2010 Olympic Day Healthy Commotions Day Proposal

By G. Casey, November 2009

First and foremost, as any modern day civilized culture and society well recognizes, the Olympic Games are held as a symbol of peace and harmony among all nations throughout the world.  They symbolize the unifying of cultural and societal diversities through culture, recreation and sport.

Here at St. Peter’s Academy, a K-9 school located near the ocean, situated on the beautiful Bay of Islands, we pride ourselves on many of our outdoor pursuits as part of our school’s curriculum.  Our school is nestled beneath the backdrop of the Blow Me Down Mountains, which are well known to many as a geologist’s “delight”.  The Blow Me Down Mountains are often snow-capped until mid summer.  The awesome waterfalls and cliffs of these majestic mountains provide the perfect setting for photographers, hikers, and all who have a keen interest in enjoying nature in a tranquil and pristine environment.

For any individual who has visited the West Coast of Newfoundland, you are very aware that we could elaborate in much greater detail as to our wonderful geographic location and what this unique area has to offer.  On a glorious winter’s day in February, the location of St. Peter’s Academy nestled between the ocean and Clarke’s Brook as it flows within meters of our school from high atop the Blow Me Down Mountains, and the scenic Blow Me Down Mountains provide the perfect setting to celebrate the 2010 Living Healthy Commotion for the Province of Newfoundland.

On that particular Day, February 22^nd , 2010, we are proposing an array of student/staff and community activities.  The majority of those activities will take place on a field adjacent to St. Peter’s Academy.

All of our activities will focus on the values of the 2010 Olympic Games being held in Vancouver, Canada.  Namely, those values are:  (a.) Friendship; (b.) Fair Play and (c.) Pursuit of Excellence.  We will demonstrate how these three values connect to the three pillars of the Olympic Games;  Sport, Culture and Sustainability.

Proposed Activities

>  Breakfast for students, staff and community with the Olympic Mascot and Olympic Flame                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               in attendance.

>  All wearing the different colors of the three Intramural  House Teams (approximately 60-                                    70 students in each group).  The school’s student Intramural Program has been in existence for 25 years.  Student pride is often ecstatic to say the least.

>  Torch walk to the field.  Oh, can you not feel the cold, clear winter air of Western Newfoundland as you meet the crisp winter air off the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

>  Playing of O’Canada on softball field.

>  We will have our entire staff and student population of 200 involved.  Furthermore, we                                               will guarantee a large representation of our parent community along with local, Provincial and Federal politicians in attendance.

>  Student / staff / community winter activities for fun, recreation and entertainment: Snowshoe races; Tug-of-War; Fire Lighting & Kettle Boil Contest;

→   Igloo  Construction                               →         Trapper’s Tent Display.

→   Snow Cave Construction                      →         Lean – To Construction

→   Treasure Hunt on Snowshoes.

→   GPS Session on Snowshoes

→   Winter Boil and Cook Up of traditional Newfoundland Cuisine including moose, seal                                                   meat,  smoked kippers, toasted bread, caplin, muffins and other Newfoundland treats which will satisfy the appetites of several hundred individuals after spending a day in the cool, fresh Newfoundland outdoors.

→   The Ode  to  Newfoundland

→   Traditional NL Tunes.  “Let me Fish off Cape St. Mary’s”  and “Salt Water Joys”. 

An array of traditional Activities Display and Demonstrations involving citizens of our community:  Such as:

→   Snow Shoe Making Display

→   Salmon Fly Tying

→  Knitting of traditional items Socks, Mitts, etc.

→  Playing by locals of musical interest like the accordion, fiddle.

→  Local Rug Hooking Display.

→  Display of Local Bay of Islands Dory.

→  Display on Local Plants & Trees.

→  Local Paintings

St. Peter’s Academy is a proud school on the South Shore of the Bay of Islands.  As a community, we have a 27 hear history serving the children, parents and grandparents of this area.  To coincide with Newfoundland Day at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, the staff / students and community of St. Peter’s Academy would be honored to have the opportunity to be the school chosen to demonstrate our Olympic Spirit and to display that spirit on an international stage to the rest of the world.