“The purpose of the trip was for kids to experience Canadian culture,” said Ms. Fiona Gachallan, one of the EAL teachers that accompanied the students throughout the trip. “And despite the cold, wet, and rainy weather, the kids had a good time.”
The 85 students began their day by bussing together to the Richmond Country farm, where they ate their lunches at a gazebo and proceeded to choose their pumpkins. “For most of them, it was their first time,” said Mr. Haymen Leong. “But seeing other kids at the farm doing the same helped them to understand what it means to celebrate Halloween and the harvest.”
The students participated in activities, such as riding in the wagon, listening to traditional music, and they even had a “hay fight” with other schools. After, they rode back to school and carved their pumpkins together in class. “This isn’t common in my country,” said grade 12 EAL student, Jestoni Lumingin. “But carving the pumpkin into a jack-o’-lantern and picking it out on the trip was a lot of fun.”
Leong also mentioned that throughout the year kids will be participating in many activities, such as snowshoeing, ice-skating, and cultural dinners. These are all run by Ms. Catherine Yamamoto, the multicultural organizer.
