The Green Build Experience

Jonah De Simone, Gr. 10

When the concept of the CDS’ first ever Breakout Week was announced, I remember being overwhelmed by the amount of incredible learning opportunities that were being offered to us. After all of the experiences were presented, there was one in particular that stood out to me; The Green Build Experience. This experience involved building an outdoor log shelter that would have a lasting impact for the CDS outdoor education program.

During the presentation, project supervisor Mr. MacMillan made note that not only would participating students gain the satisfaction of creating a structure that would have a lasting impact on the CDS property, but that we would also be receiving self improvement opportunities. For most of us students involved, it is likely that building a wooden lean-to will have been a once in a lifetime experience, however, the skills that were required to do so are skills that will prove to be extremely useful to us in our everyday lives.
 
During our build, we learnt and further developed skills such as job site safety, proper lifting technique, hammering a nail, drilling in an 11” barn screw properly without damaging the wood, using a drawknife to peel the bark off a log so it doesn't rot, and not to mention the value of an honest hard day’s work. In addition, we gained useful knowledge on when the appropriate time is to use a screw versus a nail. Participating in the Green Build also enhanced my basic understanding of the structure of shelters and buildings, something that I likely would not have known anything about without this experience.
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After picking up some steel toe boots on the weekend, I was ready for the big week ahead. Our small group gathered around the four cement piers in the ground, as we waited for Mr. MacMillan to inform us on the safety precautions and the overall plan. Following that we went straight to work, which mainly consisted of carrying lots of 6”x12’ logs to the “construction site” to be used for the first few layers of the shelter. This was probably the busiest day for Mr. MacMillan and Mr. Anderson because on top of teaching us how to square a building, they had to execute it well or else all of the mistakes could carry up through the roof.

The main task for the students this day was skinning (shaving the bark off of logs) and hammering in the deck. I think we all enjoyed hammering in the deck, because we got to hammer everything we saw, which is always fun. After a long day of building we were all ready to go back home for the night and enjoy some well deserved relaxation time.

After a hard first day at work, and a good night's rest, everyone came back ready on the second day to take on the next set of tasks Mr. MacMillan assigned as the daily goals. This was the last day we would be able to work from the ground, as at this point the building was getting higher than our heads. After a laborious morning that consisted primarily of heavy lifting and drilling, everyone gathered outside for what was a definite highlight of the day – lunch together. We shared great laughs with the teachers and students while munching on the delicious chicken fingers prepared by the CDS dining hall staff. By the end of the day, we had finished the base, so we hopped on ladders and began the early stages of the roof, screwing purlins and then cutting and fitting rafters!

The third day was by far the longest one due to the amount of minor adjustments needed to line up the logs the roof boards we were going to stand on. But I think everyone would agree that my ingenious music taste consisting of country, made it feel a little shorter, especially when everyone broke out singing to “Take Me Home, Country Roads”. Due to the fact that the logs were warped and were all different widths, we had to shave parts of the log off in order to level them up. Most of this work was done while sitting on the roof, so it was quite nerve-racking, but nonetheless still enjoyable, because this was the most involved we had been in the building process since at the beginning there was a lot of cutting and lining up, which the more experienced teachers were tasked with perfecting.

With a new music playlist in store, we felt ready to conquer the fourth and final day which was by far the best day of the experience, because the only task left for us was shingling the roof. This consisted of lots of hammering (our favourite part), even though whilst climbing the roof, we felt as if we were monkeys. By lunch, we had completed the structure and were rewarded with a delicious BBQ feast prepared by student “chef” Lucio and devoured by the rest of us.
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Land Acknowledgment

The Country Day School wishes to recognize and acknowledge the land on which the school operates. Our nearest Indigenous Nations are now the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Chippewas of Georgina Island. The Dish with One Spoon Wampum covenant is often cited as an example of the shared responsibility for caring for these lands among the Huron-Wendat, Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples who would call these their traditional territories. CDS respects the relationship with these lands and recognizes that our connection to this land can be strengthened by our continued relationship with all First Nations, by acknowledging our shared responsibility to respect and care for the land and waters for future generations.

School Information

13415 Dufferin Street King, Ontario L7B 1K5 
(905) 833-1220 

communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca

Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.

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