The 16th March 2020 will be a date our Services ākonga will remember with excitement and fear.

However before we left Haeata Services Program needed a uniform and boots, lesson on looking after your gear, marching and getting in time, fitness to get us ready for whatever the military would throw at us, and before we knew it was time to go.

Ākonga from Haeata Community campus, Aurora College and Greymouth High travelled to Burnham Military camp for a 12 day Military course, teaching teamwork, and living in an environment most of us would never experience in our lifetime.

There were many lessons to be learnt but the worst was the 05:00 waking up to a military staff member screaming ‘’CORRIDOR’’ for the first days.

Then the fitness started with no easy level but an honest effort one, with cries of ‘’your only cheating yourself team’’ and ‘’what you put in is what you’ll get out’’.

The Non Commissioned Officers (NCO’s), were hard with high standards, something our ākonga did at the start find difficult but with their teamwork, they got through it together.

Our ākonga didn’t know it but they were learning about themselves and their teammates. We have a saying in the New Zealand Army which is Courage, Commitment, Comradeship and Integrity, or 3 C's. Our ākonga and I showed that and more for their team and for others.

Courage to do the right thing and to stand up for themselves plus help and be selfless towards others.

Comradeship towards their teammates, trusting in themselves and their team and making new friendships with ākonga from other schools.

Commitment to stay and to work hard and finish the job started, for themselves and for their teammates.

Integrity knowing and doing the right thing for the betterment of the team.

Unfortunately the course was cut short as the country went to alert level 3 because of Covid-19, and with a heavy weight on the shoulders of the commander and the directors we returned back to school Monday 23rd March just 4 days short of the course completion date.

However our ākonga did the school proud winning the sports trophy from Aurora Services Academy.

Our online learning along with our booklets have been an ongoing well with weekly meetups and check ins.

There are more chances to meet up with friends from other Academies and NZDF staff members on the Basic Leaders course, Bushcraft, Advanced Leaders course and the Coast to coast in November.

I am looking forward to continuing our teams learning and hope that all in our ākonga bubbles have been safe.

Ākonga have written their own account of their Burnham trip below.

INDUCTION CAMP 2020

Leading up to the induction camp, we as a team were preparing to work with one-another physically and mentally.We learnt each other's weaknesses and strong points. Induction camp is a shortened version that we experience on a Military Base Camp.This camp was able to show our leadership skills, how we adapt to new environments, and how we as a team encourage each other to face obstacles when needed.

On the 16th of March we made our way to the Burnham Military Base Camp for the next 12 days. We met new people from other schools around the South Island: Aurora College and Greymouth Highschool. We had no idea of what was to come but had an unforgettable experience that we were able to tell our friends and families about. When we arrived we were greeted by Corporal Pegg, not the usual greeting you would expect but everything around us happened so fast. We were taught how our beds were made, what our morning and night routine looked like and what was expected. We were expected to meet timings and if timings were not met not only as an individual but as a team, we would have to face consequences that came with your actions, this meant being able to work in a team and give positive communication on what we all could work on as a team.

Having an experience in this camp has given me many highlights of what I enjoyed personally while being there. One of them being able to meet new people and to introduce myself to a whole new group of people I had never even met and so I gained new friendships. It felt good to be able to get out of my comfort zone and to allow myself to open up to others and learn about them and what their story is. Reason as to why this was a highlight for me is because before joining the academy I had so little trust in anyone, I didn’t open myself up to others around me because I had been let down so much and that’s what I learnt about myself when we all came together to reflect on our days. Building trust is hard for me but I know that I am getting there with my peers. This camp has given me the chance to feel safe with those around me and to have an open mind about everything around me.

Another highlight for me would be PT (physical training). It wasn’t the easiest and it killed me the majority of the time being but it also felt really good at the end of each lesson. Our PT lessons consisted of RFL(required fitness test), logs and cross country which was a 4km run. All were very hard and challenging but this was also testing our mentality. PT taught me that my mind is stronger than what I think it is, my body may be tired and it's telling me to stop but I know if I keep pushing myself to that finish line I can make it. It showed me to set mini goals for myself and if I can just make it to that goal or go even further then I know I’m much stronger than what I tell myself or what anybody else tells me. Believing in myself is a big part of this because if I don’t believe in myself I don’t know who will? I know that I can do everything to the best of my potential and I can give it my all when I set my mind to it, setting myself up for failure isn’t a goal I want for myself.

The best highlight of this camp was our Sports Day. All sports were very different but I loved that our team put in more than 100% in the games that were given. The reason why this was my favourite highlight is because we won the competition for starters, but also because it showed how eager we were to win the competition. It was more than a competition for us, we were able to show our talents and enjoy an activity that we all had a lot of fun in. A lot of screaming and excitement during the games but what’s a game without enjoying yourselves to the fullest? This built communication in our group, good and bad feedback we were all able to work as a team to get our goals done and to achieve everything to the best of our potential as well as having fun.

Being in a new environment meant being around new people and having to adapt to new situations. Seeing how we as a team would connect with one another and those around us. This has been an unforgettable experience and one of the best experiences I’ve had in my life. It’s been challenging and it has also helped me gain more confidence in myself and find out who I am as an individual which is still a working process. I’ve gained life-long friendships and I have been given a chance to start fresh with myself. I am able to open myself up to new people and learn to trust them more. I am learning to trust my team-members and have faith in them as well as learning to trust in myself. I am learning and I am growing to be the best version of myself that I can be for me and those around me. All the hard work and the self discipline during this camp has shaped me into a better version of myself that I love being able to see. I’m more than proud of all the hard effort that has been put into this camp, although it was a shame we had to leave early due to the virus I felt at home with my peers who are now family. I hope that for the new team-members who experience this feels what I felt, to see how we all grew as a team and how we all set our differences aside to become one. More than happy to have been a part of a team that makes me feel at home with, excited for what the year is to bring and what we achieve together.