to challenges with trauma, anxiety, and poverty; many also having trouble with emotional regulation. Play, in this case, was introduced through the CPSN project as an equalizer to create more entry points to students with diverse needs and further the whole-child approach the school has taken to teaching and learning.
The most significant objective of the team’s project work is getting parents involved in school activities as well as their children’s learning, especially responding to the disconnect created through the Covid-19 institutional closures. At the time of our visit, the team had organized two literacy fairs for elementary (grades 3-5, and K-2) and invited families to participate at different game stations. They have also organized a story walk, scavenger hunt and cultural sharing sessions (in association with new Canadians). The team was extremely happy with the level of parental participation and have received feedback from parents indicating that they enjoy these activities. Parents also seem to be very happy that their children have a safe space where they are loved and cared for.
The teachers share how the play activities initiated as part of the CPSN project has been extremely important to them as it was a means for children to engage and play with their parents and share in the safety and positivity of school. They noticed that after their board games initiative, students are taking better care of the games and their pieces.
“If we have learned anything it’s that learning is so much more than engaging the brain, it’s about nurturing the mind, body and soul, and we have found playing to really help with that.”
The Challenge of Change
Contrary to the other schools we visited in the province, the integration of play was a relatively new classroom practice at St. Andrew’s. The team was extremely motivated to create change, however, due to the new pedagogical shift, they spoke about the many challenges they have had to face. Along with limited resources, the teachers spoke about the strategic decision-making they have had to work through as a team when considering how to merge play with the curriculum. As a key driver, the team uses student engagement and wellbeing as a focal point for their planning. The teachers collectively felt that they are improving at integrating play into the curriculum, as opposed to merely using play as a reward, however, spoke of their biggest challenge being the shift from the traditional teaching mindset and slowly accepting that there can be value in other teaching approaches.
When summing up the work they will continue to do on their play practices, Caroline reminisced on the power of teaching.
When creating, supporting and nurturing positive learning experiences, St. Andrew’s shows us the power of educators when they tap into the power of play.
“Teachers have so much power. We forget how much power we have to create memories; positive or negative. This power can really influence how children perceive school and learning. So as part of the project, we want to create positive memories that children will take with them.”
