Being on Earth Day
By Vicky Boomgaardt, Lorraine Brown and Di Rogers
The focus for Earth Day at LCS this year was "Being on Earth Day." We intentionally crafted a day in which our dedication to mindfulness practices and being mindful of the Earth came together in programming.
We began the day with a "sunrise" paddle down at the waterfront at 7:00 a.m. Anne Taylor, Cultural Archivist at Curve Lake First Nation, provided an acknowledgment of the land and gave a beautiful blessing for the day. Before our 23 canoes touched the water, Anne placed a tobacco tie of gratitude, to bless and thank the water. It was so wonderful to be able to greet the day from our canoes with over 45 members of our school community.
As part of the THRIVE program this year, we are introducing the benefits of mindfulness, meditation and yoga to students and staff through the collective wisdom and experience of Ali Smith, Atman Smith, and Andres Gonsalves, founders of the Holistic Life Foundation. These three men, through their organization, have helped to change the experience of thousands of at-risk youth in Baltimore - and their work in empowering individuals and communities through yoga, mindfulness and self-care has received national and international attention.
As a community, we began our day out in The Grove, among our beautiful trees, with an acknowledgment of the land. Ali, Atman, and Andy then set our intention for the day. Our intention was to "be open to whatever presents itself today" We also ended our day back in The Grove, revisiting that intention to "be" fully present for our celebration of Earth Day.
The HLF facilitated two - two hour yoga and mindfulness sessions in the gym, theatre and outdoors for all of our students. LCS staff were encouraged to participate in these sessions. The sessions were a mixture of working through breathing techniques, yoga postures and the sharing stories about how meditation can be an effective tool for mental wellbeing.
The Grade 9 and 12 students participated together in a variety of activities planned by the students of LEAF (Lakefield's Environmental Action Force) on campus for the morning of Earth Day. Options included: building birdhouses, hiking on the new trails, disc golf, outdoor basketball, canoeing, making natural cosmetics and reusable bags, outdoor sketching, nature photography...and the list went on. It was a wonderful chance to take in and be grateful for our beautiful campus and the sun was shining.
In the afternoon, all Grade 10 students participated in the Blanket Exercise as an important extension of "being on Earth Day." Anne Taylor and three Indigenous leaders from the Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabekwag Services Circle (NASC) facilitated the opportunity for our students to learn about the historic and contemporary relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. "Being on Earth Day" involves understanding and appreciating the Indigenous Peoples. As part of the Grade 10 History course, we believe it is imperative that our students experience the Blanket Exercise and our hope is that all of our students and staff will be part of a Blanket Exercise in the near future. It is our honour and our responsibility as Canadians to respond to the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
At the same time as the Grade 10s were participating in the Blanket Exercise, the Grade 11s were involved in Operation Algonquin - an afternoon of training for their Algonquin Expedition which will begin their grad year. In small groups, students practiced setting up tarps, tents and lighting stoves. They also spent time on the water, practicing their paddling techniques and finessed their portaging skills. The time together helped to get the grade 11s excited for their grad year, and to start thinking tangibly about the challenges and rewards of the Algonquin Expedition.
During Co-Curriculars, the HLF group facilitated a dynamic yoga class with the yoga, riding, fitness, softball, and waterfront students. Over 100 people participated in this wonderful class.
The day didn't end there with Ali, Atman, and Andy. From 6:15 to 6:45 pm, they led a guided walking, seated, or lying down meditation for our community and all of our community members. At 7 pm, they led a discussion around "Breathing Life into Communities" in the Bryan Jones Theatre, which was live-streamed to our wider community.
The rain cleared for long enough that evening for LCS students celebrated the end of a beautiful Earth Day with a bonfire, laughter and S’mores in our new Community Garden.
"Being on Earth Day" for our community was intentionally crafted to allow us all to be right here, right now and to choose to be in the present moment and nowhere else. From the moment the sun rose to the moment it set (and even beyond), a more blissed out, grounded community could not be found.
We are so blessed to be part of such a loving, compassionate community in which every person embraced the opportunity of "Being on Earth Day."
School Information
4391 County Road 29, Lakefield Ontario K0L 2H0 705.652.3324 admissions@lcs.on.ca
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Lakefield College School is a private, coeducational boarding and day school for students in grades 9 through 12, located in Lakefield, Ontario, Canada.
We respectfully acknowledge that Lakefield College School is located on the Treaty 20 Michi Saagiig territory and in the traditional territory of the Michi Saagiig and Chippewa Nations, collectively known as the Williams Treaties First Nations, which include: Curve Lake, Hiawatha, Alderville, Scugog Island, Rama, Beausoleil, and Georgina Island First Nations. Lakefield College School respectfully acknowledges that the Williams Treaties First Nations are the stewards and caretakers of these lands and waters in perpetuity and that they continue to maintain this responsibility to ensure their health and integrity for generations to come.
We respectfully acknowledge that Lakefield College School is located on the Treaty 20 Michi Saagiig territory and in the traditional territory of the Michi Saagiig and Chippewa Nations, collectively known as the Williams Treaties First Nations, which include: Curve Lake, Hiawatha, Alderville, Scugog Island, Rama, Beausoleil, and Georgina Island First Nations. Lakefield College School respectfully acknowledges that the Williams Treaties First Nations are the stewards and caretakers of these lands and waters in perpetuity and that they continue to maintain this responsibility to ensure their health and integrity for generations to come.
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