ST ANTHONY’S Catholic Primary School students ditched their desks and embraced the outdoors last week in celebration of international Outdoor Classroom Day.
The global initiative saw students from reception to Year 7 classes take their normal learning into the school yard and reap the benefits of outside study.
Year 2-3 teacher Jo Patterson said the event encouraged people to use the environment to teach rather than the traditional classroom model.
“Outdoor Classroom Day inspires outdoor learning and play,” she said.
“With the redevelopment we have undergone outside, the whole point of the space is that it is an outdoor learning space, not a playground so much.
“We are celebrating that we have that space out there and are using it as a classroom.
“The architects, when they were designing it, were very intentional about it being about learning.”
Ms Patterson said students undertook normal learning activities for the event that were easily transferable outside.
“Another thing they are doing is more student led learning today, so they are finding that aspect of nature they are curious about and doing some research and working on that.
“It’s not just really taking that stock lesson and doing it outside, it’s more about trying to engage with the space a little bit more and inspire the children’s curiosity about nature and the way things are.”
