After Camp: the photos

Thanks to Mrs Whitehead and Mrs Robinson for these great photos. As you can see, we managed to have a lot of fun learning -  in spite of, and sometimes because of, the weather.

Here's the link to the video about boys learning about electric fences...

Sunrise over the last day of camp

At last - the sun! Be prepared for much wet laundry heading home - some of it mud coloured, and possibly some you've never seen before - with happy kids (and some tired ones...)

Check out some of the boys learning about farming technology - and teamwork. 

Happy Campers - Day 4

More rain today but we still managed to get a lot done:

Cooking toasted sandwiches on a hobo stove.

An early morning walk to visit the cows, orienteering, cooking on hobo stoves, a walk to Crab Island, a beach clean up and a clean up of one of the walking tracks, and the mudslide - all before dinner. Tonight's dinner: small tuna rolls and grape-juice-based sangria for tapas, empanadas with salad - and a special potato curry by Mrs Singh, one of our parent helpers; chocolate pudding,ice cream and peaches.  A very busy day and a very special evening for our last night.

More weather and science at camp. I guess we know where the real Rainbow's End is now.

Happy Campers - Day 3

Look what we found at the beach after Mrs Whitehead's lesson on the habits of the mud crab. Two of these are not mud crabs.

This is our view in the afternoon, after it stopped raining, or was it just before it started raining - or both?

Team building activities with High Wire Trust instructors. This was the winning team.

This is what happens when you are late to  High Wire instructor's activity. (It only happened once!)

A happy camper!

Day three and all's well. The day started with an early morning walk with Mrs Whitehead to meet cows. She has some great photos, but you'll have to wait to see those. We had another great activity session with the instructors from High Wire Trust, with lots of team building challenges, goal setting and self-evaluating. There was no mucking about, and no lateness was tolerated. (See photo above.)

In the afternoon, we went down to the beach to explore for evidence of mud crabs. We managed to get back before the downpour.

Dinner was hamburgers - patties cooked on the barbecue in the rain by the fathers and some of the hardier boys - and apple crumble.

There has been a bit of rain but we are all fine.

Happy Campers Day 2

View of waterspout on the Manukau Harbour this afternoon. We had a very good view of this from our cabin steps. The best kind of outdoor education!

We've had another great day - with a range of weather.  We started the day with beautiful weather and a walk around the park with the park ranger and camp manager. Students learned to climb a fence and a gate in the proper way, and how to identify electric fences. 

Students head for the cattle, after being given instructions on how to herd them.

Cattle, observing being herded by kids

 We fed huge eels and visited an old homestead of the first settler farmers here. Then we came back for homemade soup and pies for lunch, and an afternoon of games and activities. For dinner we had roast chicken and roast potatoes, carrots and peas, followed by ice cream, jelly and fruit salad - then later Milo and home baking. (We are loving the home baking, by the way.)
To finish the day, Mrs Whitehead and some of the parents took a group of students on a night walk up to the look out for a view of the lights of Auckland.

Happy campers - Day 1

We are having a wonderful time already. We are doing outdoor survival activities with the Hirewires Trust staff. Happy kids, happy parent-helpers, happy teachers.
Dinner tonight: Spanish tortilla and nachos, followed by fruit salad ans ice cream.

Information Updates

Here's a link to our latest Year 8 camp newsletter.  

Here's a link to our latest school newsletter (Term 2 Week 1).

Congratulations, team, on a very polished and well-prepared Anzac Assembly on Friday. Our guests from the Manurewa RSA, and our  other visitors  were very impressed with your work.

We will have some writing and photos of our Anzac assembly posted soon.

 - WANTED - 

Empty and cleaned

sweetened condensed milk tins 

we need these for making hobo stoves for outdoor cooking 

 and 

clean ice-cream containers - with lids 

to use for camp activities  

and

lemons 
for camp also

If you have any of these to spare, could you please bring them to us at school. 

- Thank you -    

Welcome to Term 2

We had a wet 'n' wild start to Term 2 today.  We hope the weather will be better in time for our Year 8 camp on two weeks' time.

Wanted for camp:
- clean 2 litre ice-cream containers and lids 
- clean, empty sweetened condensed milk cans

Our main focus for this week is preparing for our Anzac Assembly on Friday morning, as a follow up to  our homework research on the history of Anzac Day and the Victoria Cross.

 

Intermediate Team's Anzac Assembly 

Friday May 10 

11:00 a.m. 

The Gardens School Hall 

with special guests from the Manurewa RSA

Parents and community are invited to attend this special event, hosted and run by our Intermediate students.