News Detail
Getting to the Core of the Shawnigan Journey
On a sunny day last month, the Quad was filled with Grade 8 students doing something that looked simple on the outside, but when you looked a little deeper, there was a lot more to the activity than first appeared.
The students were making apple sauce, but it was more than that. It was both a hands-on activity, and the culmination of the first unit of their Shawnigan Journey (encompassing Health and Career Education 8) class, which looked at nutrition from every angle.
To begin the unit, students were tasked with acting as nutritionists for Shawnigan Lake School by analyzing the breakfast menu, and researching and presenting on the healthiest options from a nutritionist’s point of view. They also researched traditional breakfast from different countries, then voted on which meal they thought seemed healthiest, learning presentation and group-work skills along the way, in addition to their new nutritional insight.
The unit included guest speakers from the Shawnigan community. Ms. Jasmine Bal, who oversees the Growing Dome, talked about protein, carbohydrates and fibre versus processed foods, and gave students a tour of the Growing Dome and organic garden, after which they came up with a balanced meal using vegetables grown at the School. Athletic coordinator and P.E. teacher Mrs. Andi Conroy, who grew up in Zimbabwe, talked about the harsh realities of nutrition in her home country, which has a poverty rate higher than 76 percent.
In the lead-up to the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, the class talked about the lack of nutrition in the Canadian residential school system and how that has led to a nutritional crisis and high rates of diabetes and obesity in Indigenous communities.
A major project of the first unit involved working directly with Head of School Mr. Larry Lamont. The students evaluated a variety of alternative snack products on their nutritional value and taste, and compared them to items currently available in the Commissary. They picked one option — Vancouver-based Smart Sweets — and prepared a business letter to send to Mr. Lamont, proposing that it be made available in the Commissary. The letter was met with a positive reception from Mr. Lamont, and students are keeping their eyes on the store shelves, hoping to see their proposed item available soon.
“It shows them that even the youngest students at our School can effect change,” teacher Mrs. Jennifer Hutchins said about the experience. “But it requires them to be thoughtful and collect the research.”
As for the apple sauce, even that wasn’t just about pureeing fruit, but involved discussions about buying local, sustainability, and the 100-mile diet. Guaranteeing their local providence, the apples came from a tree at Mrs. Hutchins’s home in Cobble Hill, not far from the School.
As for the apple sauce, even that wasn’t just about pureeing fruit, but involved discussions about buying local, sustainability, and the 100-mile diet. Guaranteeing their local providence, the apples came from a tree at Mrs. Hutchins’s home in Cobble Hill, not far from the School.
“It encourages the students to be mindful of when choosing where to get products from,” Mrs. Hutchins explained.
The discussions even connected body image to the perception of local apples that may be blemished on the outside but taste better on the inside when compared with nicer-looking apples from the grocery store that end up being relatively tasteless.
The class is now moving into a mental health unit, following a curriculum created at the University of British Columbia. Students will learn about mental health literacy — how to obtain and maintain strong mental health, various treatments, stress, and healthy and unhealthy ways of coping and how that leads into addiction. The start of the unit aligned with the Wellness Festival for Grades 8-10 on October 21 that coincided with Careers Day for Grade 11 and 12 students. Leading up to Remembrance Day on November 11, the Grade 8s were focusing on veterans with regard to post-traumatic stress disorder, mental health and addiction.
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.
