The Grade 9s and 10s Call to Adventure

As Joseph Campbell would put it, each of the students had to undertake the “Hero’s Journey” to get to where they are now. The “Hero’s Journey” is an archetype describing how a hero leaves their ordinary life to face challenges and become victorious. Through their “trials and failures” they are transformed and experience a “growth” to become a better version of themselves. In order to experience this growth, it begins with a “call to adventure” where the hero must journey into a “new and unknown world”. 

During the week of September 15, the Grade 9s and 10s embarked on their “Hero’s Journey” that began when they accepted a “call to adventure” to journey to Powell Lake, their “unknown world”  for an unforgettable 3C Outdoor Ed trip to learn, challenge and explore the depth of their “courage, community and connection”. 

The first of many “trials and failures” involved the students making a choice between an “Expedition,” going on a hike and camping in a tent, or “Base Camp,” staying at the campsite. After arriving at the campsite, they were divided into pods; these were the groups they had to remain with for the entirety of the trip. 

Every day, each pod faced different team-building activities, such as hiking, swimming, canoeing and rock climbing as part of their growth to strengthen the students’ relationship with one another—and with themselves.

“‘I really liked canoeing. It was my first time trying the skill and it was really fun,” said Winson Liu ’28. “I would even say that the definition of canoeing is collaboration.” 

Another preferred activity was hiking. “My favourite part of the trip for me was going on a hike and seeing whales in the ocean because it was such a fun, gorgeous and one-in-a-lifetime experience,” shared Norah Phillips ’29.

For many people, going on an overnight camping trip and spending time outdoors was the highlight. Haruka Usada ’28 said, “For me, the most memorable thing was seeing the stars at night—they were really beautiful.” 

For students from busier places, this trip spent in the natural world was definitely an experience that many enjoyed. 

Tristan Staniforth ’28 described the opportunity to connect with nature as ‘unique’. “It was definitely unlike anything I’ve ever experienced,” said Tristan. 

Despite the challenges and the constant demand for problem-solving skills, students still found joy in everything they did. 

“I think this trip really helped me learn more about the 3C’s by living with other people, deepening my bond with my community and fostering connections with new people,” said Norah Phillips ’29. “I learned so much courage seeing my friends step outside of their comfort zones and still have so much fun!” 

“Going to Powell Lake taught me how we really needed to be connected to our community because it can always surprise and astound us with something new,” said Kate Mclaren ’29. 

For Liam, finding new friends and building stronger connections with his friends taught him the lesson of community. “I had the courage to try new things like the expedition and create new friends through the community and create stronger connections with my friends,” shared Liam Wood ’29.

Every student, and even teacher, experienced huge amounts of growth and returned from this memorable journey changed for the better. From wanting to skip the trip but ending up on the bus, to facing an unknown world full of challenges, our Gryphons have proved their grit, ultimately showing their growth and dedication to our 2025/2026 Senior School motto: Gryphon Grit. 

In September, students in Grades 9 and 10 headed out on the inaugural 3Cs Outdoor Education Adventures at Powell Lake Outdoor Learning Centre. This new mulit-day outdoor education experiential learning program focused on building courage, community and connection (the 3Cs) within our Grade 9 and 10 student groups.