11 March 2021

St Margaret Mary’s School, Brunswick North, will introduce a ‘Play Pod’ to further extend learning opportunities for its students in Prep to Year 6.

Principal Fiona Dearn says the Play Pod is a purpose-built shed filled with all sorts of spare parts, factory offcuts, wooden planks and other materials with which children can let their imaginations run wild.

‘The children will be able to build all manner of things from rocket ships, bridges, cubby houses, swings, towers, slides – you name it, they will build it.

‘The play-based process leads to all sorts of imaginative games, role-plays and teamwork opportunities to develop explicitly taught learning dispositions such as collaboration and problem-solving, as well as introducing risk management’, she said.

Ms Dearn said the Play Pod program would be available to students from Prep to Year 6 during lunchbreaks, as well as being utilised through class sessions as part of the more formal curriculum.

‘Current research and contemporary practice tell us that students learn best in an environment which is rich in opportunities for exploration and discovery.

‘The Play Pod program adds a rich learning dimension to our rigorous approach to the curriculum fundamentals of numeracy and literacy here at St Margaret Mary’s’, she said.

The Play Pod equipment and operations will be managed by Year 3 and 4 students, providing an additional leadership opportunity in the middle primary years.

The Play Pod will be officially opened by the school captains as part of Open Day celebrations on Thursday 18 March from 4.00 pm to 6.00 pm.

Any families interested in finding out more about St Margaret Mary’s School are invited to attend the Open Day to see the students immersed in a range of activities, have a coffee and meet the principal, teachers, current families and school community.

Families planning to attend the Open Day can RSVP at https://bit.ly/30dTU4y, or contact the school for more information on 9383 6699 or mhides@smmbrunswicknth.catholic.edu.au.