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What We Teach

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A young girl wearing a colorful floral dress stands at a table, observing a science experiment involving chromatography. Three clear glasses containing different colored liquids and paper strips are arranged on a tray in front of her. She holds a pencil in her right hand while concentrating on the activity. The classroom background includes a blurred view of a wall with educational posters.
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Curriculum

Touchstone’s curriculum is comprehensive and challenging.  All students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 5 have daily classes in literacy, mathematics, science, geography/history, French and phys ed, and weekly dance, yoga, outdoor pursuits, makerspace, and fine arts.

A young girl in a lavender shirt sits at a desk typing on a laptop in a classroom setting, with another student blurred in the background.
Two boys are engaged in building a domino run and wooden ramp structure on a round table. A clear plastic bin filled with wooden blocks is placed under the ramp. The classroom setting includes shelves and workstations in the background, with natural light coming through blue curtains. Other children are partially visible, observing or participating.
 Two young boys sit at a wooden table in a classroom, collaborating on a math activity. One boy writes on a small whiteboard with a marker, while the other observes and discusses. The table has a pencil holder and two pencils. The classroom background includes additional tables and chairs, with a girl sitting at another table in the distance.
A young boy is focused on using a hot glue gun to attach materials to a project made of cardboard and foam on a round table. In the background, another child with glasses observes the activity, creating a scene of hands-on, creative learning.
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Touchstone's Expanded Curriculum

All students, from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 5, engage in a series of project-based and inquiry-driven learning modules throughout the year. These projects offer students opportunities to acquire deeper knowledge through the exploration of real-world challenges and problems. Weeks of learning culminate in public presentations of their work. 


Frequent presentations to classmates and the school community help students overcome their fear of public speaking and demonstrate that they can tackle challenges. At Touchstone, we observe how this confidence positively impacts other areas of their learning.


The three annual learning modules are International Night, the Curiosity Fair, and the GeoBee. 

International Night

International Night is a wonderful showcase of deeper learning with a global focus. JK to Grade 2s learn about a global topic as a class, such as The New Seven Wonders of the World, children’s daily lives around the world, or space exploration. Grades 3 through 5 learn about a world topic they have individually chosen. Students conduct research, build 3D models, and prepare and deliver presentations to their classmates, school community, and families. 

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GeoBee

For the annual GeoBee, students in grades 2-5 study Canadian and World Geography and a series of alternating themes such as the Geography of Ancient Civilizations and Mythology Geography. To prepare for the GeoBee, students study both at school and at home for several weeks. Students learn about the world while practicing important lifelong skills. On the day of the event, families are invited to watch the GeoBee.

Strings of colorful international flags hang from the ceiling, representing various countries. The flags overlap and create a vibrant, festive atmosphere against a neutral indoor background with soft lighting.
A boy stands outdoors on a sunny day beside a wind turbine model made from stacked materials, smiling proudly. To his right, a tripod-mounted camera is set up on the grass, capturing the moment. Trees and a park-like setting are visible in the background.
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This inquisitive student  investigates the effectiveness of wind turbine locations

Curiosity Fair

Held each spring, the Curiosity Fair is a supercharged science fair that includes innovations, experiments, and studies. In the younger years, the class works together on a topic. Past topics have included biomimicry, erosion, sustainability, butterfly and plant life cycles, the underground kingdom of ants, and deep ocean exploration. In the older grades, students choose their own topic to research using the scientific method. After weeks of research and preparation, students present their projects and models to 4 judges from the greater community. Families are invited to attend. Trophies are awarded based on the judges’ recommendations in areas such as depth of research, use of scientific vocabulary and concepts, model or experiment design, and clarity of presentation.

I can’t believe these students are only in elementary school. The learning, especially in the oldest class, is far beyond elementary. 

Dr. Chantal Samson, 2024 Curiosity Fair Judge

French

All students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 5 have French class every day. Through conversations, games, songs, reading, writing, and other activities, our students develop a strong French language foundation that prepares them well for future studies. Touchstone students entering middle school are very well prepared for the French programs.

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 Children wearing blue shirts perform a choreographed dance on stage under dramatic lighting, with a dark background emphasizing their movements.

Wellness

We prioritize the well-being and emotional growth of our students. Our monthly class visits from a school psychologist provide a proactive approach to fostering important life skills. These sessions help students build resilience, develop social-emotional skills, address challenges in a safe space, and equip them with tools to navigate school life with confidence and empathy.

Children climbing a wooden ramp with rope support on a playground structure surrounded by trees, demonstrating teamwork and play.
Two boys paddle a green canoe on a lake, wearing life jackets and hats for safety, with smiles and focused expressions as they engage in the activity.
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Thanks to having a French class every day from junior kindergarten to grade 5, our children were more than ready for the late French Immersion program in middle school. The solid language foundation they built at Touchstone gave them the confidence to excel and embrace the challenge with ease. 

Andrew, Parent

Arts & Performance

We value and embrace the arts. In addition to the art explored and created in the classroom with their teacher, our students learn from accomplished artists in the local community who are experts in their field. Our Fine Arts program is divided into three components—visual arts, music, and theater arts. Our students also have a dance class each week with Marcia Dysart, owner of First City School of Dance.

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colourful children's self portrait made with mixed media of a girl in pink shirt on a pink and blue background with white stars
colourful children's self portrait made with mixed media with a yellow background and green shapes
A group of children dressed in black perform a dance routine on a dimly lit stage with a large, blue-patterned light projection on the backdrop.

Musical/Play

All students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 5 participate in bringing a production to the stage, each year. Students audition for parts, design and create sets, practice songs, help choreograph dances, and rehearse for many weeks before the stage performance.

Makerspace

All students from Junior Kindergarten to grade 5 attend Makerspace, which is a collaborative learning space where kids and adults can explore, ideate, engineer, invent and create. By creating, students connect the different pieces of knowledge they already have and apply their learning in an interdisciplinary way. Kids looooove Makerspace because they have creative freedom and they get to practice problem solving, often with immediate tangible results, in a relaxed atmosphere.  

 

Makerspace fosters an open-ended approach to learning. Instead of “We are going to make fidget spinners today,” in Makerspace, students may be given the question, “What can you create to help children focus?” Students then have the opportunity to design, create, and test their own solutions. Deeper learning occurs because the students are personally invested and are completely absorbed in their work. Cheers can often be heard emanating from Makerspace. 

 

Makerspace alternates between free makerspace and challenges. During challenge weeks, students are given a STEM challenge or a problem to solve. They are given specific materials and must work through the engineering process to solve the challenge. They plan, design, test, make adjustments/modifications, and test again. They work collaboratively to solve problems and present their designs. Makerspace provides kids with a safe space to experiment and fail. This mindset helps build resilience and teaches the students that failure is often part of the learning process. 

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Physical Literacy

Physical literacy plays a vital role in our comprehensive curriculum at Touchstone Academy. Every day, students engage in structured physical education designed to cultivate age-appropriate movement skills. Collaborations with local organizations provide students with opportunities to explore various sports under the guidance of skilled professionals.

A group of children stands in a line on stage during a performance. Some are wearing colorful costumes, such as a lion and a tin man, while others are dressed in bright red, blue, yellow, and orange shirts. The stage is lit with vibrant colors, and the backdrop features large green circles.
The illuminated marquee of a historic theater displays the text "ARTS Showcase" in bold white and red letters, with "November 12" below. To the right, the Touchstone Academy logo, featuring a stylized tree, is shown on the digital display.
A young girl with short blonde hair is engaged in a matching activity at a long wooden table. She is placing cards with colored crayons alongside corresponding French color words, such as "bleu," "rose," and "noir." She is dressed in a cream-colored outfit with leggings featuring a whimsical pattern. The background includes soft lighting and a partially blurred room with shelves and furniture.
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• Yoga •  Mythology • Camping •  Dance •  Flag Rugby • Astronomy •  Musicals •  Green Energy •  Public Speaking •  Ancient Egypt •  Electricity •  Molecular Structures •  Ecosystems •  Meteorology •  Robotics •  Hands-on Math •  Theatre •  Chemistry •  Poetry

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An elderly man with white hair and glasses is engaged in a conversation with a young girl wearing a black dress at a science fair. The girl is presenting her project on Alexander Fleming, displayed on a trifold board with pictures and text about his contributions. The board is set up on a wooden table, and there are other projects visible in the background, along with overhead lighting and a welcoming atmosphere.
A group of children is engaged in a hands-on papier-mâché activity around a table. They are dipping strips of paper into a bowl of paste and layering them onto a structure covered with plastic wrap. The children are smiling and focused, with their hands messy from the paste, creating a lively and collaborative atmosphere.
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