It was like something out of a reality TV Show.
Monday morning, roving teams of teachers from George Greenaway Elementary in Cloverdale took to the streets, clues in hand, as part of a special pro-d day "Amazing Race".
Instructors and school staff had to solve clues to find 10 pit stops in the historic downtown, and perform a skill-testing task at each stop in order to win their next clue.
Stops included the Clova cinema, Surrey Museum, Cloverdale fire hall, seniors centre, library and more.
Their community newspaper was also on their list; teams had to write 100-word essays answering the question: Why is George Greenaway the best school in Cloverdale? They were then asked to deliver the breaking news to the editor.
Somehow, the savvy teams all managed to locate the office of the Cloverdale Reporter, at 17586 56A Ave., Surrey, where they each received a valuable lesson in deadline writing.
Essays were written on everything from recycled red construction paper (complete with missing cut-off corners from a previous project) and narrow, grocery list-style notepaper to a more traditional lined sheet of foolscap.
The award for "catchiest lede" might go to the team that started their essay with the grabby question: "Looking for a great school to send your kids? George Greenaway is the place." It went on to describe a fun-filled staff and a location set in the heart of Cloverdale that offers a nurturing environment for a range of students, from the musically inclined to budding athletes.
The most heartfelt essay mentioned the school's garden – created to honour a young student who passed away several years ago.
The savviest essay described the school's new principal as "amazing and extremely supportive" and concluded with the pithy observation: "We love the Cloverdale Reporter."
No word on which team has won the Amazing Race. Watch for updates on this breaking education story.
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