by GOAT STAFF
Nothing teaches life lessons like hands-on experience, so what better way to teach outdoor skills but to survive outside overnight?
As an activity for its outdoor education class, McBride Secondary School students spent time last week digging caves in the snowdrifts beside Horseshoe Lake. McBride Secondary Teacher, Wes Keim, teaches the class.
The plan, initially, was to spend a night in their snow caves once completed. The exercise is designed to teach the students outdoor survival skills.
“The kids love doing it, it’s a lot of fun and it builds skills, too. Plus, I mean, it’s our backyard,” says McBride Secondary’s Principal, Derrick Shaw.
“They do quite a range of activities with the kids (in the class),” he says.
David Marchant was out for a walk when he spotted the secondary students carrying shovels across the lake toward the snowdrifts.
“I thought that was pretty unusual,” says Marchant.
“We certainly never did anything like that back in the ancient epoch when I went to school. The students started to work digging six different caves,” he says.
Unfortunately, due to the recent warm weather, Principal Shaw says the shelters didn’t survive and the overnighter inside the snow caves will have to be rescheduled pending a cold snap and enough snow.
