By Jaqueline Priolo, Director, Co-curricular Programs / Guidance

Did you hear about the Grade 9 outtrip in Algonquin Provincial Park? 

This is what it sounded like… 

The sound on the bus full of grade nines filled with apprehension, anticipation and excitement.

The sound at Canoe Lake - the first put in when students were figuring out partners, laughing when the boats weren’t going quite straight, communicating with new friends from around the world.  

The sound of the first portage as leaders emerged sorting out how we could work together as a team to carry all of our canoes and packs.

The sound of the endless chatter and singing from students bonding as we paddled.

The sound of relief as we arrive at our first campsite after three portages and a long day of hard work. Imagine the students running to find the best site for their tent 

The sound of the fire crackling the dry pine needles with the first meal sizzling on the open flame. 

The sound of rain on our tents in the morning as students slept in, hoping the rain would break before we had to get up. 

The sound of the loon that would greet us on each lake with a reply from our students who have mastered the loon call.

The sound of students learning each other’s names, some of them learning different languages in a range from Spanish, Korean, Ojibwe, German, and English.

The sound of resilience while navigating the mud and marsh when an unexpected detour presented itself, including the sounds of laughter and jubilation while sinking in the bog but emerging stronger.

And finally the teachers' favourite sounds of all came on the final day of the trip…

The sound of paddles moving through the water and nothing else as we decided to stay silent as we took in the fog and mist for our final paddle. It was magical, the light shining through just enough that we could see a canoe length ahead of our boat. The group moved together seamlessly and in a state of tranquility. When we arrived at the first portage the silence lingered and the students knew exactly what to do, how to land their canoes, gather their gear and make their way down the trail to the next put in. Slowly the chatter returned but at a perfect low volume as the students found a balance of living in the moment, taking in nature and working as a team breathing in the last moments on this trip together. 

The sound of the bus arriving was bitter sweet but we know that this grade group, the class of 2027 is a group of rockstars and, mark my words do they ever have some noise to make! 

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