Students active in curling

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Published on Saturday, March 14, 2015

By Jessie Bell

The winter sport of curling is dominant in the March issue of The Rambler, Rivers Collegiate’s newsletter. The high school was host to five visiting entries in the Zone 7 bonspiel competing for a berth to go to curling provincials in The Pas. Brenda Gerrard coached the local girls rink; that championship was won by Carberry. 

Quinn Robins skipped the undefeated local boys over Erickson, MacGregor, Neepawa and Carberry, winning both A and B sides of the draw. This made them eligible for competition with 15 others rinks from around Manitoba. Quinn’s rink of Justin Gerrard, Connor English and Beau Bridgeman defeated Gimli but had difficulty adjusting to a different sheet of ice, and were defeated by Ed Schreyer School in Beausejour.

On their third game, they defeated Calvin Christian School (Winnipeg), then lost to Major Pratt of Russell. Numerous coaches commented on how respectful and sportsmanlike the Rivers foursome was, especially in defeat; Beausejour won the championship.

Approximately 60 Grade 7 and 8 students have had some curling lessons as part of their physical education classes. Rolling River School Division’s (RRSD) junior high bonspiel had an entry of 10 rinks from around the division. The viewing lounge at Riverdale Community Centre was packed with spectators all day. Erickson won over Forrest for the championship. The Rivers rink of Brenda English, Hashim Faroq, Shelby Bartlette and Taryn Erickson were consolation winners, defeating Tanner’s Crossing of Minnedosa. Clayton Robins has been their coach.

The girls rink also competed in Zone 7 with games against Minnedosa, Gladstone, Glenboro, Erickson, Carberry and MacGregor. Although the scoreboard didn’t register a win for Rivers, they were not easy to play against due to their “never quit” attitude.

Grade 10 outdoor education students spent a day at Spruce Woods provincial park developing winter survival skills, making outdoor wood fires, quinzees (shelters) and learning about winter edibles available in southwestern Manitoba. Students are busy constructing a model wind turbine they will use to learn about wind energy and electric current generation as an alternative energy source.

Students are focusing on badminton, with the RRSD tournament scheduled for April 23 in Forrest and Minnedosa.

Rivers Rams basketball tournament on March 4 had two boys teams entered and one girls team. Grade 7 boys were in the A division and Grade 8 boys were in AAs; the girls entered a mixed 7/8 team in AAs. Both boys teams won their games over Forrest, Douglas, Tanner’s Crossing, Onanole and Rapid City, to receive the A division championship.

Seven students participated in Westman Honour Band, rehearsing with 170 other students in preparing for a concert on Valentine’s Day. Eight Grade 11 and 12 band students travelled to Winnipeg Optimist Festival where they were very interested in listening to the many performances by bands from all over Manitoba. Grade 8s are preparing for Level One festival in Brandon on April 28.

The Grade 9-11 French class attended Festival du Voyageur in St. Boniface. They toured Fort Gibraltar, learning about the duties of a body guard, his clothing and musket. Other visits included the non-heated jail, the fort’s defence tower and a voyageurs’ cabin. That was all accomplished in one day; the next morning they entered a building where they did an activity called Swing Your Partner. This was one of the favourite spots of the tour as students learned two dances voyageurs would have done. Lunch was in a tent at Fort Riviere (Red River) and a look at souvenirs and snow sculptures. “Concours des Meulleurs” involved in tug of war, arm and leg wrestling. Students were quizzed on what they learned, before being given maple syrup on a stick. Students also watched a play about Marie-Anne, the first woman to live in the same area as Frist Nations people, along with her husband Jean Baptiste. It was about their struggles in starting their lives from square one and the birth of their seven children, all born without the help of doctors. While at St. Boniface museum, students learned about Louis Riel and how Métis and many other people consider him the father of Manitoba.