I. General Information
School Name: Quarterway Elementary
School District: SD#68 Nanaimo-Ladysmith
Inquiry Team Members: Dominique Sullivan: dominique.sullivan@sd68.bc.ca, Danica Fontaine: danica.fontaine@sd68.bc.ca
Inquiry Team Contact Email: dominique.sullivan@sd68.bc.ca
II. Inquiry Project Information
Type of Inquiry: NOIIE Case Study
Grade Levels Addressed Through Inquiry: Primary (K-3)
Curricular Areas Addressed:
Focus Addressed: Indigenous Focus (for example, Traditional Knowledge, oral history, reconciliation), Literacy
In one sentence, what was your focus for the year? Loose parts for storytelling and connections to the land.
III. Spirals of Inquiry Details
Scanning: Before starting loose parts at Quarterway, we asked students in Grade 1 and K to tell us a story using a variety of objects.
Students struggled to make (beginning, middle and end).
Focus: We are hoping students will feel comfortable making an oral story in French.
Hunch: Students love to play. Loose parts allow students to play and to talk about their “mind movies”. We wish students to be more fluent in French.
New Professional Learning:
- Attended Loose parts workshop
- Borrowed district early years kits. We saw how much the students enjoyed the loose parts.
Taking Action:
- Staff got together and looked at various kits.
- We wanted kits to match the nature of the Pacific west coast and support Indigenous in primary
- Other kits were purchased as inclusive and collaborative kits for storytelling.
Checking: We created 9 kits. All kits were immediately put to use. Some items where stolen (pirate toy chest) – high interest items). K teachers LOVED the loose parts kits and requested more for the following year.
Reflections/Advice:
- Loose parts were a big hit- All primary agreed to support
- Staff want more kits to be shared with primary that we rotate through
- French District kits are being created
- North Oyster has many loose part kits
- Quarterway has 9 kits – More will be purchased in 2026