Term 1 in Outdoor Ed kicked off with some team building and ‘get to know me’ games to build stronger relationships among the students. These games allowed everyone to come out of their shells and has allowed our students to work collaboratively in a comfortable supportive environment.  

This term we introduced some thrilling water activities that have helped our students connect with nature, challenge themselves and develop important life skills. We hit off term with some intro to surfing at Coles Beach, students were taught the basics of paddling, positioning and catching waves. It was amazing to watch everyone progress from first-time surfers to being able to catch and stand up on a wave.  

We continued on with an intro to kayaking at the Ulverstone Pool where we taught the students how to flip, paddle and get out of a rolled kayak as well as played some fun games to get them feeling more comfortable being in and around the water in kayaks. We also did an intro to snorkelling where we went through the basics of snorkelling and played some underwater hockey to get the feel of duck diving under the water with the snorkels while also adding a competitive edge and having some fun as crew. The students had a blast with our pool sessions and were keen to get outside and put what they had learnt into practice, so we ended up spending some lessons at Back Beach and The Bluff exploring around the rocks and seeing all the sea life!  

In week 4 Outdoor Leadership went on camp to Hollybank where they got to learn more about running a business in a high-risk environment and the protocol the business has to follow to ensure everyone’s safety. Along with being able to take part in the treetops course the class got to spend their second day mountain biking in Georgetown before making their way back to school.  

Come week 7, and our Outdoor Ed Term 1 camps began with one class heading over to the Forth Slalom course to do some white-water rescue activities and open water kayaking. This camp was a hit, and it was amazing to see everyone’s skills progress in a more exposed environment. We spent some time in the evening all cooking together on Trangias which the students had learnt how to use earlier in the term and had a campfire where we all got to hang out and get to know each other some more!  

Week 8 followed with two more classes going on camp, one to Stanley and the other back to the Forth Slalom course. Both these camps were also great fun and a nice trip away to get everyone to know each other better in a different environment. In Stanley we walked the Nut and camped at Black River, where we went for a swim and fish in the evening before dinner.  

In Week 9 we had our final camp for Term 1 where we made our way over to Narawntapu National Park. On this camp we walked up Archer’s Knob and back along Baker’s Beach and went for another swim and fish after setting up camp. All the students had a blast, and it was great to see them being able to put all their skills they had learnt during term into practice! To finish off term, we are holding a surf comp which will give all the Outdoor classes the opportunity to hang out together and spend the afternoon having some fun surfing!  

Neelam Grubb, teacher's assistant in the Outdoor Education department