We will be back in person with students as of June 1, and lots of teachers may be looking to taking their students outside. In June we will not be allowed to do the traditional field trips, but we can take students out into the school yard and to neighbourhood sites.

Transmission of COVID-19 is less likely outdoors, especially if you follow physical distancing rules. Outdoor physical activity makes our immune system more robust, and allows children to move more, play longer and sit less. Under our back to school protocols, we will not be embarking on any official field trips, but you may continue to use school grounds and nearby parks. Check with your administration if you have proper permissions for walking field trips to nearby parks. Burnaby has a website that allows you to check on all closures and precautions in parks.

I’ve put together How To Get Outside Safely in the COVID 19 Era with some precautions about getting outside and a list of links. By May 25, I will be posting some lesson ideas for what you can do outside. Also, don’t forget that our local chapter of the Environmental Educators PSA has the B-Outside blog that gives tons of ideas for outdoor learning.

Starting June 1, I’d be happy to come with you on a first venture outside. E-mail me at donna.morgan@burnabyschools.ca