The excitement came from ICE School, the classroom located inside Rogers Place with desks, whiteboards and technology, where elementary classes from the Edmonton area come - with their teacher and a few volunteer parents - for a week of schooling and learning about all kinds of things at the arena. One of Edmonton's Inquiring Minds sites, ICE School allows teachers to follow their curriculum and turn those textbook learnings into real-world understanding using Rogers Place and Edmonton's ICE District.
It's wonderful to see students' curiosity grow throughout the week. They become as wide-eyed as possible when they meet people who work in the venue, including Edmonton Oilers Head Coach Todd McClellan at morning practice, or Tom Cornwall, VP of Construction for Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG). They tour the arena as a group, led by ICE School teacher Diane Gurnham, bringing the wonderful optimism of youth into such a huge building. Mrs. Gurnham is the key to much of the success of ICE School. She has years of teaching experience and engages the students to learn in a fun but respectful atmosphere.
"At ICE School, teachers are given the opportunity to move their classroom into the world of Rogers Place and Edmonton's ICE District. ICE School incorporates site facilities and the provincial curriculum to develop a week of hands-on learning to fit the needs of each class," Diane said. "At ICE School, learning occurs when experiences are concrete, real and meaningful, when connections are made between topics, concepts and skills and when time is provided for observation and reflections using journals.
"To me it is incredibly exciting to see smiles on the faces of the students when they are given the opportunity to meet numerous people within the organization, when they can ask questions and make new discoveries and connections. The best part is children are learning without even realizing it. Who knew math and science could be so much fun! And I bet they never realize that when they are in the Oilers Hockey Hall of Fame or when they meet Hunter that they are really doing their social studies. Students end up knowing more about Rogers Place than most people in the City of Edmonton and can even trick people in the organization with facts they have never even thought of."
Students leave their week at ICE School with a journal of newfound knowledge and memories that last a lifetime.
While lessons around math, science, social studies and the like happen throughout the classroom and arena during the week, Mrs. Gurnham also makes sure students have a little fun which she usually schedules for Fridays. And on that particular Friday, it meant a 30-minute visit with Hunter.
