Collingwood's unique trimester timetable at the Senior School is allowing classes to go beyond the typical school structure and offer an immersive experience. In the final term, H-Block – which lasts roughly one month – students take one course five days a week. With 100% of academic time focused on a single subject, some classrooms are moved to less traditional spaces – like out on the ocean in kayaks, the cobblestone streets of Brooklyn, NY, or a backcountry campsite.

With laptops traded in for paddles, pens for cameras, and books for maps, students experience an education like no other. Read the snapshots below for the exciting details around three of our most immersive and H-Block classes.

Explore 9

The Explore 9 Class along with Mr. Waters, Ms. Deane, and special guest star Mr. Coxford went on a five-day trip to Strathcona Provincial Park on Vancouver Island. The main mission was a four-day, three-night canoe trip down the Buttle Lake-Upper Campbell Lake chain.
Highlights included cooking on campfires, sleeping under a tarp and learning to do more with less in the great outdoors. One group crafted a sail out of their tarp and enjoyed a speedy push down the lake! We now have some expert backcountry cooks who specialize in making "Potato Glop" taste better than it sounds and a few even mastered the tasty gulp.

Paddlers developed their outdoor skills while learning self-reliance, navigation techniques, emergency preparedness, and problem solving. Before the trip, classes focused on trip planning, where students studied maps and routes, and determined what resources they would need.

Explore 9 had a quick touchdown at school and then set off on another backpacking trip.

Life Sciences 11: Field Studies

This term, Life Sciences 11 had an amazing time on Gabriola and De Courcy islands engaging in field studies to explore the biodiversity of the intertidal and terrestrial ecosystems. Students cited the biodiversity blitz, conducted under the guidance of a Vancouver Island University biologist, as one of the highlights of the trip. 

They found a huge variety of species, including sea asparagus; which tastes very salty! Students also quantified marine life through an intertidal quadrat study and identifying plankton captured from a plankton tow. It was amazing to see all of the organisms that live in the water we were kayaking through! Visiting the Garry Oak ecosystem, which is unique to south-east Vancouver Island, and considering the impact of invasive species was eye-opening as most of the organisms identified were non-native. However, it was reassuring to see the restoration work being carried out here by the Garry Oak Ecosystem Recovery Team. The class returned a little tired from five days in the field, but exhilarated by what they had learnt!

Adventures in Film 11

For one week, New York City became the classroom for Adventures in Film 11. Focusing on short-form content — advertising, PSAs, and vlogging — students drew inspiration from New York’s diverse neighborhoods. From Midtown and Times Square to the West Village and Soho; from the Upper East Side and Central Park to Williamsburg and Queens, each area offered a unique style and aesthetic.

Students visited the Museum of the Moving Image, vlogged about vintage shops in Williamsburg, and took a live TV broadcasting class in Downtown Brooklyn. They selected an artwork from MoMA and recreated it using real-life locations, participated in an advertising workshop at the Paley Center for Media, and created original ads for local restaurants. They enjoyed a rooftop cinema event and watched The Outsiders musical on Broadway. A special highlight included connecting with a Collingwood alum who shared stories about her career path while walking through Central Park. This immersive trip indeed brought the creative process to life.