Tag: grade 9

In early October, the Grade 9’s participated in a four-day canoe trip on Pitt Lake with Voyageur Adventures.

As the girls set out in their voyageur canoes, they really couldn’t have asked for better weather! They set out along the pristine Pitt Lake in five traditional voyageur canoes that accommodated 12-13 people. As they learned how to perfect their strokes, and work together in unison, the girls worked hard to paddle four hours to their beautiful campsite destination.

For the next three days, the girls enjoyed delicious hot meals and entertainment from our voyageur guides, and often ended the evenings around the campfire in spontaneous song, led by the very talented Stephanie on guitar.  

A highlight of the trip was the team building activities organized by the guides. The girls rotated through stations that taught them how to build shelter in the wilderness, how to read a compass and navigate a map, how to work as a team to solve a puzzle and how to build a fire. The girls also received a brief history lesson of the significance of the voyageurs to the development of Canada — a wonderful experiential way to learn a little bit of Social Studies in an outdoor classroom! The girls then got into their canoe teams and designed flags for their canoe names: Bear, Beaver, Spirit, Eagle and Wolf.

For the final evening, tent groups were paired to create a skit that encompassed everything they learned on the trip. It provided for a very entertaining evening, full of laughter and surprises!  Finally, it was time to leave. Although the weather proved challenging on the return, the girls dug deep and worked together to make their way home. For a few days, the girls were able to experience what it was like for a voyageur, to travel into the unknown, to enjoy the stunning scenery of our beautiful province, and the serenity of no wi-fi for three days! As they disembarked the canoes with achy muscles and sleepy eyes, there were many grins and new fond memories. “Voyageurs…salut!”   

Sonia Baldissera
Sr. School Teacher

Our Grade 9’s reflect on their Outdoor Ed experience at Pitt Lake this past October. See all the photos from the trip here.

The Grade 9s went to Pitt Lake this year, with perfect weather and zero major injuries over the entire trip — mission accomplished! I was super stoked to go on a 4-day canoeing trip with 60 (give or take) awesome girls and some amazing guides/teachers. I wasn’t disappointed. The view was to die for and we got up close and personal with a couple waterfalls. I did things I probably never would have done on my own and I am so grateful to the people who dedicated a lot of time to plan the trip and to prepare us for it (thanks Mr. Britt). My favourite parts were swimming in water cold enough to put your body in a blissfully numb state in a minute as well as sleeping under a canoe which lead to sleeping under the stars. Now I can say that I’ve been woken up at 3 in the morning because the moon was so bright. These are memories that I will treasure forever, experiences that I’ll never forget. I would do it again in a heart beat… Can’t wait ‘till the next trip!
Tammy

Eating smores and bannock, seeing only the light of the fire and hearing only the sound of the waves splashing on the rocks. This was what we experienced at camp this year. Pitt Lake created many great memories and was more than just a great photo-op for Instagram, or Twitter. It was a chance to bond with friends, build new relationships, and relax. Paddling for hours and climbing up waterfalls wouldn’t sound terribly enjoyable, but at camp it was. Swimming in the lake and sitting underneath the stars are the two things I loved the most. It didn’t even feel like we were on a school trip. The chants from our canoes, the tendency to feel like we always have to arrive back to the camp site first, and the jokes and endless laughter are also things we enjoyed. Our grade has always been close but I think we’re even closer since we’ve gotten back. Paddling for hours in a canoe is something I never thought I could do but I think that’s kind of the point of camp. To push past your comfort zone.

Pitt Lake was hard work. We were canoeing for what seemed like days on end, we were hiking down forests until every inch of our legs were aching and we were swimming which seemed more like polar dipping than anything else. However, it was all worth it when the class huddled up against the fire to fill our mouthes with marshmallows and chocolate. Pitt Lake was probably the most exhausting trip I’ve gone on yet, but at the end of the day, when we were surrounded by nothing but water and stars, the work you did during the day was very much worth it.
Saskia

View the full photo gallery.