Growing up Green at Parkdale

Parkdale CLC

This past year nearly 100 children of Parkdale Elementary had the opportunity to participate in a great new program called “Growing up Green at Parkdale”, which had several interesting components woven together.

The heart of the project is the vegetable garden, and a focus on the mutual importance of both healthy eating habits AND a healthy community. We tried to make the garden a non-stressful environment. Through the initiative children got to work along side their friends as well as teachers, including ALL of Parkdale’s French teachers, which was a great experience considering the English dominant environment of Parkdale elementary. The project was a great success exposing our children and their families to healthy habits; which is an identified goal at Les Tables de Concertations (Youth Planning Table) in our region.

During the project children involved themselves by not only choosing which vegetables the school would plant but also planting with their grandparents helping aid in the strengthening of family and community while learning the importance of healthy living with a particular focus on both French and English.

The booming success of this project was a direct result of our collaborative efforts through our various partners that allowed us to apply for more grants and allow this idea to develop. Of those who made the entireendeavor possible as well as successful EMSB, CHSSN, Quebec en Forme, Vert-Cité (Éco-Quartier of St-Laurent) and AREQ du Ruisseau Raimbault  are amongst the most notable.

Also, the highly knowledgeable horticulturalist hired by the Éco-Quartier  and graphic designer Don Royer (for helping with the creation of the Calendar) were invaluable aids throughout the entire project. No partner is greater than another and thanks to the efforts and contribution of everyone involved the children benefit most of all taking with them not only some soiled hands but also the seeds of success.

 Parkdale created two 2013-2014 School Calendars... Click Here to view!

Nutrition - Making Healthy Snacks. - Growing our own fruits and Vegetables

Making Healthy Snacks - Growing our own fruits and vegetables
Nutrition

Parkdale Elementary

Maria Kanellopoulos, a Cycle 1 teacher at Parkdale CLC worked to develop a nutrition project integrated in French, Drama and Art. As students learned about proper nutrition they developed presentations and participated in the planting of a school garden  This project shows how even young students can play a role in promoting healthy communities.

Students walked to a nearby grocery store where they learned about the food groups through a hands-on experience by shopping for supplies needed for a Healthy Snack Day with their parents.  

Then students prepared healthy snacks which included, zucchini muffins, avocado-salsa dip and onion dip for the veggies and a tangy-sweet dip for the fruits. The students also prepared fruit and vegetable brochettes, fruit salad and veggie pita pizza.

According to Ms. Kanellopoulos “The students were inspired and gained a sense of responsibility, self-esteem, and ownership”. At the beginning of May, the students planted vegetables in class.

Using fabric markers, students colored their pizza ingredients on tee-shirts and performed the song, ''Je suis une pizza'', for their parents. Students shared their nutrition book created in class which included all their work.

Many pictures were taken throughout this process and the parents had the opportunity to see the whole process through a photo slide show.  Ms. Kanellopoulos wrote that “Needless to say, they learned so much through this experience and I also learned so much from my little grade 1's”.

Some of the greatest successes of the project included the "real" learning that took place and the sense of community that was created. Families were brought together.  A lesson learned by the teacher in charge was the importance of organization and having a team to work together to pull off this kind of project.

For more information about this project click here.

Books and Breakfast

Books and Breakfast

Parkdale CLC

Jackie Dare, a teacher at Parkdale Elementary in Montreal developed Books and Breakfast, an early literacy project with her Kindergarten classes and parents.  The project took place throughout the whole year with specific celebrations at Christmas, Valentine's day and Mother's day.  Books and Breakfast stressed the importance of literacy and reading to young children as a stepping-stone for continued success in education.

One of her main goals was to implement an open door feeling where parents would be comfortable coming into the school and therefore be more involved in their children’s education and school life.

Ms. Dare felt if she could get the parents of kindergarten students to feel good about coming into the school then perhaps they will continue this trend throughout their children education.

To read more about the Books and Breakfast Project click here.