SMUS Grade 11 Outtrips — SMUS Outdoor Education

GRADE 11 OUTTRIPS:

Sept 14-18, 2024 (overnight Away trips)

SEPT 16, 17 & 18, 2024 (LocaL DAy trips)

Welcome to the Grade 11 Outtrip page. These 3-5 day outdoor trips — or “outtrips”— are designed to help students learn and develop general outdoor skills, make new friends, visit new areas of British Columbia, spend time outdoors in nature and develop specific activity skills (hiking, surfing, kayaking…). Working with our professional outdoor guides, the students will also be challenged to work on their time management, organization, tolerance for adversity/uncertainty, equipment care, risk assessment/management and communication skills.

Within each set of outtrips, we offer a variety of trip options to allow students and parents/guardians to find a trip that works for everyone in terms of experience, risk tolerance, pre-requisites and interest. The trip information booklets can be accessed through the trip links below. Please read the trip information carefully and email the OED office if you have questions.

Outtrip Participation

The outtrips are considered school days and the expectation is that all students will participate in the trips. There are no classes for grade 11 students during the outtrips.

OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP COURSE TRY OUTS

Grade 11 students interested in taking the Grade 11/12 Outdoor Leadership course need to try out for the course during their grade 11 outtrip. Any of the away/overnight trips will work as a try out for the course. Students do not need to be expert campers to try out for or take the Outdoor Leadership course. They do need to be determined to develop their outdoor and communication skills and they should be positively engaged in all aspects of their try out. Additional course information can be found on the Outdoor Leadership webpage. If students miss the grade 11 outtrip due to illness, an alternate try-out will be arranged.

Equipment and Gear:

The OED equipment room includes a wide assortment of camping, paddling and hiking equipment. We are tremendously appreciative of the SMUS Parents’ Auxiliary and individual parents for their generous support of the OED program and equipment room over the years. This support allows us to provide the group gear (tents, tarps, stoves, kayaks…) for the trips as well as a wide range of individual items (backpacks, sleeping bags, rain gear, hiking boots…) which are lent out to students for the trips. The equipment list for each trip can be accessed through the trip links below.

STEPS AND TIMELINE:

Trip Selections (~10 weeks before trip): Trip options are sent to students and families. Parents/guardians are also sent the trip selection form to indicate their child’s preferred trips. Students are then sorted into trips by a lottery system, once we have verified that trip pre-requisites have been met.
Trip lists posted and trading (~8 weeks before trip): Once the trip lists have been posted, students will have an opportunity to review the list and request to switch trips or trade places with other students. Students hoping to switch or trade trips are required to first consult with their family to ensure the new trip is suitable and they meet the pre-requisites.
Permission forms (~4 weeks before trip): Parents/Guardians are required to complete an online SMUS Acknowledgement of Risk form for their child’s trip. They may also be required to complete an external company waiver if we hire a company to run portions of a trip. A link to the forms will be sent by email directly to parents/guardians. These forms must be completed by a parent/guardian and cannot be completed by students. Information on the permission forms will only be accessed by SMUS staff and outdoor guides preparing for and running the trips.
Pre-trip meetings (1-2 weeks before trip): The OED department staff will meet with students prior to the trips to answer general and trip-specific questions. Parents are asked to email the OED department (craig.farish@smus.ca) with any questions.
Equipment and Clothing: The equipment list for each trip can be accessed through the trip links below. Guides will complete an equipment/gear check with their group prior to starting outdoor activities each day.

TRIP INFORMATION:

Please note that there are two categories of outtrips:

Local Day Trips are three days in duration and students return home or to their boarding house each evening. Trips take place on Southern Vancouver Island, generally within about an hour’s bus ride of SMUS. Students will bring their own food with them each day. Boarding students will be provided with bag lunches.

Overnight Away Trips are 5 days in duration and students will be away for the entire time. These trips take place on Vancouver Island and Southern BC, but well outside of Victoria (Tofino, Ucluelet, Strathcona Park, Penticton, Juan de Fuca trail and Cowichan). Any of the overnight/away trips will work as a try out for the Outdoor Leadership course.