Food Literacy
Growing food, preparing food and sharing food together are long established Evergreen traditions. The Food Literacy Program was started in 2017 and is made possible through a grant from Farm to Cafeteria Canada. Our focus is on both growing food and sourcing food from our local producers.
In small groups, the intermediate students prepare lunches for their classmates. We always harvest something from our school garden and explore the cuisines of the world. We eat everything from Peru to Japan.
The primary students have a Primary Nutrition Program where they prepare healthy snacks like smoothies and energy balls. In the interest of inclusivity, we have an entirely gluten free and vegetarian food program. All students become more adventurous and educated eaters after every school year.
Gardening
Connection with our natural world is fundamental to the Evergreen experience. For as long as we can remember, the school has maintained an on-premise food garden that teaches our students about the skills and joy involved with growing their own food.
There is a year-round program that celebrates all the seasons. Our families are welcomed to take part in the garden program and enjoy the produce from the organic garden.
Themed Learning
For as long as anyone can remember, Evergreen has taken a thematic approach to learning. At the beginning of each year staff identify 8 monthly themes with suggestions from our students, that will be integrated into various subjects, giving them context and meaning.
Past themes have ranged from: Medieval times to Robotics to exploring the worlds oceans, with countless other fun ones in-between.
Music
Students at Evergreen explore music through singing, movement, role playing, storytelling and focused units using marimbas, xylophones, percussion and rhythm instruments.
The focus on acceptance, individuality, and relationships are important to to the program.
Reading Buddies
Students at Evergreen have the chance to pair up with older/ younger students for Reading Buddies. These pairings change mid-way through the year and allow for interconnectedness in the student community and mentoring opportunities such as supported reading and writing activities.
Maker Fair
The Maker Fair provides Juniper and Spruce students (grades 4-8) an opportunity to develop their entrepreneurial skills. Students design, develop and market a product to sell within the school community, relying on their market research to determine if their product meets a need, and to help establish their budgets and prices.
The program culminates in a craft fair where students interact with real customers and earn real money. Since a portion of their profits go to charity, the impact of giving is also explored.
After School Care
After school care is provided by Castle Care and is held on the Evergreen School grounds. Please visit Castle Care's website for more information.