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School-community counsellor Nina Putulik takes her turn on the water during a kayaking course at Victor Sammurtok School in Chesterfield Inlet in August of 2013. - photo courtesy Glen Brocklebank |
Getting extra credits in kayak On-the-water instruction kicks off school year in Chesterfield Inlet
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, September 4, 2013
CHESTERFIELD INLET
Students from Victor Sammurtok School took to the water for the first two weeks of classes to earn some credits, and becoming skilled kayakers in the process.
Students who complete the popular course can earn up to four credits by honing their kayak one, kayak two, wilderness, and meal planning and preparation skills.
Teacher Glen Brocklebank said 37 students from grades 9 to 12 participated in the course.
He said a few students weren't comfortable with flipping over in the kayak, but still came every day and helped out with the program.
"They can still earn half credit for attending every day and helping out," Brocklebank said. "Nobody is ever forced to do the program, but our participation rate is huge."
The course saw a perfect attendance rate with the Grade 9 students, and a near-perfect rate with the older students, Brocklebank said.
Brocklebank said high winds kept the students from doing more ocean paddling this year as it wasn't safe to have them on the water with winds gusting to 60 km/h.
This keys in with the course's focus on safety, Brocklebank said.
"The first thing they have to do is a wet exit, where we flip them over in their kayak and they have to demonstrate they can get out," he said. "Once they've proven they can get out, they're free to paddle around a lake that's about four-feet deep.
"After everyone's learned their wet exit, we have the entire group learn how to do self-rescue."
Brocklebank said the older students, who've been in the program for three years or more, take on a leadership role and demonstrate the self-rescue to the younger kids.
He said the youths spend three days in a shallow lake getting comfortable in the kayak and learning how to paddle and manoeuvre.
"Once everyone's comfortable rescuing themselves in shallow water, we take them to First Lake to do a mass flip over," he said. "They have to rescue themselves without touching the bottom."
The point of this exercise, Brocklebank said, is to ensure that if one were to capsize on the ocean, they would be able to safely get back into their kayak and paddle to shore.
"We also do a swim test where the students have to swim, or dog paddle, from one side of the lake to the other."
Brocklebank said the vast majority of the students take the course because they enjoy the kayaking, and view the credits as a bonus.
He said six additional kayaks had to be built this past year to accommodate the growing number of students wanting to take the course.
To include those who don't feel comfortable in kayaks just yet, Brocklebank gave them a camera to capture the water-bound students in action.
The pictures were later posted on Facebook, receiving "a lot of nice, positive comments from parents, guardians and other family members."
"We get a lot of support from people in the community who believe in the program and what it's done for the kids," he said. "Hopefully, the course will continue for a good many years at the school."
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