Home
A Message of Peace and Hope to Tumbler Ridge
Like so many across Canada and around the world, the Shawnigan community was shocked and saddened by the tragic incident in the small BC community of Tumbler Ridge on February 10.
Among other initiatives at the School supporting the stricken town of 2,400, the Grade 8 students in Samuel House were invited to create a wall hanging to send to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School to show the people there that Shawnigan is thinking of them, along with a book of messages written by members of the entire School community.
“In Samuel House, we often talk about what it means to be a community,” Grade 8 student Joanna G. related. “Our House Directors describe Samuel as a place filled with warmth, kindness, and connection. Recently, we had the opportunity to put those values into action through a very special project.”
Students were invited to create designs centred around the theme of peace and hope, then turned those ideas into batik-style pieces using hot wax and Indian-inspired art techniques. Once the designs were complete, they carefully ironed and set each one before assembling them together.
Most of the work was done in Samuel House during House time over the weekend, and nearly all of Samuel House was involved. The batik was done in the Bruce-Lockhart Centre for Creativity – one of the benefits of having art teacher Mrs. Rainbow Bartlett as one of the House Directors.
After that, Mrs. Bartlett and three of the Grade 8 students went to the home of Stitch Lab 360 instructor Ms. Stacie Wilson, where they were able to use her quilting equipment to turn the piece into a finished work. Many students were involved at different stages of the process, making it a truly collaborative effort from start to finish.
“The final piece turned out beautifully,” Mrs. Bartlett said. “The students created it with the intention of sending something special to Tumbler Ridge, a wall hanging to keep them feeling warm and cozy, while also spreading a message of love and peace.”
“We hope that when the students in Tumbler Ridge receive our batik, they feel the peace and hope we poured into every wax line and every vibrant color,” student Naja C. added.
Ms. Wilson is involved in a cross-country quilt drive for Tumbler Ridge, and was featured in a segment during the CBC News broadcast this week.
“Quilts are just a thing that represent warmth, and to me, they’re a great big hug when you need it,” she said on the broadcast.
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.
