ENCOUNTER DAYSBy Adam Wasik, Secondary Principal“But ask the animals, and they will teachyou, or the birds in the sky, and theywill tell you; or speak to the earth, andit will teach you, or let the fish in thesea inform you. Which of all these doesnot know that the hand of the Lord hasdone this? In His hand is the life of everycreature and the breath of all mankind.”Job 12:7-10In the midst of his suffering, Jobreminds us that the Earth is thehandiwork of the Lord. If we look andlisten, we see and hear the goodnessand greatness of the Lord for it isHe who gives us life. At John KnoxSecondary School, “Encounter Days”are an invitation to encounter theLord of all creation. Encounter Daysare an opportunity for students tore-encounter each other and reformfriendships that may have been distantover the summer.During the first week of school,our school ventured to Belcarra,Port Moody. Since then, BelcarraRegional Park’s name was changed totəmtəmíxʷtən, pronounced Tum-tumee-hw-tun,to better reflect itshistory and to mark a milestone inthe ongoing collaboration betweenMetro Vancouver and Tsleil-WaututhNation. We paddled traditional canoesand learned about their culture inan authentic way. Before we beganpaddling, students were invited tounderstand and respect the traditionsof our Indigenous guides. On thewater, we enjoyed the Coast Salishtradition of story-telling and on landstudents learned about the culturallysignificant local forest plants thatwere used as food, medicine, clothing,and shelter. I was proud of ourstudents’ respectful curiosity, whichenabled us to learn more aboutCanada’s Indigenous history, culture,and perspectives. As we engage othercultures and ways of understandingthe world with open minds and hearts,we remain firmly rooted in the truthof scripture and the love of Christ.Back on land, John Knox studentswere given time to reflect upon ourresponses to some of the stresses ofthe last year and what ways we feelencouraged to change our lives inthe months to come. Afterward, wecontinued our school communitybuilding through fun team-buildingactivities hosted by Pinnacle Pursuits.The following day sent studentsaround the Lower Mainland for gradespecific activities as a way to growand connect as a grade group. Grade7’s enjoyed Dragon Boating on FalseCreek, Grade 8’s went wakeboarding,Grade 9’s went river rafting inChilliwack, Grade 10 studentswent kayaking, Grade 11’s wentpaddleboarding off Jericho Beach, andGrade 12 students learned to sail.The start of this school year hasbeen accompanied with a sense ofhope. It was a joy and a privilegeto be able to come together as aschool to celebrate. We more keenlyappreciate these opportunities to bewith one another after the challengesof the previous year. As I witnessedour students paddle across the bayand play in the fields of Belcarra,it filled my heart with joy to seetheir happiness, exuberance, andexcitement to be together again. TheLord’s presence and pleasure waspalpable. Like Job, our hope remainssecure in Him.Photos:Below: Students paddling traditional canoesRight page: Students work on building activity (topleft and bottom right), Grade 9 rafting (top right),Grade 11 paddleboarding (middle right), studentspaddling a traditional canoe (middle left), Grade 8wakeboarding (bottom left)
Knox News - December 2021 | 11
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