News
Going Back Beyond the Gates
With the end of their time at Shawnigan now in sight, a group of Grade 12s took some time recently to revisit one of the highlights of their Grade 9 year.
Twelve of the original 13 students in Shawnigan’s Beyond the Gates program reunited for an overnight camping trip on April 5 and 6 – an opportunity to get together and reminisce about a special and unique year in their lives. (The 13th student is still at Shawnigan, but was unable to fit the trip into their busy schedule.)
“It was just a really cool experience,” said Marin D. “Grade 9 feels really far away, but we still felt a connection to Beyond the Gates. It was a cool opportunity for us to jump back into the past and relive the fun we had.”
Beyond the Gates now includes all Grade 9 students, but the inaugural group consisted of just 13 students, who had to apply for the program. Because of COVID-19 precautions, the students went to classes as a cohort for the entire 2021-22 school year and became really close. Although they have since gone back to regular academics, sports, and other activities, they still cherish that time, and wanted one more chance to go beyond the gates as a group. The alumni trip was the students’ idea.
“After Grade 9, they went their separate ways within the School,” Outdoor Education Coordinator Ms. Jessica Dick commented. “But they still wanted to get together and be kids again. They wanted to reconnect, regroup, remember fun stories, and have outdoor experiences they hadn’t had the opportunity to do together since Grade 9.”
Ms. Dick and Mr. Ryder Ferris took the students to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park near Parksville where they pitched tents, explored the beach and played soccer. They talked around a campfire, and were joined by Ms. Laura Robson, who led the BTG group when they were in Grade 9 but has since moved on from Shawnigan. During the day, they hiked at Englishman River Falls and enjoyed lunch near Coombs. The entire trip was “wholesome and playful,” Ms. Dick said.
“It was good to relive what we had in Grade 9,” Hattie H. commented. “Nothing had really changed – we are still close, and it went back to where it was three years ago. We had to work as a team and go with the flow.”
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful West Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
