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On Monday, January 15, 2018, the grade 7 and 8 students of IHMS boarded a chartered bus for the 110 km. ride to Camp Arnes. They stayed for three days and two nights, returning on Wednesday, January 17.
| Monday, January 15, 2018: Boarding the chartered bus for Camp Arnes | |
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The students were accompanied by:
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| The teacher supervisors who went to camp (l-r): Mr. Trochamowski. Mrs. Tycholis, Mrs. Naurocki, and Mr. Burg
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| IHMS sends two classes to camp every year. On odd numbered years, the grade 5 & 6 students attend “summer camp” in May while on even numbered years, the grade 7 & 8 students attend “winter camp” in January. In this way, students who remain at IHMS from grade 5 to 8 attend camp twice – once in summer and once in winter.
Click the map to the left for a larger image
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Last year’s grade 6 students who went to summer camp are now in grade 7 and off to this year’s winter camp. Last years’s grade 5 students who went to summer camp will have to wait until 2020 (when they are in grade 8) to attend winter camp.
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| Two grade 8 girls posing for a photo in the campground |
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As stated in their website, Camp Arnes “is dedicated to challenging children and adults with exemplary Christian living, spiritual nurture, character and leadership development in a wilderness environment. In accordance with the traditions of the Society, the Mission of Camp Arnes is to:
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Upon arriving at Camp Arnes after an hour and fifteen minute bus ride, the students were greeted by councillors who got them settled into their chalets. Everyone was accommodated in two large chalets – “Tamarack” for the grade 7 and 8 boys and “Silver Birch” for the grade 7 and 8 girls. Each building contained a bathroom, a shower, a set of bunk beds for sleeping, and a separate room for the teacher supervisor. There were two teacher supervisors for each chale: Mr. Burg stayed with the grade 8 boys, Mr. Trochanowski with the grade 7 boys, Mrs. Tycholis with the grade 8 girls, and Mrs. Naurocki with the grade 7 girls.
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After everyone settled in, the councillors took the students on a quick tour of the area. Some of the more important buildings included the Dining Hall, the Swimming Pool, and the Wigwam.
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| A few photos of the interior of the Silver Birch chalet |
Since the outdoor activities either began or ended at most of these places, it was important for everyone to know all the important buildings at Camp Arnes. Luckily, the Dining Hall was the building closest to the chalets where the students were staying.
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| A grade 8 student enjoying a sandwich in the Dining Hall |
| Everyone at camp participated in a series of scheduled outdoor activities such as: |
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| Grade 7 boys posing for a photo outside their chalet |
Students played the above activities as part of a predetermined group. There were 3 different groups (“A”, “B”, and “C”), each containing 15 or 16 students with a random mixture of boys and girls from grade 7 and 8. Mrs. Naurocki was in charge of Group A, Mr. Burg was in charge of Group B, and Mr. Trochanowski was in charge of Group C. Mrs. Tycholis provided assistance where she was needed the most. Since all outdoor activities were taught by Camp Arnes councillors, the teacher simply supervised their group or helped out when needed.
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| Grade 7 girls relaxing outside between the planned activities |
In addition to the above outdoor learning activities, students also went on a hay ride, had a marshmallow roast, played broom ball and snow soccer, participated in an Extravaganza (where they played small group games), and went swimming in the pool.
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| Students relaxing on the desolate landscape of Lake Winnipeg after the day’s activities |
At night, everyone had to be in bed by 10:30 p.m. (ground silence), although students in some chalets stayed up later. Breakfast, which was served at 8:30 a.m., consisted of eggs, toast, pancakes, cereal, oatmeal, orange juice, and milk. Lunch was served at 12:15 p.m., and supper at 5:15 p.m. In addition, a small snack of cookies, oranges, apples, chocolate cake, ice cream, and juice was served at 10:00 p.m., just prior to bed time. Students were free to eat as much as they wanted, and everyone agreed that the food was generally very good!
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| Students relaxing and playing games in the evening |
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On the morning of the last day (Wednesday), the students ate breakfast before participating in their last scheduled activity at Camp Arnes. After completing the activity, they returned to their chalets to clean up and pack their bags to leave. Everyone ate a delicious taco salad lunch, and at 1:30 p.m. boarded a chartered bus for the long trip back to Winnipeg. They arrived at IHMS at around 3:00 p.m. with memories to last a lifetime!
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| Students had a wonderful time experiencing the beauty of nature at Camp Arnes |