Getting kids connected to the environment is something that comes naturally to Island Pacific School (IPS), an independent school that offers students in grades 6-9 an enriched educational environment.
Located on Bowen Island, IPS has forests out its back door and the seashore a five-minute drive away. Ted Spear, head of school, says, "Introducing students to nature is not something we teach at Island Pacific School, it is something that we do as a matter of course and is integral to the total IPS experience."
Students manage the school's recyclables, with senior students passing on their knowledge of responsibly recycling what would otherwise be school waste. Since the students at IPS clean the school every day, this knowledge becomes part of their daily routine.
Students participate in three significant outdoor trips a year: The first week of school is marked by an overnight hiking trip. In May, the students go on a week-long sailing trip, and in June, they venture out on an ocean kayaking trip. Between those major trips, IPS teachers regularly take students outside to study the natural habitat. Physical Education is conducted in a meadow, and local trails are used for orienteering and cross-country running. With classes of only 10-16 students, teachers can quickly mobilize to get their students involved, for example, in the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup or a field trip to a nearby lake to study the local ecology.
"At Island Pacific School, we also want to foster a strong sense of community connection and responsibility," says Spear.
Teacher Bronwyn Churcher co-ordinates the Community Service program, setting up meaningful and engaging experiences that are of benefit to the community as a whole. Activities include yard work for a seniors centre, working with the Streamkeepers at the local fish hatchery, learning about climate change with Bowen In Transition, and creating an environment-themed event with the Arts Council.
A community garden onsite completes the picture, rounding out IPS's abundant opportunities for students to learn from and appreciate all that nature has to offer.
This piece was originally published in the North Shore News print edition as part of a special Private Schools advertising feature. The content was written and submitted by North Shore private schools.
