Learning Story – How can we be a friend to our new friends, ourselves and the Land?
The Week of Sep 12, 2025
What Happened?
Many Bushkids played with the mud kitchen today. They were so creative in their play and
included all of their friends, both old and new to play with them. Since it is so dry, we made
many trips down the hill to gather water from the lake. One Bushkid noticed a tree in which the
majority of the branches had lost their needles, but there were several healthy branches at the
bottom of the tree. When he noticed this, he asked if he could use some of the water that he
had hauled up the hill to water the tree. He also said to an educator: “I just want you to know
that I really, really like taking care of plants.”
Why is it Important?
In order to connect with the Land and to take care of it, we need to give children the time and space to explore and notice everything that surrounds them. Each child will notice something different and connect in different ways. We come together to share what we notice, so that we can learn from each other. The wonder and gratitude that we share with each other grows and builds a love for the Land and a sense of stewardship.
Dene Kede p. Xxxv-xxxviii
The Spirit
Students are expected to recognize powers greater than themselves, appreciate and
respect spiritual forces and recognize and develop their personal spirituality.
The Land
Students are expected to enjoy the Land, become capable on the Land, understand the
Land, appreciate and respect the Land, and be familiar with the Dene history of the
Land.
The People
Students are expected to learn from and respect their Elders, be generous to others,
work with others, putting group needs before personal needs, etc…
The Self
Students are expected to work to maintain integrity in their relationships, know and
respect themselves… be aware of how their own behaviour affects others.
What Does This Mean For Next Time?
The Bushkids loved exploring the Land today and expressed in the closing circle that they
wanted to do this again next week. We noticed and played with lots of plants and several
Bushkids articulated that they were grateful for the trees and plants. Next week, we will continue to explore, identify and notice the berries and plants that are growing at the Bushkids site. We will not eat any on the site, but we will bring some to share that have been picked in areas where it is safe to do so. We will discuss this with the Bushkids during the day, which will
broaden their understanding of the history of the Land that we live on.