Breaking Away for Spring Break

Posted 4/5/2024

Students fanned out across the globe over Spring Break – many to their homes both near and far, but some on a variety of School-sponsored trips and tours related to their academic, athletic, and artistic pursuits at Shawnigan.

EDGE Jamaica Trip

Seven students and two staff members flew to Jamaica as part of the EDGE (Engagement, Development, Gratitude and Experience) program, where they took part in projects to improve the lives of children there. They first visited the SOS Children’s Village, a sanctuary for children ages six to 17 who have been separated from their parents. The village houses 40 kids in all, six or seven to a house with an “auntie” who oversees them. The Shawnigan students painted one of the houses, including sanding and preparing the building, and spent three days engaging with the kids.

They also visited Hammersmith Preparatory School, a school for kids from preschool to Grade 6, where Shawnigan Executive Director of Advancement and Community Engagement Mr. Michael Wolfe sits on the board of directors. The students spent time in classrooms and enjoyed a sports day and dancing with the Hammersmith kids. They also donated to a memorial scholarship fund for a student who had passed away just the previous week.

In addition to their many hours of work and engagement at the schools, the Shawnigan students did some swimming in bioluminescent water, shopped at an open-air market, and learned about Jamaica’s history by touring plantations and a colonial fort. Shawnigan alum Marc Strongman ’83 provided a great deal of support throughout the trip.

For months before the trip, the EDGE group met once a week to learn about Jamaica, and do team building and fundraising – not to pay for the trip itself but to support their projects. They continued to meet twice a day during the trip to reflect on the journey and how it was impacting them.

French Exchange and European History Tour

Shawnigan continued its longstanding relationship with Lycée Sacre-Coeur in Angers, France by sending 10 students along with three staff members for an immersive cultural experience.

The group spent 10 days in Angers, bookended by three days in Paris at the beginning and one day in Paris at the end. This was Shawnigan’s second year back after the exchange took a break due to COVID-19 restrictions, and the 12th year overall of the partnership between Shawnigan and Lycée Sacre-Coeur. Shawnigan will host a group from Angers in October.

In France, the Shawnigan students attended classes with the French students, bought their host families’ groceries at a market, and went to an elementary school to teach some English. The Shawnigan students came from both the French Immersion and regular-stream French programs.

“It’s hard work for the kids,” Mr. Graham Linn said. “They’re pushed because they’re communicating in French all the time. With the right attitude, anyone can manage. They just need a willingness to participate.”

Local sightseeing included visits to chateaux, museums and underground caves, while the students did excursions with their host families such as trips to the Mont-Saint-Michel abbey, Le Mans (home of the 24 Hours of Le Mans car race) and soccer and basketball games.

Another 24 students and three staff members travelled to Italy and Greece as part of the School’s annual European History Tour.

Los Angeles Industry Tour

C.A.S.E. (Communications, Arts, Sciences and Entrepreneurship) supported a tour to Los Angeles that gave 14 students and four staff members a behind-the-scenes look at the film and music industries. The Shawnigan group visited five studios: Warner Bros., Sony, EastWest, Universal, and Rusk, as well as the Grammy Museum. The students, all of whom are interested in careers in the arts, got to see the highest levels of entertainment production, such as film sets the size of a small town, live sets where current shows are being produced, and top recording studios.

“The recording studios were incredible,” said Mr. Elliot Logan. “You’re walking into a space that’s been visited by just about every major artist from the US.

“It was an incredible opportunity for the students to get a look inside of an industry that most people don’t get. We are lucky enough to have those connections. It was a very inspirational trip. Hopefully the students are excited to use what they learned and keep creating.”

Hawaii Soccer Tour

The senior girls’ soccer team prepared for their season by travelling to Hawaii, where they played three games on the island of Oahu. Three staff members made the trip with 16 students and a contingent of supportive parents. The Hawaiian teams were so eager to play that Shawnigan had to turn down matches. They did play three games against some excellent competition, including an all-boys’ side, a mixed team, and a girls’ squad that used their game against Shawnigan to prepare for a tournament in Las Vegas.

The team balanced the games with educational and cultural events such as a luau, a boat trip on which they got to snorkel with sea turtles, hikes to Diamond Head and a waterfall, and a visit to the Pearl Harbor memorial. The players stayed in a hotel and prepared their own breakfasts and lunches on a predetermined budget, then donated any leftover food to a group that cares for the homeless.

“The girls got to soak in a lot of things Hawaii has to offer,” coach Ms. Mariel Solsberg noted.

The group included players in Grades 8-12, and it was a great way to start the season, Ms. Solsberg said.

“The 12s get to have an experience for their last year, and it’s something memorable for the kids we hope stick with the program for the next five years,” she commented.

Florida and California Rugby Tours

Members of the Colts rugby team competed in the Tropical Sevens rugby tournament in Tampa, Florida as part of the Salish Sea Warriors, one of 20 teams in a deep U16 Boys’ Open division.

The Warriors, with 13 players and two Shawnigan staff coaches on board, lost their first game to USA West – a team of the best national-program players from the Western US – by a narrow 14-7 final score, and ended up in the consolation bracket. They had a strong showing for the rest of the tournament, with standout players including Massimo R., Logan J. and Konstantine S. Also at the Tropical Sevens, Ava Ference ’23 and her Harvard University team won the U23 women’s elite division.

The players also attended Tampa Bay Lightning and Tampa Bay Rays games, and went to an Easter service at Raymond James Stadium, the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and visited Disney World.

The First XV rugby team also travelled this spring, visiting Sacramento, California for training and games against local school teams.

California Rowing Tour

The sunshine and palm trees of Newport Beach, California provided a perfect location for 17 Shawnigan rowers, three coaches and one athletic therapist, who were hosted by the Newport Aquatics Centre for an eight-day training camp in the beautiful but busy Newport Harbor.

The students, in Grades 9-12 and from novice to experienced, got in some excellent training to prepare for the regatta season that will get into full swing this month.

“The students got to navigate a tidal waterway with kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, sailboats, multi-million dollar yachts both moored and mobile, buoys and sandbars – the exact opposite of our quiet spacious and empty winter lake,” coach Mrs. Julie Platt commented.

The students trained two to three times a day and spent down time at the beach, in the hotel pool and eating. Moose B.’s parents generously hosted a beach party and supplied boogie boards and surfboards, and the students also spent a day at Disneyland.

“Our students got to see the high calibre of rowing from the club rowers at the NAC, and when we first arrived at our hotel, the Cal Berkeley rowing team was staying there and some of our athletes got to question collegiate athletes about rowing at a big US University,” Mrs. Platt added. “At the end of the week, significant improvement was made in both fitness and technique and these students are raring to race this spring.”

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