A Sense of Nature Hidden in a School

It is always fascinating when schools have facilities for sports and recreation. It reassures that learning in different areas will take place. Some school may pride about the Olympic-ish gymnasiums along with its facilities. Aside from ball sports and recreations one thing students and teachers often get amused with is the swimming pool. Those who are looking for a place to take longer laps would enjoy a rectangular multi-lane pools. Others would find it motivating to see levelling bleachers and imagine winning in a competition. They are all nice features one could look for in a school swimming pool.

Having said all these, it is easy to overlook that great learning can also take place when a child can experience being one with nature. Learning flows when our five senses are at work. Feeling the coolness of water, a breath of fresh air, hearing the sound of leaves from a wind-blown tree, and the singing of the birds chirping – a sense of nature and experiential learning combined.

That is what you can experience in the swimming pool of STEPS Special School in Thao Dien, District 2. After transferring to a new campus, the school continues to provide avenue for holistic learning to its students. One great example is the school’s pool area. Just as how unique its students are, the swimming pool is shaped not in a perfect square but in a round asymmetrical form depicting a real life body of water, perhaps a lake. Surrounding the pool area are different towering trees that serves as a natural shade to block direct heat from the sun. That is why students can enjoy swimming in the morning or any time of the day.

On one side of the pool is small man-made water falls that includes properly laden rocks where students can also seat to feel the flowing water while learning new things with their teachers. Located beside the falls is a smaller round-shaped connecting pool where smaller kids can easily delight in playing with water. The water is not too warm and not freezing cold but just enough for students to enjoy. The pool is also spacious enough to do different laps for grownup students who wish to practice their swimming speed. Truly this is a true sense of nature put inside a school. How great it is to know that there are schools now that values how we are all connected and learning takes place when we feel that connection the most.

If you are looking for a school that caters special needs, surely you must visit and see for yourself a true sense of nature hidden in STEPS Special School. You can guarantee that your child will grow in different areas of learning and will advance in knowledge holistically by experiencing inclusive education.

For inquiries, you may visit the school’s website at www.steps.edu.vn or like their page in Facebook at www.facebook.com/stepsspecialschool or call the school’s hotline at 097 334 7976.