Outdoor Education in our JUNIOR School

Story appeared in the 2013 issue of QMS Connections Magazine.

BY LEANNE SCHULTZ, OPERATIONS & HR MANAGER

Meredith Krikke, Grade 3, “The Outdoor Education trip was really fun. We built shelters out of tarps, sticks, and ropes, and learned how to collect water by using a stick and plastic.”

Grade 6 Students: Maria Rossouw, Willow Paras-Charlton and Kady Singh at Camp Imadene

Each September, the Junior School embarks on its Outdoor Education Program. Students in Grades 1-3 spend the day at Swan Lake, working together and learning about ecology. Intermediate students from Grade 4 to the Grade 7/8 boys class take annual overnight outdoor education trips. Students in Grades 4, 5, and 6 head to Camp Imadene, on the shores of Mesachie Lake. There, they take part in team building sessions and challenging physical activities. One student noted that these unique experiences helped to “discover talents we didn’t know we had. We learned to work together by helping each other to build a shelter.”

The Grade 7 girls and the Grade 7/8 boys class spend three days at Camp Thunderbird, located on Glintz Lake. In addition to trying new activities such as orienteering, kayaking, and archery, students also participate in team building sessions and challenging physical activities, such as high ropes training.

Deliberately held at the beginning of each school year, these trips provide essential opportunities for classes to come together and build trust, setting a foundation for an amazing school year ahead.