KnoxNews-Dec2021

ENCOUNTER DAYS
By Adam Wasik, Secondary Principal
“But ask the animals, and they will teach
you, or the birds in the sky, and they
will tell you; or speak to the earth, and
it will teach you, or let the fish in the
sea inform you. Which of all these does
not know that the hand of the Lord has
done this? In His hand is the life of every
creature and the breath of all mankind.”
Job 12:7-10
In the midst of his suffering, Job
reminds us that the Earth is the
handiwork of the Lord. If we look and
listen, we see and hear the goodness
and greatness of the Lord for it is
He who gives us life. At John Knox
Secondary School, “Encounter Days”
are an invitation to encounter the
Lord of all creation. Encounter Days
are an opportunity for students to
re-encounter each other and reform
friendships that may have been distant
over the summer.
During the first week of school,
our school ventured to Belcarra,
Port Moody. Since then, Belcarra
Regional Park’s name was changed to
təmtəmíxʷtən, pronounced Tum-tumee-hw-tun,
to better reflect its
history and to mark a milestone in
the ongoing collaboration between
Metro Vancouver and Tsleil-Waututh
Nation. We paddled traditional canoes
and learned about their culture in
an authentic way. Before we began
paddling, students were invited to
understand and respect the traditions
of our Indigenous guides. On the
water, we enjoyed the Coast Salish
tradition of story-telling and on land
students learned about the culturally
significant local forest plants that
were used as food, medicine, clothing,
and shelter. I was proud of our
students’ respectful curiosity, which
enabled us to learn more about
Canada’s Indigenous history, culture,
and perspectives. As we engage other
cultures and ways of understanding
the world with open minds and hearts,
we remain firmly rooted in the truth
of scripture and the love of Christ.
Back on land, John Knox students
were given time to reflect upon our
responses to some of the stresses of
the last year and what ways we feel
encouraged to change our lives in
the months to come. Afterward, we
continued our school community
building through fun team-building
activities hosted by Pinnacle Pursuits.
The following day sent students
around the Lower Mainland for grade
specific activities as a way to grow
and connect as a grade group. Grade
7’s enjoyed Dragon Boating on False
Creek, Grade 8’s went wakeboarding,
Grade 9’s went river rafting in
Chilliwack, Grade 10 students
went kayaking, Grade 11’s went
paddleboarding off Jericho Beach, and
Grade 12 students learned to sail.
The start of this school year has
been accompanied with a sense of
hope. It was a joy and a privilege
to be able to come together as a
school to celebrate. We more keenly
appreciate these opportunities to be
with one another after the challenges
of the previous year. As I witnessed
our students paddle across the bay
and play in the fields of Belcarra,
it filled my heart with joy to see
their happiness, exuberance, and
excitement to be together again. The
Lord’s presence and pleasure was
palpable. Like Job, our hope remains
secure in Him.
Photos:
Below: Students paddling traditional canoes
Right page: Students work on building activity (top
left and bottom right), Grade 9 rafting (top right),
Grade 11 paddleboarding (middle right), students
paddling a traditional canoe (middle left), Grade 8
wakeboarding (bottom left)