Paul Voskamp, the grade six teacher, says he wanted to see the students taking some ownership of the fundraising for the class trip. The floor hockey tournament seemed like a good way to accomplish that.

“It’s a great way for the kids to be involved,” he says.

Evan Manneh and Nathan Fisher take a break to pose for the camera

Hannah, a grade six student, worked as one of the sales clerks during the hockey tournament, selling candy, pop, pizza, popcorn and ice cream to players and spectators. Not an avid hockey player herself, she preferred working at the canteen. “I thought it was quite fun,” she says.

Ian, another student, also helped sell items during the tournament. He says he was glad to see that the canteen had a lot of customers, which meant more funds raised for the trip.

Brett, a third grade six student, played on one of the teams. Involved in the sport for four years now, he helped bring his team to victory. He notes that the best part of the tournament was the last and winning game.

Voskamp says that if students couldn’t participate in the tournament on Saturday, they were involved in the other activities throughout the week, either preparing for the tournament or selling other items.

“We had about 90 per cent participation,” he says.

The students are at Fair Glen, an outdoor Christian education centre, this week for their class trip.

The centre offers an opportunity for students to learn about God’s creation through a variety of activities in a natural setting. Students get hands-on experience with outdoor and wilderness living. They also do a practical study of a variety of topics like meteorology, geography and cultural history. The centre teaches a Biblical creationist view of the world, and helps students learn how to become creation stewards.