Students from Horsefly Elementary/Junior Secondary School recently experienced some eye-opening adventures during a five-day senior field trip to Vancouver.
Along with Principal Calvin Dubrey, classroom teacher Rob Kowalski and bus driver Sylvia Laffer, the group of Grades 7-9 students came face to face with penguins, hands-on anthropology, tide pool treasures and a suspension bridge.
The group went to the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia (UBC), the Capilano suspension bridge and Science World where they watched an IMAX film about the Hubble telescope.
They visited the Vancouver Aquarium where they enjoyed the new penguin exhibit and the Beluga wales, and also went to Steveston where the trollers come in with fresh sea food.
The purpose of the trip, said Principal Calvin Dubrey, was to give kids the opportunity to see and experience new things and learn about the ‘bigger world’ around them.
“We started off the trip to Vancouver by driving through Duffy Lake – a new scenic way for most of us,” he said, adding that the group stayed at the Jericho Beach Hostel.
“The weather was perfect: we picked the best week to be down there,” he continued. “We played laser tag at The Laser Dome in North Vancouver, went to the Spaghetti Factory, visited Gastown and did some great beach exploring during low tide.”
He said that the students represented the school and the community very well and that he was very proud of them.
“A lot of the kids haven’t had the opportunity to explore things out of the local area,” he explained. “I believe in opportunity, and also wanted to open their eyes to what’s out there for post-secondary education.”
The trip was fun, educational and social, according to Dubrey, who said that the kids got some unique, ‘hands-on science’.
“We got to meet a lot of new people and interact with them,” he noted. “It was also an opportunity for the kids to see us in a different light – as people and not just teachers.”
The Horsefly students made a great impression at the hostel where they stayed. “There were people there from all walks of life from places around the world, including 80 students from a band group,” Dubrey stated. “There were lots of comments from the hostel staff about how respectful our students were, and the chef, who runs a culinary arts school, said that he was very impressed with our kids – how they always cleaned up after themselves.”
“This was my first time at the Museum of Anthropology, and I loved the big sculpture of the babies with the wood plates,” stated Grade 8 student Kylee Lacey. “I also really liked the big glowing globe with all the continents outlined, and the penguins at the aquarium were awesome.
“And the suspension bridge was really fun – especially the second time around!”
Grade 9 student Nick Farkas said that he also really liked the museum and thoroughly enjoyed the hostel where they stayed. “What stood out for me was Science World: there were so many different things to do and to learn about,” he explained. “I liked this one exhibit about animals, with live animals and pelts. It was seeing science in a whole different way – things you don’t see every day.”
Both Lacey and Dubrey said that big thanks for the trip go to school secretary Kelly Niquidet, who ‘put it all together.’
“Sylvia Laffer did a great job getting there and back safely – maneuvering a school bus through downtown Vancouver. She really made this trip fun for all of us,” Dubrey continued. “Thanks also go to Rob Kowalski, to the students themselves and to the Horsefly community for their support. We did a big car wash as a fundraiser before we went. It wasn’t a nice day and nobody in their right mind would wash their cars on a day like that, but they came out. The kids had baked goods and treats for sale and got really dirty and wet and we made about $570.”
Dubrey said that this is his first year at Horsefly school.
“I’ve always heard positive things about this school and now I get to experience it,” he explained. “It’s a small, rural school that is the hub of the entire community, and the community really takes it to heart.”