Archives for May 2014

Gulf Islands Secondary School, Ganges

When the time, location and light are right, sometimes everything just clicks.
I was asked to get a photo of the new International Education Support Teacher. But, after looking at the studyinbc.ca website, I realized a student was also necessary. Fortunately I’d been working with a Gr. 12 work experience student on the GISPA photo shoot all morning. She was from Germany, so that’s International right? We stopped along the mezzanine above the multipurpose room (though I’ve heard it termed other things like ‘the multi’, or the less flattering—’multi-useless room’). The light’s often soft and indirect along the mezzanine so it’s a great photo spot. Except at the start of lunch, which it was. 700 people frequent the halls of that school at lunch…
But with one simple direction both the teacher, who looks way too young (I mean, really!), and the students (one Asian girl and one German girl joined us—they have lunches in their off-camera hands) turned this improvised scene into a believable photo with great interaction and mood.
This is a wonderful high school by the way, filled with great kids and an increasingly young and dynamic staff. Extraordinary learning experiences occur daily on that campus. It’s unfortunate that we go about our daily lives not knowing or experiencing just what goes on at GISS.