Friday 11th of March, the whole school was able to take advantage of a sledding outing on the Salève. Everyone was both happy and proud. They could be proud because a group of students (Groups 3 and 4) organised the outing so that the children could have a good time. From a pedagogical point of view, it was a great example of project management, accountability and personal development.
Far beyond the pleasure that spending time together outside the school, in the snow and under the beautiful sun, this sledding outing was a wonderful occasion for the students to become doers, responsible for the project. The students in Groups 3 (CM1 and CM2) wrote letters to request the quotes for the transportation service, the letter for the parents to inform them of the outing and to the chess teachers to cancel the classes for that day. Apart from these written exercises, the most important objective to keep in mind was that the children had to become involved in this project, to work for the community and to use their skills in a practical way.
Group 4 (CM2 and 6ème) contributed to the project as well as they were in charge of making the cakes in the school kitchen for all fifty participants. They were happy to put their hands to work, in all senses as it was an opportunity to put into practise cross multiplication, which is the Maths skills that they are learning in class.
Conclusion:
At our school it is important to give meaning to what is being taught, to anchor children in the real life. When children take interest in what they are learning, joy and involvement are close at hand. Let us not forget the age-old question: What is the point of learning this?
