The faces say it all...

June 14, 2011
Carter Prokopow (right) hams it up with Kirstin Chamberlain (left) after taking a plunge in the cold waters of Lake Wabamun. The students participated in the Tri-School Outdoor Education Camp, offered by schools in Drayton Valley.
—Photo by Nathan Wasylowich
Every year, three elementary schools from Drayton Valley (Wild Rose Public Schools, Timberline Local No. 9) send their Grade 5 students, along with teachers and parent volunteers, on a three-day camp experience at YoWoChAs Outdoor Education Centre, located on Lake Wabamun. Camp leaders and volunteers guide students through archery, canoeing, group problem solving, orienteering, rock-wall climbing and high-wire events.

The bravest of campers take a morning swim, aptly named the Polar Dip. Once they are out of the water, the lakeside sauna is put to good use. Later in the day, tired and hot, campers flock to the shores to enjoy a refreshing swim before supper. Evenings are filled with songs as a campfire closes the busy day.

The annual experience, officially named the Tri-School ­Outdoor Education Camp, and informally known as Grade 5 Camp, completed its 35th year of operation on June 3. Although some students said the parents had the most fun at camp, the weary campers arrived back at school with smiles on their faces.

—Story by Barbara Gregory, Grade 5 teacher, Evergreen ­Elementary School, Drayton Valley

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