Year 11 PDHPE HIKE

Preparation for the hike had been in motion for weeks. Groups were put together, food started being packed, and necessary skills were learned, the only thing left to do was actually start walking. Thursday the 3rd of August started with a wave full of excitement and nervousness, but the bus came around and suddenly we were on our way. On the bus, we were divided into two groups, it was designated that one group would start at Kioloa and the other to start at East Lynne, the exact track still yet unknown. 

After the hour-and-a-half trip, the first group left the comfort of the air-conditioning, had a quick lunch break and the 13.5km walk in the heat of the sweltering winter began. Right along the south coast, the walk took us down to every beach available with a few favourites being Pretty Beach and Merry Beach. About 4 hours later, the rolling sand of Pebbly Beach made an appearance. Starting at East Lyne, the second group followed many sheltered fire trials that edged through Murramarang National Park, coming to the end of the 11km walk with a 3km stretch of bush-bashing, climbing under and over trees, and problem-solving a river crossing. Eventually, both groups met at Pebbly Beach. 

The afternoon was spent setting up camp, and the night was filled with stargazing, a full moon, laughter, card games and damper kindly prepared by the teachers. The next day started early at 6:30 am, the camp was packed up and the groups swapped walks with group one now walking to East Lynee and Group 2 walking to Kioloa. 

Overall the hike was one of the most positive experiences, being a very big highlight of Year 11 PDHPE. We would like that thank Mrs Gray, Mrs Isemonger, Mrs Semmens and Mr Higgins for all the preparation for planning this hike and for making it one of the most enjoyable experiences this year!  

Liv Bendall

YEAR 11 SLR

Monday? More like FUNDAY! Every Monday both Year 11 SLR classes go head to head in fitness based challenge activities. Push-up, ball-squat and sit-up challenges are some of the many activities Mr Leishman’s and Mr Vaughan’s classes complete in. These intense challenges usually finish with Mr Vaughans class winning thanks to his Drill Sergeant like training. 

Tom Brookes

During the double SLR periods, classes take a trip to the Pumpin Iron gym. Here, students complete workouts which have been created by themselves. These workouts vary greatly thanks to the wide variety of equipment available at Pumpin Iron; large cardio rooms full of machines, boxing equipment and the main weights room are all of great utility. Students are asked questions regarding safety and correct form during their workouts, in relation to the resistance training program assessment task for this term. Student engagement is excellent and the classes of SLR thoroughly enjoy this activity.

Oliver Higham 

YEAR 9 CHILD STUDIES

I had the opportunity to bring the infant home for the evening on August 8. Despite the fact that I had to wake up 12 times, it was a quite wonderful experience. It was a long night, and having to go to school the following day was challenging. Even though I had to give the baby back the next morning, I really wanted to keep it. Without a doubt I would definitely do this again. 

Alecksia Mouward

The baby for me was an amazing opportunity. It taught me that babies aren’t just cute and cuddly, they need patience and responsibility. 

Ashlynn Crangle

Having the mechanical baby overnight for me was an educational experience. It showed me that when a baby cries you have to figure out what they want and how long it takes for them to settle. Overall, I had a fun time.

Miriam Hutchinson

In child studies you have a chance to get an electronic simulator baby ( approx 4 months old) you get this baby for one night in year nine then in year ten you get this baby for the WHOLE weekend. This is a great experience because you have a chance to see what it’s like to have a baby. The things that you need to do with the baby is stop it from crying and you will also need to have the baby with you at all times because it will not stop crying until you put the right key in the babies back from doing all types of care including burping, feeding, attention, nappy change and this gives you the opportunity to learn about the routines and duty of care for a baby. Having this baby was a lot of fun because you get a great understanding of on why parents are sleep deprived and you get the understanding of what it’s like to have a baby. 

Jasmine Barber 

For us the baby was comforting to hold and we enjoyed the experience. The baby has taught us how difficult it can be to look after young ones.

Olivia Mangold and Ava Webber

YEAR 10 CHILD STUDIES

Year 10 Child studies have also been engaging with the simulator baby experience. The students have been responsible for caring for their babies for three consecutive nights over the weekend. 

Some quotes from the students include : ‘I gained my first wrinkle from this experience’, ‘it was a stressful but rewarding experience’ and ‘babies are hard work’. This is a great insight into caring for a newborn for these students.

Students are also in the process of creating their own story book which they will be printing off and gifting to some special little people. They have been engaging with a range of children's literature and enjoyed a visit to our school library and a talk with Mrs Brodie about some key concepts in writing children's story books.

BUSHCRAFT

YEAR 9

Bushcraft is a great way to learn and improve skills that are very useful. We have been learning about how to cook on trangias and set up sleeping tarps in preparation for our overnight trip in week 8. We have learnt about many useful techniques to navigate yourself in and out of school using a map and compass. We loved the rogaining, it was so fantastically good. 

Harry Carr and Taj Webb

YEAR 10 EXPEDITION

Despite all the challenges we faced on hiking expedition, we still put smiles on our faces when we tripped over logs and slipped down. We learnt great teamwork skills, an example is when we were standing/climbing in an arms width cliff passing our food and drink bottles through the hands of all 26 students that attended the overnight expedition, which led to the most beautiful view of all the mountains and valleys in that area. Our teachers led us well through the bush always shouting out words of encouragement and bringing us together to allow us to connect with one another. As the sun went down we found ourselves still breaking branches and snapping spikey bushes. We watched the stars appear in the clear night sky while enjoying the company of a helicopter 20 feet above us. As we met with emergency crews all our faces were brightened and we just couldn't wait to finally arrive at our campsite. Most of us were so cold, we couldn't even feel the prickles that covered our legs. A highlight of the trip sitting around the nice warm fire whilst enjoying each other's company and celebrating getting through the day. Overall the struggles made all of us individuals stronger than ever. Massive shoutout and thanks to Mr Higgins and Miss Semens for putting together this trip.

Sarelle Perkins

YEAR 10 ROCKCRAFT UNIT

 During both Term 2 & Term 3 in Bushcraft we have been studying and being involved with Rockcraft. We engaged in practical sessions, including a day at the Indoor Climb South Coast facility in Huskisson. We learnt about different knots, techniques of climbing and how to safely belay someone. Overall, Rockcraft has helped us challenge ourselves, overcome obstacles and develop positive attributes and skills.

Daniel Rajeev