Education Outside the Classroom at Marshland School - Te Rito Harakeke

Kia ora e te whānau

It has been an adventurous time at Marshland School - Te Rito Harakeke with many tamariki engaging in Education Outside the Classroom EOTC. One of my favourite moments is talking to tamariki in the lead-up to a newsletter article and seeing their faces light up as they share their experiences with me.

School camps and EOTC events provide an excellent opportunity for tamariki to take risks in a supportive environment alongside their peers. Through these experiences we see them develop confidence, enhance the relevance of new learning and work together to achieve shared goals. Despite the degree of planning and preparation involved, these experiences continue to be long-term highlights for our tamariki, staff and the incredible whānau who generously volunteer their time to help on camp.

I briefly mentioned the Toroa Year 7-8 tamariki attending school camp at Wainui in a previous newsletter. I was lucky to spend a day with the Toroa Learning Hub on camp and witness firsthand our tamariki pushing themselves outside their comfort zones, developing new friendships and embracing new learning experiences. Izzy, Belle and Machlan thought school camp was simply amazing. Their favourite activity was coasteering, especially when they had to trust the instructor and leap off a rock ledge into the swirling 'washing machine' of sea kelp and water below. I heard this jump also pushed many of our whānau helpers out of their comfort zones.

Last week our Korimako Year 5-6 tamariki went to Living Springs. Thankfully, after nervously checking the weather forecast in the days leading up to camp, the sun was shining. Despite some tiredness, tamariki have returned to school and are still buzzing from their experience. Jaylah and Miller communicated different highlights from camp. Jaylah loved the Monorail and despite being scared at first, ended up riding it four times, screaming as she sped around corners. I know, I heard her screaming! Miller on the other hand enjoyed having free time and playing the Animal Survival game on the last day. She felt camp allowed her to make new friends, show bravery and work as a team. Henry, Joshua, and Carter talked about how much they enjoyed archery, which they did well in, and highlighted how much they liked the camp food, especially the nachos and chips. I can confirm that the nachos for lunch on Thursday were excellent, complete with all the trappings.

Meanwhile, our Year 3-4 Tui and Pūkeko Learning Hubs had their own EOTC experience with a trip to Orana Park. Lilly, Oakley and Emily described how much fun they had feeding the giraffes and learning about rhino horns with their peers, but they found all the walking pretty exhausting. They were all a bit disappointed that they didn’t get to see the tiger, as it was at the dentist. Emily thought it was probably getting a cavity fixed!

Adding to the excitement of the term two Year 7-8 teams of four, took on the challenge of the Police PCT programme today, a high-energy event designed to test mental and physical resilience. The competition pushed them to think fast, work together, and step outside their comfort zones. At first, Machlan, Izzy and Bella admitted to feeling nervous, but their confidence grew as they tackled each challenge. They encouraged one another, communicated effectively and demonstrated impressive teamwork.

One of the most thrilling moments came during the speed challenge, where students’ running speeds were clocked using a police laser gun. Izzy even received a 'speeding ticket' for her run. Their team impressively clocked a combined speed of 100 km per hour, which had everyone cheering.

Experiences like the PCT competition, school camps and class trips are invaluable for our students. They provide opportunities to apply the Marshland MANA values in different environments, while being closely guided and supported by their peers and adults. I was thrilled to be informed that our Year 5-6 tamariki were so respectful during a recent trip to the supermarket related to their learning about nutrition, that they made a customer emotional.

I hope you enjoy reading about all the excitement from different learning hubs in the rest of this newsletter. These newsletters provide an excellent snapshot of student learning over the past few weeks and a wonderful reminder of the incredible experiences your tamariki experience at school.

Ngā mihi nui

Leigh Fowler