Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Chad Klassen

CAMPS FOR PARKCREST

Parkcrest students enjoy week full of activities at Kamloops SPCA

Sep 13, 2019 | 4:15 PM

KAMLOOPS — Parkcrest Elementary students displaced by last week’s school fire have been keeping themselves busy in the absence of school.

While some students have used the free time as a one-week break, others have been keeping their minds busy learning at free camps across the city.

At the Kamloops SPCA, a group of 16 kids from Parkcrest have been taking part in activities at the Community Animal Centre near the airport. They’ve learned about what the SPCA does and how they care for animals.

“It’s been pretty fun. We get to play with animals,” said Parkcrest student Linden Aaltonen. “We get to do lots of literacy stuff. It’s just like school, but funner (sic).”

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Another student said, “It’s been really good. I’ve like it. I loved this camp. I was here over the summer. I fell in love with this cat named Rudley. This place is awesome. I love how they take care of animals that need homes.”

Madison Wiberg, going into her final year of elementary school, had a blast at this week’s camp. But she also is sad that her former school is gone.

“I won’t get to see the new school because I’m in Grade 6 and this is my last year,” she said. “It’s very sad that, three days into school, it burned down.”

The Kamloops SPCA was one of many organizations to offer free activities to Parkcrest students. The staff is happy with how it all came together so quickly.

“It’s been an amazing week. It was a little bit hectic on Friday when we were trying to figure out how to make this camp work. But we had some wonderful people step forward and volunteer to help out this week, so we were able to put it on. It’s been amazing,” said SPCA regional humane educator for Kamloops and region Deirdre Campbell.

“The kids have been just so willing to learn and play the games and spend time with the animals. We’ve seen some animals come out of their shell this week with the kids as well, so it’s just been a really good experience for both the kids and the animals.”

The students can now look forward to their new school, George Hilliard. They re-start the school year there on Monday (Sept. 16).

“It’s very nervous going to a new school, but all of our friends and everything from that school are going there,” said Wiberg. “But it’s just, you don’t know everything about the school. You don’t know everywhere around it.”