Educator Information

Registration is now closed and confirmation forms have been sent out. If you have not received your confirmation, please contact the Water Festival Coordinator.

Busing will be paid for. The Water Festival Coordinator will organize the busing and send you the busing confirmation in May. The bus will pick your students up at 9:10 am on the day of your visit and will leave the Festival site at 1:45 pm.

The Water Festival features more than 45 activity stations based around five themes: water conservation, water protection, water attitude, water science and water technology.

All activities:

• Are connected to the grade 3, 4 or 5 curriculum in ways that help students to achieve the desired expectation (Science & Technology, Social Studies, Physical Education);
• Are designed to be as hands-on and experiential as possible in order to enhance and personalize the learning;
• Provide for holistic learning in an environment that demonstrates the integration of people, phenomena and ideas;
• Are geared to the interests, abilities and special needs of learners; and,
• Reflect the beliefs that guide education – accountability, quality, equity, partnerships and a safe environment.

The cost to attend the Festival is $6/student for the entire day.  Teachers and supervisors are admitted free of charge.  Payment is due at or before the Teacher Orientation Session. In the case of cancellation of the Festival due to severe weather, all efforts will be made to reschedule classes to an alternate day of the Festival. If accommodations cannot be made, schools will be refunded $5/student.  An administration fee of $1/student will be not be refunded.

Buses will be organized by the Water Festival Coordinator and a bus confirmation will be sent to your school in May.  If you are in need of a wheelchair accessible bus, please contact the Water Festival Coordinator.

How the Festival works:

The Festival will be held at the Fanshawe Conservation Area and Fanshawe Pioneer Village.  The Festival is mainly outdoors, with some activity stations in buildings or tents, and will be held ‘rain or shine’.  Students will move around the site in small groups of 5 to 6 students with a teacher or supervisor, visiting whatever stations they choose. Each group will typically visit 10 – 15 activity stations. The capacity of the Festival is set at 800 students per day.

Students are encouraged to bring a litterless lunch that they can enjoy from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.  Musical entertainment will be provided for the students’ enjoyment.

Teacher Orientation Sessions:

It is strongly recommended that each teacher attend one of the one-hour Teacher Orientation Sessions scheduled for:

• Thursday, April 22, 4:30 p.m. at the TVDSB Education Office, London
• Wednesday, April 28, 4:30 p.m. at Regina Mundi Secondary School, Library, London
• Thursday, April 29, 4:30 p.m. at Woodstock Collegiate Institute, Woodstock

At the Teacher Orientation Session, you will learn more in depth information about what to expect, and how to prepare for the Festival.  You will also be provided with an “Activity Scheduler”, a Festival map and a package of environmental resources that you can use in your classroom before and after the Festival.