Athletics and Outdoor Education

Sports include: cross-country skiing, swimming, snowshoeing, volleyball, soccer, hiking, football, basketball, bowling, curling, skating, badminton, yoga, and karate.

For health education, the students discuss, investigate, and research issues associated with healthy living, sex education and the systems of the body.

Our property

We are fortunate to have a beautiful treed location bordered by a farm. We currently have several playing fields, a tether ball court, a volleyball court, and two regulation basketball nets.

There are several good hiking trails nearby, and we are a short walk to Riverlea Park on the Muskoka River.

Outdoor Education Program

Casa

Despite their beautiful classroom, the casa students spend as much time outside as possible.

Casa has their own large, fenced outdoor area with a tent, a sand pit, balance beams, small structures, and an outdoor sink.

The Casa students also spend time exploring the natural areas around the school.

Elementary (grade 1-5)

The elementary students spend a lot of time outside. In addition to the sports and hiking that they do around the school, they also participate in off-site activities, which may include:

• Autumn visit to Arrowhead Park for hiking
• downhill ski day at Hidden Valley
• three days of nordic skiing at Arrowhead Park
• ropes courses at YMCA Camp Pinecrest

Erdkinder (grade 7 and 8)

The Erdkinder students spend a lot of time outside during the week, and they also spend the full day every Friday participating in outdoor education activities. These activities include:

• volunteering (for the local soup kitchen, local farms, etc.)
• training (every two years we try to do: Red Cross First Aid, Canada Boater's Licence, Red Cross Babysitting Course)
• hiking
• canoeing (technique, portaging, rescues)
• swimming
• alpine and nordic skiing
• skating
• team-building games
• bush skills (rescues, fire-building, tarp shelters, quinzhees, etc.)
• climbing and static ropes course (Climb Muskoka, YMCA Camp Pinecrest, Treetop Trekking)
• team sports

Odyssey trips

In addition to their weekly outdoor education activities, the Erdkinders participate in two overnight Odyssey trips each year. These trips are designed to provide a challenging, educational journey that builds relationships and personal strength and resilience.

Normally every two years the trip involves other Montessori students.

Here are some examples of past Odyssey trips:

• 2-night Ottawa trip (question period, RCMP musical ride, river cruise, ninja course, spelunking, hiking, museums)
• 3-night Climate Change Summit hosted by Strata Montessori (with other Erdkinders from around Ontario, speakers, workshops, outdoor education)
• 2-night Algonquin canoe camping trip
• 2-night New York United Nations trip (with other Erdkinders from around the world, meet with UN delegation, NY site seeing)
• 1-night Big East River stand-up paddle-board trip