There is a lengthy list of topics students at Prince Albert Collegiate learn before they graduate, but this one might be the most relaxing.
On Wednesday, May 27, students at the Prince Albert high school were at Steep Creek east of the city for an afternoon of fishing and swimming. For students like Layla Mogg, it’s a welcome change from sitting in a classroom.
“It’s been really interesting,” Mogg said. “We got to go to quite a few places.”
While students enjoyed the afternoon, the recreational activities marked the end of a period of serious work.
Before the fishing started, students released nearly 100 rainbow trout into the pond. They received 100 rainbow trout eggs from a fish hatchery in Fort Qu’Appelle in January, then raised them throughout the semester as part of their Outdoor Adventures class.
It’s part of the Fish in Schools program, which local schools like Prince Albert Collegiate take part in with support from the Prince Albert Wildlife Federation.
“I think it’s really important for hands-on learners and visual learners,” Mogg said. “You actually get to go out and do the thing instead of sitting in a classroom and listening to people talk.”
Teacher Jordan Holmen oversees the Outdoor Adventures class. This is the fifth year Holmen and his Prince Albert Collegiate students have participated in the Fish in Schools program. Before that, he helped oversee it at Riverside School in Prince Albert.
He said the program helps boost student confidence.
“You see them grow more than just academically,” Holmen explained. “Of course, that is the primary purpose of school—the academics—but it stays with them so much more if they can put a place or an image to a concept and they also grow together as students.”
Before releasing their fish into the pond, students take the temperature of both the pond and the fish tank they used for transportation. If the temperature difference is too extreme, Holmen said it will actually shock the fish, making it less likely they will survive.
Prince Albert Collegiate’s Jason Merasty was among several students who cast a line into Steep Creek after the class released nearly 100 rainbow trout into the fish pond as part of the Fish in Schools program.
Fortunately, Wednesday’s temperature check shows little difference between the tank and the pond, and the students are able to send their fish into Steep Creek without any worries.
“They’re community gathering spots for more than just us,” Holmen said when asked about local fish ponds. “It also gives students the ability to build a skill and build a connection to a place they could come visit again after … they graduate.
“They hopefully will have come away with a healthy lifestyle and a good habit and a great hobby that they can embrace.”
Prince Albert Collegiate is one of several local schools that help stock nearby fish ponds through the Fish in Schools program. The Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation, as well as the local chapter in Prince Albert, help cover the cost of aquariums, supplies, and delivery of the fish eggs.
Holmen said that support is instrumental to their success.
“We couldn’t be more thankful of the funding they provide us and the support they give us year after year,” he said. “We’ve got to really give it to them for helping us support the kids.”
@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca
