IMPORTANT Program DATES 2023-2024

*Any date when students will be off-campus for longer than the school day will be included in this section.

This Week in Ridgelines & Coastlines:

This week students will complete our first “ridgelines” day, hiking up Mt. Finlayson. Embedded into this day will be the development of outdoor skills, including fire-building and tarping. This will be the first of a series of days spent building camping and hiking skills that will be important for outdoor trips later in the year. As well, students will continue to develop rock climbing abilities, in addition to learning belaying, rappelling and rope management. Students will be completing a “learn to lead-climb” program to end the term.

In the classroom, students are working through a Social Studies “Through Their Eyes” unit, taking on a historical “character”, exploring the involvement of SMUS alumni during World War One. This experiential unit will have students completing an interdisciplinary project using new media skills from their English course to showcase five minutes in the life of their character during WW1 conflict.

Students will begin their Duke of Edinburgh program this week, getting registered and prepared to log their involvement as we move through the year. The aspiration is for each student to achieve a “bronze” level standing through participation in the Experiential Program, which includes themes of volunteering, skill development, physical wellness and an “adventurous journey”. The Duke of Edinburgh program is internationally recognized and will be open for students to continue past the year. Students can use their achievement in the program for university application, SMUS leadership positions, as well as application for employment.

Term 2 Expedition

March. 4-7th: Winter Camp Strathcona Park

Outdoor Skills: Winter Camping, Back-country skiing, survival skills

Curriculum: Indigenous Education, Physical Geography

Term 3 Expedition

May 14-17th: Rock Climbing Skaha Bluffs

Outdoor Skills: Rock Climbing, Rappelling, Belaying

Curriculum: Environmental Science, Sustainability

Culminating Expedition June 1-8th: West Coast Trail

The program will culminate in a week-long journey along this famed stretch of trail in the Pacific Rim National Park. Rich learning opportunities related to history, geography and english will be woven into the trip. Students will develop mutil-day camp skills, including hiking, orientation, fire-building, camp cooking as the navigate their way along the 75km coastline.