Trip to Gray Bay and Surfing on North Beach

November 12th
A lot has happened since my last post, including me dropping my trusty phone/camera in water.  Sadly, I have not been taking as many photographs lately, and feel as if I have missed the ability to document some pretty exciting events here at school.  I did have my camera on a recent trip to Gray Bay and will share a few photos and stories with you.  Our day began with a ferry ride to Sandspit, and a rather bumpy drive down a logging road.  The children were surprised to see a large flock of seagulls in the woods rather than by the ocean.  The birds were feasting on dying salmon in the river as was a startled bear that ran along the roadside until it managed to find an escape route.  It is clear that our kids feel at home on the beach, and although it was October, I know many of them would have been willing to swim without question.  As soon as we arrived they took off running, digging, building, collecting and exploring.  A group of students worked together to create a range of impressively smooth and contemporary-looking sand castles and challenged each other with math questions written in the sand.   At one point, Bobbi-Lee gathered the group together for a Geology lesson.  She handed them each a small bag and asked them to collect a range of rocks that were as different as possible.  When they had gathered their bags of treasures, we drew circles in the sand, and worked together to sort them into a number of groups.  

During the afternoon, two of my Kindergarten students noticed a rainbow in the sky when the sun shone between bursts of misty rain.  One little girl waved goodbye and said, "See you tomorrow if it rains and suns!"  It is always gratifying to see your students making connections between what they learn in school and outside of the classroom.  

At one point, a little girl found what looked like a piece of kelp on the beach.  One of our older student recognized two hooks along the side, and explained that it was likely a shark egg case, sometimes called a 'Mermaid's Purse'.  The kids who live here, particularly those who grew up on the island, have an vast amount of knowledge in regards to their environment.  I feel so grateful to share these experiences with such an amazing group of children and I am grateful for their teachings.  

Last week we travelled up to North Beach for the third annual 'Expression Session', an event that celebrates surfing on island.  It was a cold morning, and the longhouse was pretty icy when we arrived.  We huddled by the wood stove as the children were organized into groups according to their age and height.  I waited until the very end of the day to try surfing (for the first time), and spent most of the day walking in the woods and playing on the beach with a small group of five year olds.  Beaches and forests are the best playgrounds for children, and we are fortunate to have access to so many interesting outdoor spaces here.  Finally it was our turn to hit the waves.  We squeezed into our wetsuits and paraded off to the water with our tired but enthusiastic instructors.  A few of the kids were nervous, while others grinned from ear to ear as the waves pushed their boards along.  I tried to be brave and stand up before I knew what I was doing and ended up with a face full of salt water, but otherwise had an incredible time.  I can see why surfing is such an addictive sport, and it didn't take me very long to experience the rush that surfers get that keeps them coming back for more.  

I am off now to plan for the next week at school.  See you again when it rains and suns!