The following statement was read today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Education:

Schools Take Advantage of Olympic Games Learning Opportunities

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding performance of figure skater and Marystown native, Kaetlyn Osmond, who served as an inspiration for thousands of students throughout Newfoundland and Labrador during the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

During the Games, the Department of Education, in partnership with the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, established a webpage, Follow Kaetlyn’s Journey, where all residents were able to learn more about Kaetlyn and her path to the Olympics. The webpage included photos, recent news, as well as various teaching resources to help schools capitalize on the learning opportunities made possible through the Olympic Games.

Our schools did take advantage of those learning opportunities, Mr. Speaker. There were countless photos posted to social media, demonstrating how students were participating in the Olympic experience. One school held their own Olympic opening ceremonies, wore the traditional dress of various countries, and learned about their cultures. Others participated in Olympic-themed arts, crafts and sporting events.

I had the pleasure of visiting St. Thomas Aquinas in Port au Port in mid-February, and saw first-hand how that school had used an Olympic-themed banner, running through their main hallway, to update Kaetlyn’s progress – and the progress of other Canadian athletes. They also integrated the Olympic theme into their mathematics and language arts classes in ways that clearly engaged students in a new and exciting way.

Meanwhile, students and staff throughout the province were encouraged to use interactive whiteboards, and other advanced technologies, to watch Kaetlyn’s performance during the final ladies free skate program on February 20. Mr. Speaker, with more than 4,000 interactive whiteboards placed in K-12 schools in recent years, along with other technological advancements, students could witness local sports history taking place, in real time, right from their classrooms.

Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues in this House to congratulate teachers throughout the province for the many innovative ways in which they integrated the 2014 Winter Olympics into the curriculum and, of course, to congratulate Kaetlyn Osmond, Canada’s national figure skating women’s champion and Olympic silver medalist in the team competition in Sochi. She is a remarkable talent; a remarkable young woman, a true ‘class act’ in every sense, and we wish her every success in the future.

2014 03 13                                                 1:45 p.m.