Year 6 Camp:

The planning and preparation for camp was approved and complete and Valentine’s Day was finally here. This meant that 57 excited year 6 students were about to embark on their first-ever Prebbleton School Camp. We had 6 keen parent helpers who have now officially been rated 10/10 by the teachers. The weather forecast for the 3 days ahead was amazing so we jumped on the bus, eager to be dropped off in Governors Bay to start our guided walk to camp. 

During our ‘on foot’ travels we found out about the local area, examined some sea life and stopped off at a farm for lunch before heading uphill. Grit and resilience were needed for this walk and the ākonga did not disappoint. Once we arrived at our destination we found bunkrooms, made some slight adjustments so that everyone was happy, did a quick unpack, and then started to explore our surroundings where most headed for the indoor pool. 

After a delicious afternoon tea, we headed out on an orienteering adventure to further explore what the camp offered. Tea time quickly rolled around so we bee-lined to the dining room that had been set up by duty team #1. A delicious meal was topped off with tasty chocolate mousse and ice cream. When we left the dining room, we noticed that the police had arrived to check that we were okay as there was a fire in Christchurch. At this time we could see and smell the smoke and little bits of ash were floating down from the sky. Soon after arriving, the police recommended that we evacuate the camp……so we did!

The next hour, while we waited for the bus to arrive, was a busy one; tamariki and adults repacked bags and stuffed sleeping bags into holders (why are they so small?). We all met back in the auditorium to have a chat and answer questions. Although this was extremely disappointing, as we drove past some of the fire on our way home in the dark, we understood why the call had been made and we were grateful to be safely reunited with our families. We had a fun end to our camp week with a day full of activities chosen by the students. We are in discussions with Living Springs Camp to see what we can organise for the Year 6s soon…..watch this space.

Click here to see a quick video of our epic adventure.

Year 5 Events:

As the year 6s headed off for their camp, the year 5s were getting busy organising and preparing themselves for their learning in regards to bicycles and bicycle safety. Learning to ride a bike is an essential skill for our tamariki as it gives them so many different advantages; the opportunity to exercise, a cost-effective method of transport as well as independence later on in getting themselves to and from places. The social and physical benefits are such a vital part of a child’s development.

In the classroom, we had an opportunity to look at and take part in various learning engagements that ranged from creating posters to encourage people in our community to get on their bikes more, to looking at the history of the bicycle and designing the ultimate fantasy bike. Students were engaged and creative with their ideas and transferred these into their work.

We were fortunate to have three instructors from the Selwyn Community Cycle Skills Programme (iBike) come into school on Thursday and Friday of week 3. They brought with them some spare bikes and their expertise to help us all learn about being safe on bikes in our community. Everyone who brought a bike had it checked over for safety by the instructors; they were extremely impressed with how our tamariki maintained their bikes! One of the most important sessions was on the correct fitting of a helmet. Students were taught that, for the helmet to be effective, it needs to be tight fitting with space for only one finger to fit between the strap and the chin. A few of the helmets were adjusted to ensure maximum safety. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to continue to check helmets as they can loosen up over time.

Each student was part of a group that had 2 sessions over the two days with the instructors; they were guided through skills that gave them balance and control over their bikes to make them safer to use on the road or in bike parks.

This week our lovely year 5s are off to complete some EOTC (Education Outside the Classroom) days. On Wednesday we will be heading to the city to participate in kayaking and activities in the Botanical Gardens. On Thursday we head to Taylors Mistake to look at the rockpools and explore Goldeys Head and we end the week with a trip to Orton Bradley Park for some initiative courses!