News
A Week Without Walls
For the first time since the Beyond the Gates experiential learning program was launched in September 2021, all Grade 9 students took part in major events to mark the end of the school year – not just those who opted into the capstone trip.
There were no classes for Grade 9s between Monday, June 2 and Tuesday, June 10; instead, students were given a wide range of options for what was dubbed the “Week Without Walls” – from staying on campus for daily experiences to hiking the full 75km extent of the famous West Coast Trail. The variety of options made sure that all students were involved.
Options A and B fell under the “backcountry” label, while option C was considered “frontcountry.” Those who selected A and B had to be self-sufficient, carrying their own camping gear and food, while students who picked C were based on campus, with the comforts of home.
Group A hiked the entire West Coast Trail over 10 days, tackling all 75km of the historic pathway, complete with ladders, bridges, ferries and cable cars. This is the first time in recent memory – and possibly ever – that Shawnigan has had a group hike the entire trail.
“In my 25 years at the School, we’ve never had a student group hike the whole way,” said BTG coordinator Mr. Galen Loiselle. “It’s a cool addition to the curriculum and a great accomplishment for the students.”
Group B split into three smaller groups, two of which hiked half of the West Coast Trail: one was dropped off at the halfway point and hiked north to the terminus of the trail at Bamfield, while the other hiked south from Bamfield to the halfway point. As it worked out, the two groups encountered each other on the trail.
A third team within group B spent six days and five nights kayaking in the Broken Group Islands off the west coast of Vancouver Island. A total of 50 students took part in the backcountry trips (groups A and B), and each trip was supervised by three staff members.
Meanwhile, 27 other students (Group C) stayed on campus for their own daily “frontcountry” excursions off campus. Those trips, led by a variety of staff members, included a hike to the Kinsol Trestle where students ate lunch, canoeing in the Thunder Rugby canoe on Shawnigan Lake, a visit to Bright Angel Park for swimming with salmon and studying local ecosystems, and an introduction to orienteering, a sport in which participants use a map and compass to navigate from point to point.
Before they left campus, groups had days of packing, team-building and workshops. The entire 10-day event was followed up with a mini-celebration that included reflection time in groups made up of students who took part in different experiences over the course of the week, as well as the annual Grade 9 boat race.
“The students came back raving about how great it was,” Mr. Loiselle said. “Even the students who stayed on campus.”
The capstone trip has served as a rite of passage as students move from the Grade 9 keyword of “Discover” and the Grade 10 keyword: “Choose.” Parents noticed the powerful transformation the backcountry trips had on their children.
“When I greeted my son upon his return, I saw a young man standing taller, with a smile that spoke of pride and peace,” one mother said. “His kind eyes and calm energy said more than words ever could. In just over a week, something within him had matured – and it was beautiful to witness.
“There is something sacred about being fully present in a moment – in nature, in community, in challenge. For a time, he experienced the raw emotion and clarity of simply being human: connected, capable, and aware. You gave that gift to our child. And for that, we are so profoundly thankful.”
The loose theme of the expeditions and the Week Without Walls was “relationships,” touching on everything from working in teams, relationships between staff and students, humanity’s relationship with the environment, and the relationship between settlers and First Nations as the West Coast Trail passes through the traditional territories of four First Nations and the reserves of three of those First Nations.
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 Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
