Submitted by Pam Mielhausen,
Vice-Principal
Happy New Year! Both Peninsula schools enjoyed a busy and festive lead-up to the Winter Break, filled with celebration, community spirit, and memorable experiences for students.
Students and staff at BPDS (Bruce Peninsula District School) and St. Edmunds Public School came together for a delightful Festive Feast, complete with turkey and all the trimmings. The meal was generously sponsored by Tim Hayes and the Lion’s Head and Community Bottle Return Fund, whose support ensured that all students could enjoy this special holiday tradition. It was a wonderful treat and greatly appreciated by everyone involved.
The holiday spirit extended beyond the school walls as the BPDS Elementary Choir and the St. Edmunds Kindergarten class took to the streets of Lion’s Head, sharing carols at the local daycare and Golden Dawn. Their joyful voices and enthusiasm brought warmth and cheer to the community and made the season even more special.
Families were also welcomed into the schools for seasonal celebrations. BPDS hosted its Winter Concert, while St. Edmunds Public held its annual Joy Day. Both events showcased students’ talents through music, creativity, and performance, offering families a chance to experience the magic of the holiday season together. It was wonderful to see so many community members in attendance.
January has seen many, many snow days but we are still enjoying many learning experiences.
Our BPDS elementary cross country ski team have had lots of snow to practice and train. Their meet will be held later on in February in Hepworth.
Meanwhile, BPDS secondary students stayed active throughout the month, participating in curling practices and games, volleyball tournaments, and rehearsals for their upcoming Footloose production, set to take the stage in March.
Secondary Curling Team Report
This was the first year we had a curling team! The team, comprised of Myles (skip), Parker (vice), Lane (alternate vice), Lukasz (2nd) and Jakob (lead), and coached by Ashley Myles and Emily Cameron, started practices in late November. The boys had a great season and every other team coach commented on how well they played, seeing that this was the first year any of them had tried the sport of curling. The boys made many excellent individual shots and made some new friends along the way. Special thank you goes out to the Lion’s Head Curling Club and The Wiarton Club for giving up precious ice time to let the team practice, as well as Nathan Thomas (member of the Junior Provincial Team) for lending his expertise to the boys, and to Earl Cameron for being a parent coach. Coaches Myles and Cameron say that we will be having a Curling team next year, so kids can “hurry hard” in 2027!
Outers Winter Camp
Where was all this snow and cold temperatures when the Outers were at Winter Camp!?
The BPDS Outers headed to the Bluewater Outdoor Education Center (BOEC) from January 13-15 for their annual Winter Camp, only to be met with anything but wintery conditions. The Outers hauled their gear to the BOEC Spry Campground on a mild, rainy January day. The group realized there wouldn’t be enough snow for traditional quinzhee building even if temperatures were to drop. The Outers embraced that they would just have to make do with their tents. The Outers played lots of games and tried their best to stay dry from the rain.
By day 2 winter conditions were starting to arrive. Temperatures dropped from 2 degrees Celsius to -5, with wind chills expected to reach -25 degrees overnight! Extra sleeping bags were delivered to help the Outers stay warm that night. To help students stay warm they enjoyed hanging around the fire, exploring the trails – spotting a porcupine along the way- and playing games. Sardines, flashlight, handball and sled-dog races were among the most popular activities.
On day 3 we woke up to find out that Highway 6 was closed, and it was cold and stormy. After a hearty breakfast, the group packed up and waited for updates. Fortunately, the highway reopened early that afternoon, allowing everyone to return home safely. Although, if the storm persisted the Outers would have survived with the amount of food that they brought!
Although the Outers missed the opportunity to sleep in quinzhees this year, they still had a blast. With new skills under their belts, students are well-prepared to try snow-shelter building in the future. For now, the Outers are looking ahead with excitement as they prepare for their eight-day Algonquin canoe trip this May.
Girls Secondary Volleyball Team Update
Our BPDS senior girls’ volleyball team has had a great and challenging season this year. Our girls started the season off by hosting their first few games of the schedule here at BPDS. We had multiple compliments and comments from the community about how our girls graciously hosted the schools from down south!
Our next outing had us braving the winter storms, heading down to St. Mary’s with only 6 players. The girls persevered through the challenges to earn their first win of the season. Woohoo!
The coaching staff has been thrilled with the development of our players and would like to give a shout out to the Grade 9 players, who had a large burden on their shoulders learning a new system and when playing against senior level teams. As well as our senior student athletes that continue to show dedication and commitment to our team. You all make us proud to be a Panther!
