Beyond the Gates Reflections
Shawnigan’s Beyond the Gates experiential learning program takes Grade 9 students out of the classroom and into the outdoors of Vancouver Island. The program wastes no time getting started, and students head out on their first excursions within just a few weeks of the beginning of the school year. This year, half of the students hiked and camped in the mountains of central Vancouver Island, while the other half kayaked from the Saanich Peninsula to Portland Island. During their trips, they were given time to sit down and write testimonials for their English classes. Here are some highlights from those pieces.
Gold. My favourite colour from today was gold. A glimpse of the sun flaunting her colours, pressing in through the cracks between the trees. A colour so rare and warm, it casts a feeling of youth on those lucky enough to bask in its light. It found us today, just a trickle, through the rain and weight or reaching branches. Its transparency poured colour across the lake in a way that stole my breath. It passed across the water, creating an ever-changing pattern. Every time I peered between the trees, a new speckled pattern was printed on its surface. The colour is warm and filling. It brought focus to the ground like a spotlight. My attention was drawn to the things I’d otherwise never see. Life flourished under its glow; plants and animals littering the forest floor. Gold was my favourite colour today as it showed me the beauty I’d miss.
– Calais C.
Beyond the Gates is where you see scenes that you have never seen before. So, in the first few hours, I got that snapshot scene.
The water flowed with a calming pace. Sounding as meditation. The sun glowed, reflecting off the water, with that sparkling glitter look. Although it hurt my eyes, it was also the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. On my side, I had all my friends, with our shoulders right next to each other, complaining about how cold it is. But we also got to talk about how God made what we are looking at today.
Even though this was the first eye-catching scene, I know there are many more to talk about.
– Anahat B.
Remember the feeling when the gust of wind blows your hair, while the waves crash onto the shoreline. You were on the edge of a rock, staring at crabs and starfish. All of your mates were fishing, swimming, and singing songs we’d never sung. I wish that could have lasted longer, I wish the sun could shine on me longer, I wish this could have happened again. I think I love this place.
– Mason N.
My favourite colour is pink, but today I changed my mind. The sheer colour of the sun hitting the water is something I can’t explain. It’s not the same at Shawnigan; the peacefulness, calmness, and landscape add to the experience. I feel as if I am at peace with my thoughts, that all my stresses and worries on campus have gone away. The colour exactly isn’t exactly one I can explain. It’s more of a concept. It makes me feel the happiness yellow brings me. Smells like the calming blue helping me feel the freshness fill my lungs. It’s my favourite sight, like pink. So even if the sight of the golden sun hitting the water isn’t a concrete colour, the impact and feelings it makes me feel are something I will never forget, And if you look closely, you seem to find all the colours peering back at you as you watch in awe. Specifically, I couldn’t tell you what colour I see, but what I feel right now, here, I have never felt or seen more colours in my life.
– Elsa B.
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 12 –18 on Canada’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
