CALEDONIA – “Providing variety and new experiences is important to our rural students who may not always have the opportunities to experience such trips,” says Cameron Strong, vice-principal at North Queens Community School in Caledonia.
On March 26, the school hosted three school trips in the junior and senior high school, on a day dubbed Spartan Explore Day, after the school team’s name.
This was the first organized event where teachers, administration, and staff worked together to create a variety of trip experiences, says Strong. Although there had been many class trips in the past, the focus on this day was science, arts and physical education. Students went on one of these three class adventures.
The first focused on fun and fitness in Bridgewater. Over 40 students participated in physical activity at the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre, where they had the choice of swimming or skating. Following lunch, students went bowling at Bowl-More Lanes. They then returned to the school to round out the day with outdoor activities and interactive games.
The second group of students had an Art Attack day, says Cameron. Junior and Senior high students travelled to Halifax, where they experienced a day exploring creative expression. Students painted tiles at the Clay Café, and after lunch, visited Neptune Theatre, where they received a tour of the theatre, and some very interactive lessons in improvisational acting.
“Student feedback was positive, and the improv was especially well received by the kids,” says Cameron.
The third group of students explored science with a visit to the Body Worlds RX exhibition at the Museum of Natural History. The focus was on human biology and learning more about the human anatomy in a very real and up-close manner. Students were able to visualize various systems of the human body, such as the circulatory system, muscular system, and reproductive system.
“A large part of these trips is promoting exploration of new skills, in new environments, which includes physical activity, communication, team building, and engagement with our greater community,” says Cameron.
All three trips were well received and the school plans to organize a similar trip in early June to further enhance the students' educational experience, says Cameron. The trips serve an important role connecting a variety of curricula in real world applications not often available to the students, he added.
These trips are financed through various grants focused on supporting student activities in the school.
