Val Marie School Makes Top Four in Canada's Coolest School Trip Contest

The students of Val Marie School have earned a spot in the top four for Canada's Coolest School Trip Contest.

The grade 6 to 9 students have won an all expense paid overnight trip to Fort Walsh, after they put together a video about Grasslands National Park entitled "Great Glorious Grasslands" in the nation-wide competition that featured 55 other videos.

Principal of Val Marie School, Angela Clement says Parks Canada has told them Fort Walsh will roll out the red carpet for an experience they will not forget.

"They're going to get to be part of a courtroom trial like it was 100 years ago, tour the fort buildings with interpreters in costumes, and the staff there is going to do a cannon and firing demonstration for the students. They'll have a whole natural historic site to themselves for the night as they tent within those palisade walls."

Clement says they had just over 30,000 votes in the competition, adding that they may enter next year's competition.

"The students have talked about it and they learned so much, so for that reason alone I probably would think about doing it again. We'll have to see what next year brings, but I think the important thing is this will have helped them gain some confidence in themselves and learn that no matter what you're size is you can make a difference, you just have to be brave enough to give it a try," she said. "It was absolutely amazing right from start to finish. Val Marie school and the community and the whole southwest have shown what big hearts they have as they pulled together to support our students to win that contest. I want to thank everyone that worked so hard to make the project so special for our students."

Caledonia Regional High School in Hillsborough, New Brunswick took first place, a free trip to La Mauricie National Park in Quebec, with their video on Fundy National Park.