Spring 2012 - Web - Nbed.nb.ca

Snow
Motion
By Shannon Doyle and Sheila Thomas
The first snow of the season is always a reason to celebrate for most
kids. But that natural enthusiasm explodes into a frenzy of excitement
at Havelock Elementary School. Principal Shannon Doyle says that
“although they are lucky to have a large play area and new gymnasium
at our school, they are equally blessed to have pastures, forests, small brooks
and a local airstrip adjacent to the school property. It’s like having a nature
park at their doorstep, where science becomes reality in terms of weather
conditions, animal tracks and natural seasonal changes.”
Over the years, some of these familiar locations have gained their own
unique nicknames, like the “Wardrobe” (from C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, The Witch
and The Wardrobe); a line of trees that act like a stage curtain. When the
flexible fir branches are pulled back, they reveal a long hay field we call Narnia.
Every year the grade 4’s learn to cross-country ski, so that first snowfall is
the signal for the fun to begin. What started many years ago as an attempt to
keep kids fit in the winter in a school with no proper gym has evolved into an
important, regular component of the Physical Education program. The usual
skills of diagonal stride, stops, right and left turns combine with great aerobic
exercise to form the basic framework of the unit. However, it would seem
that learning of much more significance takes place. Students are faced with
real-life issues that require responsibility, practice, stamina, independence
and team work. These lessons learned on the trail have a great deal of
impact in other areas of their lives: academics, social behaviours and sense
of community.
After a few weeks, it is common for students to say, “I’m asking for skis for
my birthday”. That indeed is music to a teacher’s ears knowing that students
have become hooked on an outdoor activity that will benefit them for their whole
lives.
As spring approaches, the snow begins to disappear and the skis are
packed away. This year, as Havelock celebrates the school’s 100th anniversary,
students past and present will treasure memories of snow-filled pastures, trees
heavy with icy frosting and that delicious exhaustion that comes only from
pushing the physical limits.
“It’s fun to get to go out to different places snowshoeing,
and see different animals. We sometimes also get to
go up to the airport and see planes take off and land.”
Hannah Wheaton, grade 3
“When we go snowshoeing and skiing, we can see different animal
tracks like field mice, rabbits and deer. We also get to see many different
birds, their nests and trees. There is one tree where birds have made many,
many holes, looking for food. Under this tree, we usually take a break and
talk about what we’ve seen that day.”
Matthew Carson, grade 4
“I really like cross-country skiing, slow or fast, it’s like an adventure!
When you fall, it’s a challenge, but it’s still fun and you learn different ways
to get back up. When we go, we might take the same way, but other times
we’ll go to different places and it’s like discovering something new.”
Mattea Paterson, grade 4
“I like it because it gives me motivation, and it
builds up muscle for Track & Field. I like to feel
the wind in my face, and skiing down the hills fast!”
Zachary Duncan, grade 4
“I enjoy snowshoeing and skiing because you get lots of exercise and
you can enjoy the scenery. You get to spend time with your friends at the
same time that you’re getting in shape. We get to see lots of deer tracks
and sometimes even see them [the deer] running down the field.“
Joel Steeves, grade 5
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