Cameron Penney
Math, science, and English may be important, but a new class at Fort High is teaching students valuable outdoor skills.
The “Outdoor Activities” class at Fort High is being offered for the first time this semester.
“There was a really good response with registration,” explained “Outdoor Activities” teacher Sarah Faragher, while noting there were enough student to run two classes simultaneously.
“It’s focusing on any sport, activity, or hobby that you can do outside,” she added, listing archery and nordic skiing as some examples.
“This has been such a popular course in Rainy River and Atikokan and we wanted to model something similar to what they’ve offered.”
Early in the semester, the class focused on winter activities.
“We have cross country skied, snowshoed, and built quinzees,” recalled Grade 12 student Holly Nixon.
“Quinzees are made of eight foot tall snow piles,” she explained.
“The snow pile must be left untouched for a short time in order to sinter (pack down).”
“A hole is dug to serve as the entrance and exit, and the inside is hollowed out, leaving a wall one foot thick,” Nixon noted.
The class is now focusing on summer activities in preparation for a camping trip in late May.
“We’ll get into canoeing and camping skills, fire starting,” noted Ilka Milne, teacher of the other “Outdoor Activities” class, while adding that a camping trip will serve as a culminating activity.
“Shelter building, food preparation, environmental ethics,” added Faragher.
“It’s a big program to get started and get off the ground, ’cause so many resources are needed,” she stressed.
“But we’ve had awesome support from administration, and the students are excited.”
“We learned how to keep ropes and what kind of ropes there are,” explained Ben Whitburn, a Grade 12 student.
“Ways to start a fire other than using matches,” he added.
Students are enthusiastic about this new course adding to the variety offered at FFHS.
“The course revolves around things I love to do,” enthused Nixon.
“Living in Northwestern Ontario, the wilderness is all around us,” she noted.
“But that doesn’t mean everyone gets the opportunity to explore it. This class is a wonderful way for myself to be further educated about my surroundings.”
“I really enjoy being outside, and I thought that it would be a really fun class to take,” enthused Grade 11 student Erin Tomalty.
“Some of my friends were also interested in it, so I thought I would try it out,” she recalled.
“Next school year, we are adding a Grade 11 and 12 section,” noted Faragher.
“The fall semester will be the Grade 11 class and the spring will be the Grade 12 class, that way if someone took the class this year, they would have the opportunity to take it again next year,” she added.
