Children are born thinkers and theorists, and are naturally curious and creative. They are motivated to acquire knowledge and to seek understanding by developing, testing, and refining theories. We believe when children are viewed as strong competent protagonists in their own educational journey, their natural abilities are nurtured and sustained. Therein lies an educator’s most meaningful contribution to learning and deep understanding.

With an emergent curriculum involving an inquiry-based learning approach, students do not wait for the educator to provide answers; instead, they are encouraged to ask questions and are guided to actively seek for answers. They learn about the many resources and tools at their disposal to analyze and solve problems and in the process, discover that frequently there is more than one way to arrive at a solution. As they make observations and collect information, our students quickly establish that learning builds upon previous cycles and there are no endpoints. Project work has direct links to parts of the Ontario Curriculum, but students are involved in deciding how the research unfolds.

Small World & Nature Play

Miniature worlds are fascinating and wondrous for young children, allowing them to be the masters of these little environments, and explore beautiful materials while doing so. 

Small World Play encourages imagination, develops social skills, and creativity while providing so many avenues for conversation and knowledge building. It's also a fun way to engage your child in meaningful play! 

Natural Play… Bringing the outdoors in

Throughout our classrooms many natural elements are incorporated into the play spaces. Natural elements range from timber furniture and recycled tree logs, right through to sea shells and pine cones. Children are encouraged to explore all materials and use them in imaginary play.

Beyond Playgrounds

Let’s get outside. The Village Schoolhouse students are exposed to the natural world. Never has it been more important to get our children outdoors, in the space and fresh air nature can offer. Time outdoors fosters the genuine curiosity that makes learning meaningful. The Mill Run Trail, serves as laboratory for making observations, asking questions, and planning experiments. The larger communal space available for outdoor play allow children to make cross-age connections and provide more opportunities for social interaction.