How do Materials Support Learning?
At the onset of the school year, the Faculty at Richland Academy met to identify an area of research to inform our practice. Having experienced the impact of students’ exploration with a...
Community of Care
Meagan’s Walk, from a Mother’s Perspective
Today we bring you a moving post written by one of our parents, who was able to join us for our 10th Annual Meagan's Walk at Richland. This walk is in support...
Raising Awareness on World Autism Day 2014
Inquiring Minds is delighted to share today’s post, which was written by one of Richland Academy’s Grade Three students. X.M. read this piece on our morning announcements today, and we are very...
Honouring Universal Children’s Day
Inquiring Minds is delighted to share this post from Ms. Amy Pitt, Richland Academy’s Performing Arts teacher. Richland has been recognized by Unicef Canada as a Rights Respecting School, and today we...
We Can Change the World!
Ms. Amy Pitt, Richland Academy’s Children’s Rights Team Leader and Performing Arts Teacher, has high hopes for Richland students and the local and global community, as they embark on the 2013-2014 school year as the first elementary UNICEF Rights Respecting School in the GTA. Inquiring Minds is delighted to share this post from Ms. Pitt.
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Last December, we announced our commitment towards becoming the first elementary UNICEF Rights Respecting School in the Greater Toronto Area. Administrators, teachers, students, and parents worked hard towards our collective goal through surveys, meetings, workshops, and a symposium. We took on the initiative with full force because we believed in it. It’s amazing what can happen when people come together; children and adults working together for a common goal. This September marks our first year as a Rights Respecting School and I couldn’t be more excited. 
Grades 1-6 elected one member of their class to represent them on the Children’s Rights Team this year. They did this through a blind vote. The Children’s Right Team will meet once a month to discuss Children’s Rights issues inside and out of our school community. Team members will also embark on Peacemaking Circles where they will become proficient at the art of peaceful resolution, an art that they can share with their classrooms and assist when inevitable conflicts arise inside and out of the classroom. 
Our first task will be to synthesize the ideas our school community, (including staff, students, family members, and guests) has written on the Graffiti Wall next to Mrs. Oliveira’s office and create a new school wide charter during our first meeting in October.
Highlighting the work of Richland’s Atelierista and local artist, Josephine Sherman
Inquiring Minds is pleased to feature the work of Richland’s Studio Teacher, or Atelierista, Mrs. Josephine Sherman. Mrs. Sherman shines in her role of Atelierista, and brings her personal experience as an...
Richland Honoured to be a Unicef Rights Respecting School
Richland Academy is honoured to be recognized as a Rights Respecting School (RRS) by Unicef. The announcement was made Wednesday evening by Ms. Sarah Hutchison, Education Manager for Unicef Canada, in front...
Richland Receives Ontario EcoSchool Certification
Inquiring Minds is pleased to share this announcement, on behalf of the Richland Nature Club. Last week, we were joined by Ms. Jocelyn Kennedy, an EcoSchools Assessor. Three student representatives from our Nature...
Educating for Responsible Citizenship Symposium
Given Richland Academy’s Children’s Rights Team leader, Ms. Amy Pitt’s involvement with the Rights Respecting Schools program in connection with UNICEF Canada, she was invited to attend the 2013: What’s Worth Knowing: Educating for Responsible Citizenship Symposium hosted by the education NGO Learning for a Sustainable Future. Ms. Pitt participated in this event with A.P. and K.D. from the Grade 6 class.
This event brought together over 125 senior decision makers in the government, business, and non-profit sectors, as well as educators and students from across Canada. The Symposium mobilized knowledge about the links between formal education and active youth engagement. LSF’s latest youth-designed project, The Our Canada Project, was also launched at this event. The Our Canada Project is an innovative platform for all Canadians to engage in conversations about the future and share their actions of responsible citizenship.
The Honourable David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, addresses Symposium participants
“At the symposium there was a group of young people that built a new website named the Our Canada Project. I thought that this was inspiring because it told me that any young people can do anything if they put their minds to it.”- A.P., Grade 6
Primarily, the questions the symposium sought to address were:
- What do children and youth need to know, do, and value in order to ensure they are responsible, active, and contributing citizens?
- How can formal education be reoriented to meet these goals?
We Dig It! Do You? Richland’s Community Planting Inquiry
“We loved putting our hands in the dirt.”- A.K.After a long winter, we are all in need of some green therapy. To that end, Richland Academy’s Nature Club has been busy preparing...