FROM THE EDITOR


Tis year, ETFO’s winter issue of Voice is is our environment issue, exploring resourc- es and classroom practices to teach the next generation of activists to take care of the Earth and live more sustainably. On the heels of his participation in COP30 as part of the Education International del- egation, President David Mastin writes, “In classrooms across Ontario, the climate crisis is not a theory – it is our students’ lived reality. Tey breathe it in the haze of wildfire smoke and carry it as anxiety about a future that feels increasingly un- stable. Our duty as educators is to not only


share what we know, but to teach the critical thinking skills and inspire the hope needed to navigate this challenge.” In Te Land as Science, Community and Connection, Gina Marucci writes about


immersing her students in nature to teach the Science curriculum and in order to help them understand how nature relates to their lives. “To witness a tiny living be- ing stretch its antennae to touch a student’s hand is to see connection come alive; a moment of pure respect, curiosity and shared life between child and creature. Tese experiences remind us of the deep connections that the outdoors can foster.” In Critically Tinking About Sustainability, Sarah Lowes introduces Te Sustain-


ability LENSE, a tool designed to help us pause, ask sharper questions and weigh the systems behind each decision we make. “Te Sustainability LENSE isn’t about finding perfect answers,” Lowes writes, “it’s about developing the habit of sustainable thinking.” In a related article, Jen Reid reflects on teaching her grade 4/5 students to use design thinking to imagine and create a sustainable future community that relies on renewable energy. In this issue’s interview, Meagan Perry speaks with Dr. Maria Vamvalis about AI,


education and regenerative futures. “I talk about regeneration as opposed to sustain- ability,” Vamvalis says, “because we don’t want to be sustaining the current systems. We need to regenerate ecosystems using a lens of healing, repair, and restoring rela- tionships. Sustainability doesn’t capture that.” Tese features, along with a curriculum resource that explores environmental


racism and a themed crossword, highlight some excellent resources and approaches for thinking about the environment.


ETFO Executive Members


PRESIDENT David Mastin, Durham


FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT Shirley Bell, Kawartha Pine Ridge


VICE-PRESIDENTS Gundi Barbour, Upper Grand Mary Fowler, Durham


OTF TABLE OFFICER Nathan Core, Waterloo Region


MEMBERS-AT-LARGE David Berger, Kawartha Pine Ridge Manjit Deol, Peel Liana Holm, Rainbow Shideh Houshmandi, Hamilton-Wentworth Heather Latam, Greater Essex County Carolyn Proulx-Wootton, Grand Erie Mario Spagnuolo, Greater Essex County Mike Thomas, Thames Valley Sylvia van Campen, Upper Canada Sharon O’Halloran, General Secretary Lorna Larmour, Deputy General Secretary Sabrina Sawyer, Deputy General Secretary


ETFO Voice Izida Zorde, Editor Sharon O’Halloran, Business Manager Michelle Goddard, Advertising Sales David Beyer, Design Contributors not otherwise credited: Federico Carvajal, Dory Cerny


Member of the Canadian Association of Labour Media (CALM) and Canadian Education Press Association


Indexed in the Canadian Educational Index / Répertoire canadien sur l’éducation


ISSN: 1481-4072


Articles contained herein reflect the views of the authors and do not necessarily express official policy of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario.


Acceptance of an advertisement does not imply ETFO endorsement of the product or service. Advertising contracts are subject to cancellation if members complain.


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4 ETFO VOICE | WINTER 2025


PHOTO BY CHRISTINE COUSINS


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