Though Saskatchewan has been in the full throes of winter for some time, severe temperature drops on Friday, Jan. 18 caused buses not to run in the Living Sky School district. Unfortunately, that same day was slated for the famous ‘Bus to Swim’ program to begin.
The program had been slated to run for five weeks, where on Fridays the involved students would depart from the school and attend lessons at the North Battleford public swimming facility. In an effort to cut down on buses, the program of the previous year shortened the length of the program by half and doubled the amount of time students spend at the lessons. In so doing, costs were cut in terms of transportation without forgoing the time kids spend with this exercise.
With the sudden shock of cold weather, it seemed that the program could risk losing a week. Quick action on the part of Medstead Central School developed a solution within the day. An additional swimming day is to be tacked on to the schedule, where on the week of Feb. 4, there will be two trips to the pool.
The ‘Bus to Swim’ program is a popular part of the physical education curriculum at the school, teaching life lessons and survival skills around water. Through quick thinking and fast action, the program will continue unencumbered by the time lost to the cold weather.
Of course, this is not the only exciting activity brought forth by Medstead School as students trek through the winter months. A ski trip to Table Mountain is scheduled for older students, specifically Grade 5 and up. In addition, the upcoming Drama Club’s dinner and dessert theatre is attracting attention with tickets available for Feb. 3 and 4.
Many hours of effort contribute to the execution of these intra and extracurricular activities, and through the dedication of teachers and staff, these programs can continue even through the torrid conditions of an icy Saskatchewan winter
