Close
Skip to Content
HDSB Logo
Main menu icon
I'd Like to...
  • Access eLearning courses
  • Apply for a Job
  • Find Adult and Continuing Education
  • Find My Local School
  • Find Student Busing
  • Get Homework Help
  • Pay Online
  • Register My Child for School
  • Rent School Space
  • Report A Student Absence
  • Request a Transcript
  • Resolve an Issue/Concern
  • Transfer within the Halton District
  • Volunteer
Alerts
  • Parents
    • Absence Reporting - SchoolMessenger
    • Calendar
    • Get Involved
    • Health and Well-Being
    • New to Halton
    • Register My Child for School
    • Special Education Programs and Placements
    • Why Choose HDSB?
    • Before and After School Care
    • COVID-19
    • Halton Community Resources
    • Human Rights & Equity
    • Pay Online
    • Report Cards
    • Technology & You
    • Bus Cancellation and School Closure – Inclement Weather
    • Find My Local School
    • HDSB Mobile App
    • Kindergarten
    • Privacy and Information Management
    • Safe Schools
    • Transportation
  • Students
    • Adult, Alternative and Continuing Education
    • COVID-19
    • Expelled or Suspended Students (H.O.P.E.S.)
    • Halton Cloud
    • Homework Help, Guidelines and Tools
    • Online Resources
    • Student Excellence Awards
    • Virtual Learning
    • Calendar
    • COVID-19 Vaccine Information
    • First Nation, Métis and Inuit Students
    • Health and Well-Being
    • International Students
    • Safe Schools
    • Student Senate
    • Welcome Centre for Newcomer Students
    • Community Involvement Hours
    • Environmental Leadership
    • Graduation Requirements
    • High School Info Night
    • Library Services
    • Secondary School
    • Transcript Requests
  • Schools
    • Adult, Alternative and Continuing Education
    • Distribution of Materials to Schools
    • Information Technology in Schools
    • Program Accommodation Studies
    • Rent School Space
    • School Construction Projects
    • School Hours
    • September 2021
    • Transportation
    • COVID-19
    • Find My Local School
    • Our Schools
    • Register My Child for School
    • School Boundary Reviews
    • School Enrolments
    • Secondary School
    • Transfer Schools within the HDSB
    • Who to Contact
    Image School Listing
    School Listing
  • Learning and Resources
    • Adult, Alternative and Continuing Education
    • Curriculum
    • EQAO Results
    • Health and Physical Education
    • Kindergarten
    • Mathematics
    • Special Education Programs and Placements
    • Arts Programs
    • Elementary Education Programs
    • First Nation, Métis and Inuit Students
    • Innovation in Education at the HDSB
    • Library Services
    • Prior Learning Assessment
    • Summer School
    • Before and After School Care
    • English Language Learners-ELL
    • French
    • International and Indigenous Languages Elementary
    • Literacy and Language
    • Secondary Education and Pathways
    • Virtual Learning
  • Our Board
    • 2020-2024 Multi-Year Plan
    • Administration and Superintendents
    • Budget and Financial Information
    • Contact Us
    • Director's Cut - Videos
    • Halton Learning Foundation
    • HDSB Student & Staff Census
    • How to Resolve Issues and Concerns
    • Livestream
    • Policies and Administrative Procedures
    • Accessibility
    • Board of Trustees
    • Careers at the HDSB
    • Departments
    • Get Involved
    • Have Your Say Survey
    • HDSBcares
    • Human Rights & Equity
    • News
    • Publications
    Image Careers at the HDSB
    Careers at the HDSB

News Details

subnav icon More
Home/Our Board/News/News Details/
Decrease Text Size Default Text Size Increase Text Size
Print Link
Share Link

More in this Section...

  • News
    • Archived Media Releases
    • Archived Spotlight on Schools
    • Director's Cut
    • Education Matters (Parent Newsletter)
    • Media Releases
    • News Details
    • Spotlight on Schools (view story archive)
  • 2018-19 Budget Input
  • 2019-20 Budget Input
  • 2020-2024 Multi-Year Plan
  • A to Z Services
  • Accessibility
  • Administration and Superintendents
  • Board of Trustees
  • Budget and Financial Information
  • Careers at the HDSB
  • Contact Us
  • Departments
  • Director's Cut - Videos
  • Get Involved
  • Halton Learning Foundation
  • Have Your Say Survey
  • HDSB Employee Groups
  • HDSB Human Rights Symposium
  • HDSB Human Rights Symposium
  • HDSB SCERTS Workshop
  • HDSB Student & Staff Census
  • HDSB Student Census
  • HDSBcares
  • How to Resolve Issues and Concerns
  • Human Rights & Equity
  • Human Rights & Equity Advisor
  • Labour Updates
  • Livestream
  • Multi-Year Plan 2016-2020
  • News All
  • Policies and Administrative Procedures
  • Provide Input on Distance Learning
  • Publications
  • Search
  • Sign In

Quick Links

  • Board Meeting Schedule
  • Careers at HDSB
  • Departments
  • myHDSB
  • News
  • Trustees
  • Who to Contact

Page Image
 

Page Content
​​​​​​
  • Schoolyards continue to improve through greening projects that support learning and engagement

    Friday, November 3, 2017
    Media Releases

    Schools within the Halton District School Board are creatively turning their school grounds into living classrooms. Approximately 80 elementary and a dozen secondary schools have made significant investments in the past two years to complete numerous schoolyard greening projects as a way to continuously improve student learning and achievement.

    Requests for schoolyard greening projects are increasing as schools move toward beautifying their grounds to create engaging, inclusive learning environments.

    At Wednesday's Halton District School Board meeting (Nov. 1, 2017), the Board of Trustees received a report for information detailing the numerous projects taking place at Halton schools. Research shows that learning outdoors is an effective form of teaching as students can move around and interact with the environment. Benefits include improved academic performance, enhanced critical thinking skills, the cultivation of curiosity, creativity and imagination, and the development of personal skills such as confidence and leadership.

    ​Schools plan and implement projects that encourage the use of native species.Outdoor learning spaces at Clarksdale, Falgarwood, Escarpment View and Park Public Schools incorporate seating areas and support learning in a variety of subjects such as literacy,music and mathematics, while supporting student well-being. Chris Hadfield, Orchard Park and Joshua Creek public schools have pollinator and sensory gardens that allow students to make connections between their local environment and global environmental issues such as the loss of habitats for monarch butterflies.

    Partnerships are being developed with secondary schools to build small elements, such as cedar workbenches, to enhance Kindergarten spaces. These projects provide important learning for secondary students while supporting elementary schools.

    Initiatives during the past year include:

    ​• Outdoor spaces and seating areas with natural and manufactured shade to support learning

    • Active play areas for older primary students.

    • Increasing tree planting for shade and diversity

    • Food gardens

    Food gardens are a popular choice at schools to encourage healthy eating, build an understanding of food production and waste, and incorporate healthy lifestyle activities. Milton District High School and Maplehurst and Joseph Gibbons Public Schools each have food gardens on their grounds.The food gardens range from small planters in kindergarten spaces to joint community projects.

    “Our Board and schools continue to support changes to school grounds that will enhance the educational experience of students as well as promote well-being for staff and students," says Stuart Miller, Director of Education for the Halton District School Board. “The role of the Board in school ground greening projects is to promote safety and sustainability while ensuring other important and appropriate functional uses of the grounds are respected. We continue to support changes to school grounds that will enhance instructional learning of all our students."

    Greening projects are funded through school-generated funds, special fundraisers and grant awards from various foundations. The Board also has an agreement with the non-profit organization Evergreen for the services of a landscape architect, who provides consultation and design services for schools and serves as a resource to the Board's Facility Services staff.


    For more information, contact:
          Gerry Cullen, Superintendent of Facility Services
          Halton District School Board
          905-335-3663;  Toll-free: 1-877-618-3456​

    ​​​​​

    Board Office

    Halton District School Board
    J.W. Singleton Education Centre
    2050 Guelph Line
    Burlington, Ontario, L7P 5A8

    Numbers

    Phone: 905-335-3663
    Fax: 905-335-9802

    Links
    Email Us
    A to Z ServicesAccessibilityContact UsTransportationFeedbackStaffCareers
    ​​​​​​​© 2022 Halton District School Board, 2050 Guelph Line, Burlington, ON, Canada L7P 5A8, Phone Switchboard: 905-335-3663

    Auto Attendant: 905-335-3665, ​Toll Free: 1-877-618-3456, Fax: 905-335-9802