Spruce Avenue Junior High

Conservation Initiative: Sustainable Fishing

Sustainable fishing is a critical issue that demands our attention as we strive to preserve our oceans and the livelihoods of millions of people who depend on fishing for their survival. Recently, my class had the opportunity to work together as passionate students who shared a commitment to this cause. Through our collaboration, we learned about the importance of sustainable fishing practices and the detrimental effects of overfishing. One of my students commented, “I never realized how much damage overfishing can cause. It’s eye-opening to see how we can make a difference through small changes in our actions.” Together, we explored alternative methods of fishing, such as using traps and hooks instead of nets, which can minimize the capture of non-targeted species. We also discussed the impact of climate change on fishing and the need for adaptive strategies to ensure the long-term sustainability of our oceans. My students did a tremendous job of making group presentations, and we are planning to continue educating other classes on the importance of sustainable fishing practices to help protect our oceans and the communities that depend on them.

St. Maria Goretti | Grade 1 A & B 

Conservation Initiative: Community Clean-up 

Grade 1 A and B picked up litter around their school on a community walk field trip. The Grade 1 students talked about animal habitats, and what they learned about animals at the zoo. They applied this knowledge to the importance of our Earth being clean (Earth Day being April 22nd) and to the importance of animals having a clean environment/habitat, as essential to an animal surviving and thriving.

As an action, they beautified their school/community by cleaning/picking up garbage, so animals (and humans) could benefit from the Spring Clean-up!

St. Kateri | Grade 4 Students

Conservation Initiative: Gardening, Compositing & Yard Clean-up

At St. Kateri, we are very fortunate to be able to provide our students with three healthy snacks per week to help ensure they get proper nutrition in order to learn to the best of their ability. This program started after COVID were we noticed that students needed some support to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It is important to note that St. Kateri is also an Apple Healthy school. This means that our school is committed to making healthy choices for both nutrition and fitness.

This brings me to the next point, the school yard cleanup. After starting our snack program, we noticed that the school yard was getting to be a mess where some students would not place their wrappers/ snack containers in appropriate locations. On their own, some students started a cleanup squad where they would go out and clean the school yard using bags and gloves that they brought from home. With some help from staff, this group of students were both honoured in a school wide assembly and were giving a leadership opportunity by spreading their group to the greater school community. To date we’ve had over 50 students volunteer their time during recess to look after our school yard.

Finally, as part of the new grade four and kindergarten curriculum, students started a composting program and a school garden. This was another learning opportunity for our students to put their learning into everyday application by composting organic waste from their weekly snacks. Students then used the compost to help grow our school garden. To date our students have grown and eaten the following plants: Kale, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Peas, Cucumber, Beans, Swiss Chard, Peppers, and Basil as part of the school healthy eating snack program.