Learning in Action: Celebrating Curiosity, Connection and Real-World Experiences
Over the past week, our Preschool and Elementary School students have been on the move: exploring, experimenting, performing, leading and connecting. These moments are more than events on a calendar. They are vibrant expressions of our approach to learning: children learn deeply through inquiry, when their voices are valued and when they are given the agency to shape their learning journeys.
Early in the week, the Preschool took part in their Sports Day. Every year, the Preschool team puts together a plan for Sports Day, but each year looks a little bit different. This is because the Sports Day activities are designed with the interests and personalities of the children that are in Preschool. In fact, the children themselves help to shape the event, including creating their own medals! In Preschool, our Sports Day wasn’t just about movement. It was about children experiencing physicality, cooperation and joyful discovery. Even with Sports Day, we see the roots of inquiry through guided exploration and child-centred action.
Our Kindergarten students plunged into an inquiry into the forces that move objects, driven by their own questions and hands-on investigations. Their investigations sparked curiosity and they were keen to share their observations - evidence of budding scientists at work. Tasked with trying to figure out a way to move an object without touching it directly, they came up with a wide range of solutions, including blowing, striking and even transferring energy from one object to another through collisions!
In Grade 1, students planned and ran their own lemonade stand and learning showcase, making choices about pricing, design and communication. This project was a powerful demonstration of student agency, as learners connected classroom skills to a real-world context while proudly sharing their learning with others, including parents, siblings and teachers. The "Stay-and-Share" format is a powerful (and joyful) method of helping families to see what the children have been doing - and how they have been doing it.
The Grade 2 Music and Performing Arts (MPA) showcase gave students a platform to express their creativity and voice. While demonstrating the breadth of their learning from over the course of the year, they also performed pieces that allowed for solos and improvisation. This event highlighted how performance can be a vehicle for student expression and confidence. A big thank you and congratulations must go to Mrs. McMorran for devising this format, allowing audience members to see, not only what the children have been learning, but HOW they have been learning and growing.
Grade 3’s sun safety awareness campaign and popcorn sale merged inquiry and action. Students researched the science of UV exposure, identified a problem in their community and chose how they wanted to respond. Their work reflects the heart of student agency—learning with purpose and taking action. They even managed to raise awareness while raising money for an important cause.
All of these examples carry on from last week, which included the Grade 4 sailing trip, where students could challenge themselves, collaborate and reflect (all of which are key habits of empowered, lifelong learners). And these aren’t the final examples of the school year, either. Just this afternoon, the Grade 5 Spanish students stepped into a local Spanish restaurant, practicing language skills and experiencing Spanish culture first-hand. This is more than a language lesson; it’s an act of student-centered learning, where knowledge comes alive through authentic, meaningful engagement with the world.
Each of these experiences is grounded in the belief that children thrive when they are curious, empowered and connected to the world around them. They remind us that inquiry isn’t a subject, it’s a stance.
Looking ahead, we’re excited to continue offering learning that honours voice, promotes deep thinking and reflects the vibrant drive to make meaning that resides in every student. This is learning in action, and it’s only the beginning!
Upcoming dates to keep in mind
Please check the calendar entries for times/details.
26 May - Grade 2 trip to Farm Stop
26 May - Grade 3 trip to TechFest at RGU
26 May - Grade 5 Band concert (2:00pm, QET)
27 May - Grade 5 trip to Balmedie Beach
28 May - Grade 3 trip to The Aberdeen Big Sing 2025 event at Duthie Park
28 May - KG-G2 Sports Day (1:15pm, upper astroturf pitch, weather permitting)
30 May - Grade 3 Stay-and-Share (inquiry into the Tall Ships visit)
2 June - Preschool trip to Drum Castle
4 June - G3-G5 Sports Day (1:00pm, lower astroturf pitch, weather permitting)
6 June - ‘The Litter Muncher’ performance (KG & G1 at the Friday assembly)
10 June - Preschool End of Year Celebration
10 June - Grade 1 trip to Drum Castle
11 June - Veg Growers’ Club Plant Sale (3:00pm, front of school)
13 June - Grade 5 Moving On Ceremony (8:30am, QET)
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