Electoral district of Peel

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[music plays throughout] The Peel District School Board has a long and strong history celebrating over 40 years of environmental, outdoor, and historical based education at its five field centres. The Jack Smythe Field Centre, located just north of the village of Terra Cotta in Caledon, is the oldest and one of the largest of the facilities. The property is located on the Niagara Escarpment with the Bruce Trail winding through the scenic, mature hardwoods. Numerous programs on ecology, science, history and more are offered year round. In spring, the sugar bush is active with classes each day learning about the science of maple syrup – while also learning about how the First Peoples, and the early settlers, made syrup before stepping into a modern sugar shack. In the last few years more and more secondary school classes have utilized the staff and the site for science, geography, and even English studies. With open fields, mature hardwoods and vernal ponds, Smythe is a wonderful resource for anyone interested in fieldwork. The G.W. Finlayson Field Centre, located north of Alton, is found on the southern shores of Caledon Lake near the headwaters of the Credit River system. Aquatic studies in the pristine creek and wetlands on the property are popular for students of all ages, whether studying habitats, diversity, or secondary school biology. Finlayson is also home to the high ropes and low ropes challenge courses. These popular team building and self actualization opportunities are for students and staff groups alike. The high ropes sit 25 to 30 feet in the air. Individuals are capable of learning exactly what one can accomplish. Originally opened in the 1850s, the Old Britannia Schoolhouse, located next to the central board office, was used as a school for 107 years before shutting down. In 1982 it was reopened to provide pioneer and earl settler studies to the students of Peel. Students immersed themselves in history with the help of a schoolmistress, or master, helping pupils learn about life in Peel County well over a hundred years ago. Students focus on grade three early settlers studies and the grade seven and eight dramatic arts unit. However, a grade ten history program has also been developed. Students sit in century old desks and write their lessons upon slates while learning and may even have their eyes open to an antiquated discipline technique or two. Right next door to the schoolhouse is the Britannia farm. In the early 1990s it operated as a working farm program but now offers character education focused on alternative program and special education classes. As well, on the McLoughlin side of the property another sugar bush can be found, specializing in primary programming for kindergarten to grade three in particular. This half-day program is very popular with southern schools and offers a great experiential and uniquely Canadian program to young students. This city based oasis is an excellent place for local high schools to study urban wilderness and even island geography. Riverwood is another gem in the middle of Mississauga, located along the Credit River on the north side of Burnhamthorpe Road. This property is unique in that the elementary focused Education Naturally and the secondary based Exploration Naturally programs are organized by the Riverwood Conservancy in partnership with both the Peel District School Board and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic School Board. These science based programs offer programming that cannot currently be taught at other board field centres since this site offers such wonderful access to the Credit River and other unique habitats. Over the last few years the field centres have also offered many in-school or community based programs – programs and presentations from team building, to stewardship, to careers, to building butterfly gardens and outdoor classrooms. The field centres are a vital and natural resource for teachers in the development of their environmental and truly cross-curricular educational plans. The Peel District School Board field centres – curriculum outside the classroom. [music fades out]