Madeira Park Elementary School students recently enjoyed busting down the classroom walls to enjoy a week long series of environmental education activities in and around the Pender Harbour area.
This was initiated with a community tlee-tdsoo, (festival and feast) where seniors and community members were honoured and entertained with drumming, dancing and stories right on the school field. The Grade 6 students went on to climb Mount Daniel to appreciate the local Aboriginal importance where pubescent girls assembled rocks in "moon circles" as way of entering puberty.
Primary classes toured Pender Harbour on the Slo cat, hiked Francis Penninsula Point Park and studied the inter-tidal zones, the beaver pond and the watershed areas nestled in the Madeira Park community.
"It was a wonderful opportunity to involve kids in studies involving local history, geography, environmental stewardship and enrich our knowledge of Aboriginal heritage," said principal Barry Krangle who is already looking forward to next years program.
- Submitted
