The construction of phase 2 of the North Haven Learning Grounds is now complete! Many thanks to everyone to contributed to this amazing project's success. It has made such a difference to the school yard and the larger community. Before and After Photos
0 Comments
The North Haven Learning Grounds received some very exciting news this weekend. We have been selected to receive $125,000 through CFEP (Community Facilities Enhancement Program) from the Government of Alberta. This is huge news for the Learning Grounds, and means that Phase 2 of the project can proceed.
Everyone who contributed to phase 1, were instrumental in the win! CFEP is a matching grant, which means we needed $125,000 in hand before it could be doubled. Our imaginations are going wild thinking about Phase 2, with a focus on extending accessible pathways and creating shade by planting trees. With the CFEP win to boost our efforts, we also hope to complete an additional planting area near our amazing three tier stone amphitheater, and need some help to reach this goal. Please help us with Phase 2 of the North Haven Learning Grounds. Tax deductible receipts are available with contributions, donation link below. We are also still set-up within Benevity as a project under Parks Foundation. Funds take about 3 months to receive through Benevity, so it would be a great time to donate prior to summer construction. https://northhavenparentassociation.weebly.com/donate.html The North Haven Learning Grounds phase 1 is now complete and the report is now available to view below. The Learning Grounds Committee is now hard at work planning phase 2. More updates to come! View North Haven Learning Grounds Phase 1 Report
As you may have seen by now, the North Haven schoolyard has been transformed!
We celebrated the transformation with a Grand Opening event in early October. Students, staff, parents and community members were honoured to have a Knowledge Keeper present to speak of the importance of community and our connections to the land. He also blessed the Learning Grounds with an offering of sage. Students delighted the group with a song adapted for the occasion and ending in a “wolf pack” howl. The staff and students at North Haven school began the project in April 2021, a relatively short time to transform a bare grassy slope into an outdoor amphitheater featuring native trees, shrubs and an accessible pathway to allow for use by all of our community members. The idea of community and belonging is further expressed through the beautiful wolf cutouts along 48 Avenue. These were created during an artist residency with the students by our North Haven neighbour, Indigenous artist and business owner, Chance Bellegarde of Redman Customs. The wolves are a visual acknowledgement of residential schools and Indigenous history, and the importance of belonging within one's community. Students were involved from the beginning, with Ms. Hastie, our Grade 5/6 teacher taking the lead in connecting curriculum to the project. Students surveyed the schoolyard, and developed design ideas that were voted on by the entire student body. With these ideas as a guide, the Parent Association was tasked with bringing the project to life. Over the course of the past year and a half, a committee of parents, working closely with the school administration, secured project funding and commissioned a design based on the students' chosen concept. We watched with growing excitement as construction took place over the summer. The generosity of so many people who gave both time and money was humbling in its magnitude. The North Haven Parent Association,supported by students and school staff, will continue to monitor and maintain the Learning Grounds. We also plan to expand the project as funding allows. Phase 2 will extend accessible pathways, and add planting for shade. We invite all our neighbours to come and enjoy the North Haven Learning Grounds. Bring your family, friends and neighbours, take the opportunity to reflect on the meaning of community, belonging, and being within the landscape of our corner of Calgary. Finally, thank you! Sponsors from within and beyond the community are celebrated with a banner on 48th Avenue. To all of our volunteers, donors, staff, and students - all those who supported the project - thank you for being part of our community, and supporting the Learning Grounds as a place for all. We’ve really done something special here. - The North Haven Parent Association - Learning Grounds Committee The North Haven Learning Grounds has been a busy place this summer and phase 1 is now complete. Many thanks to all the many volunteers who helped us get to this point and all the much needed donations. In addition to all the hard work by our North Haven Learning Grounds Project Committee, we also had volunteers come out to the site to help on two different weekends. First, our volunteers helped plant all the bushes and shrubs. It was great to have so many students from the school be able to contribute! The next weekend, volunteers helps move and spread the gravel for the pathways. Just in time for school the start, the fences surrounding the learning grounds came down and the North Haven Learning Grounds was ready to be enjoyed.
The Wolf Mural Installation is now complete and it looks amazing!
Thanks so much to Chance Bellegarde from Redman Customs for leading the students through the mural creation this spring! You can find this mural at the intersection of North Haven Drive and 48th Avenue NW. We are excited to announce the construction of the North Haven Learning Grounds. After more than a year of fundraising, meeting, coordinating with landscape designers, and considering forward planning, our project has been approved.
The North Haven Learning Grounds is a schoolyard naturalization project located at the heart of our community. The project will be a gathering space for North Haven students and families, generating collaborative and equitable environments for our diverse community population. It will instill pride in students, parents, grandparents and future North Haven students. It will provide learning opportunities, rich opportunities for active living, and develop a sense of belonging as “Part of the Pack”, which is the school motto chosen by students in 2021. The project is located at a main entryway to North Haven Community with high visibility to passers-by. The location is accessible to students during outdoor breaks and learning opportunities and to community members during evening and weekend walks. The North Haven Learning Grounds has already connected to the school community through curriculum links including design creation by Grade 4-6 students and voting on student designs by the student body. The first stage of the project was completed last year in June with repairing raised beds at the school entryway, generating awareness and excitement for the Learning Grounds, particularly after receipt of the LSF Action Fund Grant ($400) used to purchase soil placed by students in mid-June. In the coming days, you will see our beautiful new mural mounted on the North fence. This mural is part of the learning grounds project and was led by local artist Chance Bellegarde. Students and staff at North Haven school would like to extend our sincerest and heartfelt thanks to the parents who dedicated themselves to this project this year. Without you, we would not be seeing this success! To learn more about the project and the donors for whom we are so grateful please visit the project page: https://northhavenparentassociation.weebly.com/about.html Finalized Design for Summer 2022 ConstructionWe now have our finalised design for what will be completed this Summer! We have had to make some adjustments to ensure that construction could begin on time. We are very excited to see this begin to take share in only a few weeks! Upcoming Fundraising EffortsBottle Drive - the North Haven Parents Association is hosting a bottle drive at the Community Centre on June 22nd from 3-6pm. All money collected will go to the North Haven Learning Grounds Project. Please help make this effort successful but asking your family, friends and neighbours for their bottles as well!
Bottle Donation - The North Haven Community Centre has generously donated their bottles from July and August to the North Haven Learning Grounds. If you would like to contribute your own bottles before or after the bottle drive, the North Haven Parent Association can now be found on Skip the Depot - https://app.skipthedepot.com/nhpa. All skip the depot donations will go to the North Haven Learning Grounds Project. Garage Sale - Sandra, one of our North Haven parents has been organizing a garage sale during the North Haven Parade of Garage sales (June 18th 9am-1pm). If you have things you can donate to the sale or are able to take a shift at the table, please let us know! Watch for the sale across the street from the School! By Addyson Aho and Hunter Widdifield
North Haven School gets the chance to make life sized wolf murals with Mr. Chance. Mr. Chance is a Cree artist who is going to help us make each class a mural masterpiece. Each class of North Haven School got a handout with a wolf on the front and were asked to draw a mural to represent the community and things we have done to help the school and community. All of the students got a say in their class’ final wolf. Each student made their own wolf with things they have done and think about that represent community, belonging and helping one another. Our wolves are an acknowledgment that our school is welcoming unlike the way residential schools were for Indigenous children. When each wolf was done, the class voted on a wolf and took the ideas from that one wolf and made the class' final wolf with the feedback of all class members. Mr. Chance will help the students turn each final wolf into a wooden life size wolf to put on the school fence. “ I want to see if it will catch the neighbours' eyes when they drive by.” Brady stated. He thought it would be interesting to have a piece of art everyone could see. The school is excited to see the finished product on June 10th and wants to see what you think of the finished project. The North Haven Learning Grounds project continues with final review and CBE approval expected shortly after time of writing, in early April.
To allow time to raise funds, the project has been split into two phases, with installation of Phase 1 planned for this summer, and installation of Phase 2 expected in the summer of 2023. Phase 1 is focused on the area to the northwest of the school building and will cost an estimated $135,600. Construction will begin this year (summer 2022) and includes: Outdoor classroom with boulders Accessible pathways Boardwalk Naturalized meadow Planting Phase 2, with planned installation in the summer of 2023, is focused on the area to the northeast of the school by the swings and the playground with an estimated additional cost of $195,000. Over $110,000 has been raised through grants and fundraising efforts thus far, significant progress towards the expected $330,000 budget. We are currently seeking additional project sponsors and accepting donations on our website – all donations over $20 are eligible for a tax receipt thanks to our partnership with Parks Foundation Calgary. Recognition opportunities are available for major donors - reach out to the Learning Grounds Committee at [email protected] to learn more! Thank you to our generous sponsors - • Parks Foundation Calgary • TD Friends of the Environment Foundation • Enbridge Fueling Futures • Field Law • Calgary Foundation • Tree Canada • LSF Action Fund Donation details, full colour designs, and further information are available on the North Haven Parent Association website, www.northhavenparentassociation.weebly.com. - The North Haven Parent Association Learning Grounds Committee |
Next Parent Association Meeting:
Tuesday April 4, 6:30pm In person in the learning commons (library). All parents and guardians of North Haven students are welcome. No volunteer commitment is required. FundraisersLearning GroundsAbout UsWe are the Parent Association at North Haven School. Our purpose is to raise funds for school programs and equipment that would not be funded otherwise. Archives
October 2023
|