Taking the classroom outside

Prairie Sky School (PSS) wants children to nourish their sense of adventure and curiosity so it takes an alternative approach to education.

On April 5th, rather than explain what they do, the school let parents and prospective students experience it with its Connection Camp.

“A lot of what we do is land-based learning and hands-on learning. So the Connection Camp is a fun way to make people excited about learning in a new way,” said Candyce Bakke a PSS board member and parent.

The private, independent elementary Regina school has been incorporating non-traditional ways of learning since opening 2008.

“Having fun while learning is a big part of the core values at Prairie Sky School,” said Bakke.

The Connection Camp is an immersive, full day family event that blends land-based learning, arts, sensory exploration, movement, and confidence building.

“I think we’re stuck on learning be something where we have to go to school and get grades that are XYZ, but we’re focused on the experience and having fun and the connections that are created,” she said. “It’s like a family.”

The extensive experiences offered during the camp include: storytelling and creative writing; cattail doll making; a smudge ceremony; math and literacy games; breathwork; and confidence building.

“I think we can get stuck on screens and in cycles of doing what our responsibilities make us do,” said Bakke.

“There’s a lot of anxiousness in our youth today. We have practices of natural regulating when you’re feeling anxious. People can move through many emotions we don’t understand, so breath work and mindfulness is a big part of (PSS).”

Bakke said that 63% of students at PSS are Indigenous.

The kindergarten to Grade 8 school has philosophies of nature-based and hands on learning, multi-age classrooms to encourage collaboration and emotional growth, child-led learning to encourage curiosity, and small classes with a 1:18 teacher to student ratio.

Tuition for the private school runs $5,950 to $7,950 for kindergarten students, and $5,950 for grades 1-8. Out of province and late-enrolment students will pay $15,000 per yer.

Bakke said they are looking for community partners to support those who might not be able to afford the school. She said the school has more than 60 spots available for the next school year.

She said their holistic ways of learning can illuminate greatness in a child.

“When we keep people in a box, and have to learn the same way, it can dim other’s lights. If we’re forcing children who aren’t learning in a traditional classroom to stay in a traditional classroom, they’re going to struggle. They’ll diminish their light that could be shared with the world.”

Students attending the school report a confidence shift, said Bakke, and are more likely to share who they are, and have better communication and eye-contact.

“You’re out in nature, learning math with sticks on the ground. It’s not the same as a classroom experience. These memories are what is being created,” said Bakke. “We’re trying to give our kids that chance to be connected with nature so they maintain that balance in the future.”

More information on Prairie Sky School is available on its website.