News & Announcements
Catch up on news, events and trending topics at Oak Learnrs.
A Natural Way to Learn
On a beautiful spring afternoon in mid-May, we noticed that our local park was blanketing in gorgeous yellow dandelions. The fields of green and yellow seemed to stretch forever, providing us an opportunity to reflect on the absolute beauty of the natural world around us.
Creating a Culture of Inclusivity: How Our School Values Diversity and Equity
At its core, inclusivity means recognizing and valuing the diversity of our students and ensuring that each and every one of them feels welcome, supported, and included in our learning community. This includes students of all races, ethnicities, religions, genders, sexual orientations, and abilities.
2022-23 Diversity Unit: North America
Students in our class each chose one spirit animal or First Nations image to paint. Following a “paint by colour” template, the children painted with traditional native American colours (black, red and blue) to form an image.
The Healing Power of Music: How Learning an Instrument Can Improve Mental Health
Music has been used as a form of expression for centuries. It is a powerful tool that can convey emotions and feelings in both a verbal and non-verbal setting. Learning to play an instrument allows individuals to express themselves in a limitless creative way, providing a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment. This is especially important for children and teenagers who may struggle expressing themselves or have many stressors and anxiety in their life.
Spring Wonder Walks
The weather is getting warmer and the sun is shining brighter and it helps us all feel a little bit better each day. It’s the perfect time to get outside and take a walk!
How Small Class Sizes can Help Children Prepare for High School
As parents and educators, we all want our students to succeed in high school and beyond. At Oak Learners, we believe that small class sizes play an integral role in preparing students for success in their academic journey. In this post, we will explore and outline the benefits of smaller class sizes and how they can impact high school preparation.
How to Pick the Right Summer Camp for your Child
Summer is just around the corner and parents, it’s time to start thinking about summer camps for your kids. With so many options available both locally, and around the GTA, it can be overwhelming to choose the right one for your child. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! In this post, we’ll guide you through the process of choosing the perfect summer camp for your child that will ensure their best summer yet.
21st Century Literacies and Evolving Pedagogy
“If we teach today the way we were taught yesterday, we aren’t preparing students for today or tomorrow.” Curriculum and educational pedagogy have...
Top 10 Skills Middle Schoolers Need to Learn
Middle school is an important period in a student’s academic journey as it lays the foundation for future success in high school and beyond. During this time, students are faced with new challenges and responsibilities, and it is essential for them to develop certain skills to ensure their academic success. Here are the top 10 skills middle schoolers should learn for school success.
Local Hikes and Hidden Gems for Family Fun
Winter lockdown doesn’t have to mean endless screen time and being stuck indoors. There are plenty of ways to get outside and explore the amazing secret hot spots of nature, art and culture that South Etobicoke has to offer. Here are my top 3 local hikes to explore with my own family and our students at Oak Learners!
Partner Showcase: Little Rebels
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Pink Shirt Day Fundraiser 2023 – Oak Learners
Pink Shirt Day is a day of awareness and inclusion that takes place annually in Canada to inform and take a stand against bullying. This year Pink Shirt Day is Wednesday, February 22nd. At Oak Learners, we believe that it is important to take part in this day to promote kindness, acceptance, and to highlight the importance of inclusion and community.
Resources & Activities
Learn at home with ideas, activities and helpful content from Oak Learners.
Oak Learners and LEGS – A Perfect Match!
Oak Learners is proud to have developed a partnership with long-time members of LEGS (Lakeshore Environmental Gardening Society), a local...
Truth and Reconciliation – Orange Shirt Day
Truth and Reconciliation Day is approaching on September 30, to honor the Survivors of Residential Schools and the Native Community. Oak Learners is...
Oak Learners Arts and Adventures Summer Camp 2022
The Oak Learner’s summer didn’t stop at the Eco Adventures Camp! We also had our Arts and Adventures Camp running for 8 weeks in Summer 2022. The...
The Oak Learners Eco Adventures Summer Camp 2022
Oak Learners had another amazing summer! Our Eco Adventures Camp focused on themed activities, and most importantly, the entire day spent outside! ...
The Benefits Of Summer Camp For Your Children
Kids that are more active in summer camp learning, exploring nature, and having memories at camps tend to develop lifelong skills that can be carried over into many aspects of their life.
Back to School 20% Off with Mabel’s Labels Fundraising
Looking for school supplies going back to school, summer camp, or for extracurricular work? Look no further! Mabel’s Labels Fundraising back-to-school sale on all school label packs starts now until the end of July!
Squash Exploration
Comparing and contrasting food is a great way to ask exploratory open-ended questions about how a food engages our senses and later transition to questions on taste. Encourage curiosity and critical thinking by listing observations and making predictions about the squash varieties before you start cooking. Here are some examples from our recent Urban Farming & Cooking Class:
Personalized Guacamole
The key to promoting open-mindedness and excitement over trying new foods with kids is providing them as much control and decision-making power as possible. Trust is reciprocal, and as your child feels trusted with decisions and contributing to the cooking process, they’ll feel like they can trust the space to openly assess how they taste something
Baked Zoodle Cups
Zoodles are an accessible way to put your child in charge of the meal’s main event, while making something visually interesting and with a firmer texture then sliced or chopped options. Engage in some sensory exploration by challenging them to make and find the longest zoodle they can, and count the rings remaining on the end of a spiralized zucchini. This recipe is as great for exploring tastes as it is for enhancing fine and gross motor skills!
Snowflake Cooking Coleslaw
The versatility of cabbage when cooking with kids cannot be emphasized enough. Whether you’re lighting roasting or sautéing the leaves to introduce some oil and salt tastes, searing cabbage-steaks to absorb some Dijon and maple flavours, or munching on it raw in this egg-free coleslaw recipe, kids have ample opportunities to focus on the many ways it can be prepared and their reaction to the variations, rather than deciding the foods merit based on one flavour profile.
Music Lessons – Oak Learners Class Showcase
Oak Learners is dedicated to inspiring minds through Arts Education and our Love of Music! We offer a supportive learning atmosphere, working with your child’s unique learning style to inspire their strengths and interests.
Private music lessons are available to learners of all ages from young to old in a variety of disciplines, including Piano, Guitar, Voice, Ukulele, Drums, Percussion, and Composition.
Oak Learners Classroom Teacher Interview – Maggie Robertson
At the heart of Oak Learners are the teachers that work with students every day to create an environment for the learners to excel with every project, task, and endeavor they complete. We wanted to interview some of our teachers to see their perspectives on their teaching field, get to know them better, and see what inspired them to become a teacher. The first interview we did is with Maggie Robertson, a teacher at Oak Learners wanting to share her experiences! Enjoy!