Here are some of the stories written by Room 18:-

By Thomas (Room 18)

Yesterday room 18 and the year fours from room 23 went to

Waimairi beach surf life saving club to learn about being safe

In the water and learn about all the cool geer they had an IRB

( inflatable rescue boat.) We saw inside the medical room 

unfortunately someone had to experience it from a blue bottle

sting. We also saw all of the different types of the paddle bourds to rescue people with. After that we had morning tea.

Then we had rip safety and beach ed’s got talent. My one was always swim between the flags. Then we had beach games and lunch afterwards. Then we went to the sea. It was one of my favourite days of the year!

By Hannah (Room 18)

Yesterday on Monday 2nd December, room 18 and the year 4’s from room 23. We went to Waimairi Beach surf lifesaving club, for our Beach Education. We had to get to school early because we were leaving at 9:00am sharp. We got an extra-long bus, the bendy bus. There were only 30 children, heading over to the beach. I could hear ALL the children chattering away like birds squawking, all day and night. When we got there, we had to do quite a long walk to get there. When we got there one of the lifeguards came outside to tell us what we had to do. They showed us around the club. First she showed us the surfboards, if you wanted to try  the fibreglass one you had to be a certain age or you couldn’t do it. 16 or over, that's how old you have to be. Liv and Emme (those were their names) got us to get into 2 groups, to look around I was with Liv. After that we went to the IRB, an inflatable rescue boat. I heard a blunt knife clink out of the boat's pocket luckily it wasn’t THAT sharp, only the edges so they could free people who got stuck on a kite or something. Then we had a look at the First Aid room, there was a bed for the patients and something in a cupboard that said, “AED” and when you opened it up it made a beeping sound. It was for people's hearts if they weren’t working. You would stick it to their chest and electrocute their heart to make it restart. After morning tea, we all did beach ed’s got talent. We were all in different groups, my one was “If in doubt stay out.” After we went outside on the beach to play games. We played this one game that Liv made up. There were cones for the boundary. The left side was called “New Brighton.” The right side “Forest.” Up “Club” and downwards “Ocean”. Then when she says “surf”, you go on your bellies and pretend you’re in the ocean. Guess what we did next… We got to build sandcastles!! Me, Lily, Lucy and Olive we made a volcano with seaweed and seashells. We had another quick game called “Buddies up” My buddy was Lily. Buddies up, you piggyback them, buddies down you put them down, buddies run, you run around the circle and try not to be the last one back, buddies switch, switch spots, buddies through, go through their legs. The two final people were me and Lily vs Chloe and Evie but…. On the last one she said buddies run and we lost. Then we had lunch, if you wanted to you could get ready so I did. After everyone was ready we went out. You had to have a partner to decide who’s going to do what first. I did boogie boarding first and I got a lot of salt water in my mouth. When I got out, I got hosed down by Emme. It was so much fun I wish I could go there again someday.

 By Olive (Room 18)

Yesterday my class (Room 18) and all the year fours from room 23 went on the bendy bus to Waimairi Beach for the day. We started off by having a tour by Liv and Emmie the lifeguards. They showed us the IRB, the first aid room and the surfboards. Then we went back up to the

Surf club to have a chat about the beach. After that we went out to have morning tea then we went out for some beach games. We played build the best sandcastles and Lucy, Lily, Hannah and I made a volcano and the seaweed was the lava. Then we had to buddy up and I was with Lucy. After That We Had lunch. After we had our lunch, we had a long boring talk about rip currents. Then we went boogie boarding and human boogie boarding.  

By Ava (Rm 18)

One sunny day at Cotswold Matahae school 30 very excited children hopped on a very long bus. They were heading to Waimairi beach surf lifesaving club. The bus was longer than a normal bus’s width, it also can bend because of the turntable in the middle of the bus. Once we arrived we met these 2 lifeguards, their names were Liv and Emme. We all got split into 2 groups. Firstly we looked at the surf boards. Emme told us lots of things! It was freezing outside. After a while we went inside and grabbed our lunch boxes for morning tea, I could taste my delicious chicken chips. Next we did beach ed’s (Education’s) got talent, we all split into 6 groups and were given something to act out, my group got “always listen to a lifeguard's advice’’. So me and Ayden were flags because you need to stay between the flags, otherwise you’ll get caught in a rip, and a rip is a part of the ocean that looks calm, because a rip has no waves but it’s very deadly. Willow was a lifeguard, Ayden’s dad and Matthew were swimmers. After that we played lifeguard says, it’s basically Simon says but it’s lifeguard instead. Then we went outside and built sandcastles! After making them we played ’’Buddy up’’ and if you got eliminated you could make a new sandcastle. It was then lunch, everyone grabbed their lunch and ate. I could see the birds eating the food on the ground. After lunch we got into our togs and wetsuits. Once I got in the ocean I could hear the sounds of everyone's laughter and excitement. I could touch the boogie board and I could smell the fresh air. It was really cold. After a while we went back to school. I loved the trip and hope to go again.

By Lucy (Rm 18)

Beach Education

On Monday the 2nd of December 2024 Room 18 and 23 went to beach education. First we went on a two piece Bus. When we got there I could see all 

their life saving gear. There were 30 kids. Then they talked to us about water safety and boat safety. After we went to look at the first ad room.

Then we had morning tea I could smell yummy food all around me.

Next we went down to the sand to play games and make sand castles I could

Here the waves splash onto the sand.

Me, Hannah, Lucy and Olive made a volcano sand castle. The lava was seaweed and we decorated it with shells. I could feel the hot sand tickling me. After we went back to do beach eds got talent. We had Thomas, Lachie, Lucy, Grace, Thomas`s mum and Grace`s mum. We got a little piece of paper that told you what you had to do. We got swim between the flags. Next, they talked to us about rips and how to look for a calm patch of water.

Next, we talked about sun safety. Grace went up the front and put on all the sun safety gear. Then we had lunch. After lunch we had another rip talk. Then finally it was water time! First I dove under the waves. I could taste the salty water splashing into my mouth. I felt really cold water. Then me and Hannah swapped. I got her boogie board. It was so much fun. 

By Lily (Rm 18)   

On Monday 2nd December room 18 and room 23 year fours went to Waimairi beach life saving club.  We had so much fun, we played lots of games like buddy games, making sandcastles, playing Simon says but with sun safety and boogie boards.  The instructors / lifeguards names were Liv and Emme. They were both girls and were both really nice.