The month of December is coming to an end, it is time for us to say goodbye to The Old Year at Woodside and begin anticipating our visits in The New Year. We had a chance to thank Ranger Dan for all his support and knowledge. He has enriched our learning experiences and has been a wealth of information for our learning projects throughout the year. We would like to thank Parks Canada for all their support as well.
We gathered around the fire to share stories and songs. We shared the story of Reindeer Mother and The Sun, a story told on the longest night in Eva’s borough. We learned a bit about Reindeer as well, did you know that it is the Female Reindeer that keep their antlers throughout the Winter? Did you know that it is the Reindeer Mothers that protect the herd and teach the young herd members to find nutritious plants under the snow?
We sang festive songs to Ranger Dan and shared some hot chocolate around the fire with candy canes and marshmallows. Songs in many languages emerged during the festivities.
The children were eager to return to their projects. There were snow mounds to explore and tools saved from the “sculpting studio” to work with. A group of artists incorporated the coals from our fire into their ephemeral art explorations. The children remembered a project when we created ink from coals and put their knowledge into action. One group brainstormed ways to sculpt a sphere from the frozen snow, another group decided to “dig for treasures”. It was inspiring to see how the groups worked together, brainstormed techniques, tested tools in order to create a three dimensional sculpture.
The snow sculptures morphed with the weather, changed with each artists imagination each time we visited Woodside, reflecting the beauty of the ever changing natural landscapes, and the endless variations and opportunities natural systems offer to us learners.
We wish you a wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!
E.M.
