Parkside students head to the land of ice and snow
On the way to Churchill
Posted By Lori Penner
Posted 17 days ago
Going to the land of ice and snow is something students, staff and volunteers are ready for.
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This is such a tremendous opportunity for these kids, to experience another culture like this. - Christine Paulovics
Forty-four students from Parkside Junior High headed north this week, spending Nov. 3 to 9 in Churchill as part of the school's annual Learning Fair.
Principal Leanne Braun says she is pleased by how many of the Grade 7 and 8 students wanted to participate in the journey, with nearly a quarter of the school's student body signing up.
Weeks of preparation went into the trip, with students doing their own fundraising to cover the $530 cost. Braun adds each student also had to fill out a learning proposal before they left, detailing the things they wanted to learn and questions they wanted to have answered on the trip.
The group, which includes two staff members and nine volunteer parents, were scheduled to travel by bus to Thompson. After checking out the suspension bridge in Pisew Falls and touring the North Heritage Museum, they were expecting to travel by train to Churchill, arriving on Nov. 5.
Participating staff member Christine Paulovics says this is the school's first foray into the land of ice and snow and the students couldn't be more excited. "This is such a tremendous opportunity for these kids, to experience another culture like this." Paulovics lived in Churchill 30 years ago and says for her, it will feel like a homecoming.
Phys-ed instructor Jesse Heppner taught in Churchill for four years at the Duke of Marlborough School. He says the trip will tie in with the northern school's sports day activities, and Parkside students will join the Churchill students in frontier events such as archery and trap setting. "I thought it would be nice for the two schools to connect," Heppner says. Students will also ride a tundra buggy and take part in the North Star Polar Bear Tour and visit the Port of Churchill. The trip is a first for most of the students. Meagan Dupuis says she is intrigued by the history of Churchill. "I've never been there before, and I'm really excited to see the polar bears."
Dylan Sawatzky also can't wait to see the polar bears, and says he is eager to learn more about the climate and the culture so far up north.
"It's also going to be fun riding in the tundra buggy," adds Cameron Tomchuk. "I've never been to Churchill. I've been as far as Thompson, but no further."
Indeed the distance is surprising to many in the group. "I think it's amazing to them that they'll be in a place where the only way you can get in or out is by plain or train," laughs Paulovics.
"This is such an amazing learning opportunity for these kids," she adds. "We're actually hoping to do a trip of some kind every other year, so all the groups who come through this school have an opportunity like this."
