On Thursday 23 November our year 9 and 10 students embarked on their Junior Activities Programme where the focus was on education outside of the classroom.

Day one saw the entire junior school learn the school haka.  A bbq lunch was provided for the students courtesy of the local Rotary.   They also had a visit from the White Ribbon Bikers visit and an afternoon of sports swimming and games.  

Day two saw the year 9 students head to Adrenaline Forest in Porirua to complete a high ropes course.  This course had 6 different levels, from beginner to advanced.  The students were given a safety brief and shown how to use the clips and attachment for the flying fox.  There were a number of courses, from rope bridges to zip lines.  The students had a fantastic day.  

 The year 10 students participated in an anti bullying campaign at school.   They created some great posters, videos and websites around supporting each other against bullying using the MANA way.

On Monday 27th November the year 9 students got a chance to do the PE rotation at Himatangi Beach. They walked from Himatangi Beach to Foxton Beach which is roughly about 10km. During their walk, they did a beach clean up and the managed to fill four rubbish bags! Each student did so well and pushed themselves to the end, and cooled off with a dip in the ocean.

The year 10 students competed in a Masterchef competition and water activities.  The students started their Masterchef Competition by forming teams and completing a music quiz to determine the order of who chose their main cooking ingredient first. Then they had to find a recipe to work from and they had an open pantry. They had to do some ‘substituting’ of ingredients.

In the afternoon they headed out to the pool to build a carrier out of driftwood and rope that carried their drum across the length of the pool. There were lots of different creations made and some were way more successful than others. They learned how to tie specific knots and how to do them properly. They then used that new knowledge in the creation of their ‘carrier’. It was an awesome day.

Tuesday 28th December was Languages Day.  Year Nine Languages Day comprised of a trip to Te Takere in Levin. There we split into three groups and rotated around three different stations. After that we headed to the Adventure Park for lunch under the shady trees and a few games to test our strength and co-ordination. The day was finished off with a swim at the Aquatic Centre. 

The year 10 students were taken  on a guided tour of Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom.  They were split into three groups of 15 and were taken through tours of the Oranjehof Dutch Connection Centre, the Piriharakeke Generation Inspiration Centre / Whare Maanaki and the Foxton Community Hub.  They completed an amazing race competition during the morning and fun swimming activities in the school pool after lunch.

On Thursday 30th November the year 9 students went on their Science excursion to Nga Manu nature reserve in Waikanae. Students were shown a pond with eels and given the opportunity to feed them. They walked around the nature reserve and through the bird houses seeing lots of native birds. Following this they headed to Raumati beach for lunch. It was a fun filled day.

The year 10 group were involved in a beach day with the Physical Education and Health department. They started by walking through the estuary. A number of students had never been through here before so was an experience for many of them. The sun was beaming. Students had the chance to have a swim in the ocean which was refreshing after a decent walk around the estuary. Straight after this, they walked back to the park at Foxton Beach where they had lunch and some time to relax. They then made their way back to school and spent the last hour cooling off in the school pool.

On Friday 1st of December the year 9 students had their anti bully campaign at school and it was the year 10's turn to go to Adrenaline Forest. Upon arrival they were suited up with harnesses and given a safety briefing of how to use the equipment safely. Students then took turns tackling levels 1 to 6. A good day all around.

Tuesday 5th December was a combined year nine and ten Arts day.  The day started with the student choosing groups, picking team names and creating chants. Next was a the quiz with team FAB getting 10 out of 10 for the entertainment round and Justice League doing the same in the music round. The overall winners of the quiz was team FAB (Ashanti, Porscha R, Destiny T and Manaia G). All students in their teams then took off on the amazing race around stops in Foxton taking on challenges. After a BBQ lunch the kids spent the rest of the afternoon swimming at the Foxton pools.

On Wednesday the 6th December the year 9 students started their Masterchef Competition by forming teams and completing a music quiz to determine the order of who chose their main cooking ingredient first. Then they had to find a recipe to work from and they had an open pantry. They had to do some ‘substituting’ of ingredients.

In the afternoon, because the temperature was set to get to 28 degrees the students headed to the Gym to build a carrier out of driftwood and rope that carried their drum across the Gym and lifted it up to the mezzanine floor. Lots of different creations were made and some were way more successful than others. They learned how to tie specific knots and how to do them properly. They then used that new knowledge in the creation of their ‘carrier’. It was an awesome day.

The year ten students went on a Science adventure to Palmerston North. They visited Te Manawa where they were able to see Santa's Cave which had old fashioned Christmas decorations, Brick Flicks-an interactive lego display, a water section, a New Zealand icons section and a Maori section.   After this they went to Bowlorama to bowl and enjoy the video games. They then went to the plaza for lunch.  The students behaved exceptionally well and all should be commended for their efforts.

On Thursday 7th December the students had an Arts rotation  (art, drama, dance and music) and there was a MANA celebration in the afternoon to conclude the Junior Activities Programme. The students showcased and celebrated their achievements over the last ten days.

Students who displayed the MANA values over the days were nominated by their teachers and acknowledged in the celebration.

The year 9 student who was nominated by staff was Shane Rapson and the year 10 student was Ashanti Rauhihi.