Mollie Hickman’s English Literacy Development class from Lester B. Pearson Catholic High School partnered with Lisa Joyce’s Grade One class at St. Brother Andre School for a heartwarming weekly journey. Together, they created a nurturing environment that bridged cultures and languages.
The start of a caring partnership
The learning partnership between St. Brother Andre and Lester B. Pearson (LBP) was established when Mollie Hickman, the English Literacy Development Credit Course educator at LBP, and Lisa Joyce, a Grade One educator at St. Brother Andre, discovered that 70% of OCSB students identify as multilingual learners. Lisa felt this statistic accurately represented her Grade One class. Recognizing that LBP had an ESL program, an opportunity arose to bring these students together.
After reading What Happened to You? by Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey, Mollie considered the partnership further. Her takeaway from the book was how doses of loving human connections heal trauma, and she thought this program could provide love and compassion to both high school and elementary students.
Learning activities that brought students together
The nearby schools took turns visiting each other every week. For many LBP students this was their first time visiting an elementary school, and experiencing the wonderful community at St. Brother Andre had a significant impact on them. For some Grade One students, it was their first chance to speak in their home language with someone else. During these weekly visits, students participated in various activities, including arts and crafts, literacy, outdoor play, dance, and games.
A Deep Learning experience
This learning partnership was rich in character development as students demonstrated perseverance, resilience, love, and compassion for each other. It also provided Deep Learning opportunities for the students when they leveraged digital translation tools, such as Book Creator and Gale Elementary, allowing them to access information in their home language and English.
As students began to discuss their unique experiences from both home and school, they were naturally able to develop citizenship as they explored where each other were from and even taught each other dances from their home cultures!
The healing journey
Mollie and Lisa approached this project with a trauma-informed perspective, understanding that a safe and loving connection can help heal and prepare students for learning.
One of the LBP students involved in the project is currently completing her co-op placement at St. Brother Andre with the same group of students who are now in Grade Two. This has created a lasting connection that continues to grow.
The students participated in Deep Learning experiences, communicating in their native languages, fostering character, and embracing citizenship. As they shared stories and explored each other’s traditions, meaningful connections developed, resulting in shared smiles and bonds that will last.