Awesomely Audacious EOY Auction!

where elements are born

We have been discussing and exploring our 'Element' (Robinson 2009) this year. Ever since packing and carrying my first pack on a tramp for the first time (way back in 1990), tramping and the great outdoors have been my Element. My experiences and memories from that first tramp are vivid still to this day. The exhilaration of having everything you need to survive strapped to your body and the freedom of exploration still thrills me. 

Nowadays, I get an even bigger kick out of providing students with similar wilderness opportunities. Like the caving, rock climbing, abseiling, rafting, sea kayaking and skiing, this tramp- for most - was a first experience. Being a part of this and witnessing potential Elements being born has been a great privilege. 

BBQ @ My Place!

TRAMP IS ON

Hi everyone

After reviewing all the weather maps extensively, I'm happy for this trip to go ahead. We may experience some drizzle over the course of the next 2 days (especially tomorrow morning) but nothing threatening. Good temperatures and a bit of wind hopefully to keep the sandflies away!

SPARE BIG TARP ANYONE? My awesome new tarp was accidentally donated to Temple Basin. Pleas reply to this if you have one we can use so I know I don't need to buy one today. 

Jeni Blacktopp has kindly offered to be our extra driver both ways. This is a big commitment Jeni considering you're not coming on the actual walk and we thank you in advance. I will organise a donation towards your petrol fee later in the week. 

Please ensure you're packed and ready to go at 0900hrs. Leave a bit of space for your group's food, cooking equipment and tent. It's a good idea to split the food and tent four ways (or for however many are in your group). Whoever's in charge of your group's food, please organise this tonight so we don't have any delays tomorrow. 

Please pack your waterproof jacket, beanie & thermals somewhere near the top of your pack for me to check in the morning. 

Don't forget to line your pack with a pack liner / rubbish bag and to double bag everything, especially your sleeping bag. 

APPROX RETURN TIME TUESDAY between 1430hrs & 1530hrs. I will phone the school if we're going to be significantly earlier or later than these times. 

Who's excited? I am!

See you in the morrow. I have my phone on me, so if you have any Q's, text / phone 027 6607 366.

Thanks, Andrew.

shaking it up

What a week. That was a big shake-up - and for many, a wake-up call. It makes you think doesn't it? Events such as Monday's  - although tragic, sometimes can be timely in terms of reminding you of what's truly important. I think being a parent gifts you with invaluable insight and a whole lot of wisdom. I get it. I get how much your child means to you and that is a responsibility I take very seriously. 

We're not quite at the finish line yet, but I want to thank you for your presence, encouragement, commitment and sense of humour. Education is, and will always be, a 3-way partnership. So thanks partner. 

*tramp postponed*

I'm sure you've all seen the forecast. I was hoping it would ease overnight but if anything, the outlook worsened - especially for Monday afternoon / evening. Hey, at least our WC athletes will be fresh! Although, the outlook for Wednesday is not ideal either :( You have to love the WC!

The tramp is therefore postponed until Mon 21st & Tues 22nd (following week). There is some flexibility in Week 7 from a scheduling perspective (depending on parent availability) so I'll keep an eye on the long-range and make a decision mid next week in terms of dates.

Thanks for your understanding.

Mad Lib Theatre Take #1

We have been experimenting with a new way of learning about parts of speech. I adapted the famous 'Never let You Go' scene from Titanic and students replaced key regular verbs, adjectives, adverbs, plural and singular nouns with some...shall we say, interesting selections!

Packing a Pack

Don't forget to bring your fully packed packs (less food, pots & pans) THURSDAY for checks. If athletics is postponed until Thursday, please still bring your pack and I will check it in the morning. Happy packing :)

Food Groups & Menu Planning

Today we randomly drew the food groups for the upcoming tramp. Here they are:

Group 1: Isaac K, Connor P, Reed, Connor H, Levi
Group 2: Grace C, Catarina, Kate, Jordin
Group 3: Isaac M, George, Grace W, Cameron
Group 4:, Emma, Alyssa, Calder, Reuben
Group 5: Hannah, Bailey, Jayden, Jonathan

We talked about the fact that they'll need to carry all of their food in. 'Thinking light' without compromising on nutrition and taste is the key! Being smart about how the food is packed is important too as anything that isn't consumed (including plastic packaging etc) will need to be carried back out. 

Students are welcome to bring a packed lunch on the first day or organise this as a group. The group menu will consist of: Dinner, dessert (competition between groups judged by parents), breakfast, lunch and snacks. 

Groups are busy menu planning as I write this. It will be the responsibility of the group to finalise these and coordinate how they want to purchase the food. I've talked about the importance of doing this fairly and not lumping it all on one student or short changing parents!

Each group will be supplied with a cooker and gas. However, each group will need to bring cooking utensils / equipment - pots, pans etc. 

Here are some menu suggestions from my expert wife (have told students to use as a guide only):