Year 9 Camp 2007

This camp was the best I have attended with a year 9 group. This is entirely due to the enthusiastic spirit and willingness to co-operate and enjoy time together by all involved. They were absolutely a pleasure to be with. We all enjoyed good sleep, they settled well, they were appreciative of everything and got along well. I am so delighted with them.

The staff who came were great to work with and participated in all the activities. When everyone pulls their weight and has a sense of humour it is fun. We rode horses, surfed, had long walks and spent time at Point Nepean. It's a bit of a challenge for me at 41, to keep up with teenagers physically. I have some seldom used muscles that are now begging for a long hot bath, (that is currently running!).

I always enjoy the year 9 camps. There are usually ups and downs but at the end, no matter how exhausted I am, I enjoy getting to know the kids better. These kids were exceptional though. There was always someone offering to help or volunteer their service, usually several vying for the chance. They cooked, cleaned, ate well, said their 'please' and 'thanks' and looked after themselves and each other with ease. They made me coffee carried each others bags and did lots of little, yet considerate and thoughtful things that made a difference.

There was no whining, complaining or bickering between them, as is often the case. Frequently on camps a handful of students will stand out as people you would be happy to send home to their parents, I can honestly say, I didn't feel this at all about a single one of them.

No Tamboritha Camp for 2007

I have been going to Tamboritha for our school camp every year since I began teaching 7 years ago. I've experienced all types of weather there. It has snowed and been sunny, freezing cold, windy, yet always felt close to nature and refreshing for my spirit. This year, due to flood damage that occurred earlier in the year we are off to the Mornington Penninsula for our year 9 camp tomorrow.

Licola and the surrounding area has suffered from bushfire's, floods and mudslides in the past 12 months. We were on bushfire alert last year and always have to work around this when we are planning our camps up there. It is a beautiful part of the world and I feel sad we are not able to access it this year.

One of the things I love about camp, is students are removed from mobile phone access, electricity (for some of the time - there are generators at night for cooking and lighting), but no televisions or other gadgets. It's a real experience for many of them, but surprisingly it doesn't really bother them. They sit around and chat, play cards, we go for long walks, ride horses and just be with each other.

Sometimes on the way home someone will mention something about what they've missed on TV. A message will come though on a mobile and they will have to search for it, having almost forgotten about their 'life support system' - they don't believe they can do without them before we leave.

Most kids look forward to seeing their families and the comfort and luxury of their homes. They appreciate them anew.

I am attending this camp with my homeroom. This class is a fantastic group and I expect to have a very enjoyable time. I hope we can still capture that spirit of enjoying nature and each others company. Now I best go and pack!

Trip to Wollongong #1

We took almost a week to arrive in Wollongong on the 1st of this year. We experienced a range of weather. We left the smoky Latrobe Valley on December 27th, although we had intended leaving on Boxing Day, we were delayed by a day. Heading towards the hills, literally, we passed through Seaton on our path towards the ranges. Many of our planned routes were closed due to the bushfires that were burning and we saw lots of smoke and burnt out areas.
Our first night was spent at a delightful creek where we had our first swim. It felt invigorating to wash off the dusty, smoky aura that had surrounded me. The chill of the river water had me breathing deeply.
We camped here for the night. I must admit I felt nervous as I could hear in the distance trees falling in the bush. I heard 3 or 4 and that was enough for me. At some point during the night gentle rain fell on the tent and this soothed my fears enabling me to sleep deeply.
The next day we headed back on the dirty, churned up 4WD track heading across a river crossing first then up a hill. The road had been graded, probably due to the fires and we had some difficulty with it. We headed towards our planned route towards Mt Angus, hoping to make the Moroka River that night. The road became totally impassable with huge trees blocking the road entirely. We found another path, and from there we headed to Bairnsdale with the intention of staying in a motel and revisiting the route from there. We were tired. It had been challenging. My challenge was fear. I was apprehensive about the fires and the roads and the heights, Andy had to do all the decision making and concentration on driving. The road was the worst we had traveled on and the car, hit rocks underneath on two occasions, once causing damage that he had to repair. I am pretty blessed to have such a competent companion.
The video links below are of the creek we camped by and the roads and countryside we travelled through on that first day.


Rough Road
Creek
Burnt Bush

For everything there is a Season

It's November already! I have been on camp at Tamboritha for the past three days and missed the start of the month. I took some videos whilst I was there which if you are interested, you can see here. Some of them are from the previous camp I went on last week. I'll probably post more later about camp.
Last night in my weary state, I realised I was three days of writing behind in the Nanowrimo writing frenzy I managed to complete last year. I attempted to start, because I have honestly been giving it some thought, but was really too tired to get much more than a thousand words out of myself. This morning I had a big think and decided, I can't do it. I have to let it go this year. I felt a bit of disappointment to be honest, as it felt great last year and I really enjoyed the challenge of it. I realised though, it is not the time of the year for me to be doing this.
Living in Australia, as I do, I have become annoyed with doing things at the wrong time of the year. If it were May and the days were getting shorter, I know I could nestle in to do some serious daily writing, but November is not realistic for me.
Last week, in my year 7 class, we discussed Halloween. Some of the kids are really into it and I can understand why. Some students said it is an American custom to trick or treat, and we shouldn't take it on here. I agree, but not because it is American or because it isn't a relevant thing to do. It is just not relevant in spring, as summer draws near, to be behaving like we are heading towards winter. We have just started daylight savings for goodness sake!
It is the same issue that I have with Nanowrimo. It's not the right season for me here. We should be celebrating spring, spending time outdoors, not holing up with our writing and not embracing darkness and symbolic death. It's all wrong. Perhaps I can start a Southern Hemisphere, May writing month! I'd have to come up with a better title!
I have been barely keeping up with writing blog posts lately. It's been a busy year I guess. I feel a restructuring of my life coming on, partnered with a major spring clean!

Tamboritha 06 - 1st trip

It's almost a week since I've got the moment or ten that it takes to write a post. I have been to Tamboritha and it was great. We rode horses up past Licola and walked, as well of spending lots of time laughing and eating and just being away from it all. It was great. I enjoyed sitting in the creek in this video, whilst the water rushed by, however much slower and lower than it has been in the past. It is dry up there. As we walked across the snow plains there was very little squelch that makes it a big challenge. I love it up there though.
It is so refreshing to be away from it all. We had heaps of laughs and challenges and always when I return to school, it is tough.

Family

My brother Brendan is heading up to Townsville tomorrow. I have 4 brothers and a sister. We are all very different and don't see that much of each other. Brendan is the brother I see the least of and he has lived away from the family most of his life. He has been home at my parents for a couple of months. He was living in NT. He is also quiet and hasn't got a lot to say. We have little in common and very different lifestyles. Yet being my brother means I can pop into mum and dad's and borrow his sleeping bag from him to go to school camp like I did a few weeks ago. He can ask me to type up a resume for him, which I haven't done yet, but will today. It is the same with all my siblings. I see my sister Kate the most and enjoy her bright personality and have quite a close relationship with her.
I know if I needed any of my brothers or sister's help, I would have it if I asked and they would in turn have mine. We shared a childhood. On Christmas day, most of us usually get together and laugh together about the memories. We phone each other sometimes on our birthdays, but not always. We see each other at extended family occasions. Our lives are not really entwined externally but in my heart they are.
There is a wide range in our ages from me (40) to Kate (24) so it makes our family life interesting. The six of us all have different lifestyles and jobs. It makes diverse conversation when we are all together. We find links through people we know and share stories about now and the past and enjoy being together. We can quickly resume our childhood roles and it is fun to do that occasionally.
I admire my parents their ability to let us all go and keep a good relationship with all of us without interfering in our lives or trying to control us. It is probably what keeps us all returning home willingly and happily. I hope I can be like them with my own children.

Awesome Youth

Camp was great. The students were enthusiastic and a joy to be around. Wilson's Prom was as breathtakingly beautiful as it always is. The weather provided a pleasant enough stage to abseil, surf and walk, but canoeing proved too difficult with the wind on Thursday morning. I loved watching the kids develop friendships and independence and to my delight all students were collected within half an hour of our return, which is the best record yet.
There were some amazing young people on camp that really pushed themselves through their fears and limitations. The behavior was great and they responded very well to all that was asked of them. It was a really positive experience and I am looking forward to spending the year with this group. I know I say that every year, but only because it is true.
Any parents reading this please note that your children really miss you when they are away. They also appreciate your homes and food and many of them can't wait to get home to their own showers and beds and cooking. They also mention brothers and sisters wistfully in ways you'd never probably believe as well as pets. Know you are loved and missed!
When I got home I collected my son from his friend's house. The mother there said to me what a marvelous boy he was and how he is always welcome in their home. I felt proud as I always do. I often hear this about my son and feel such joy for him that he is so well loved. I know how great he is but it is wonderful to hear it from others.

School Camp with yr 7

Tomorrow I am off on school camp. I have been feeling very reluctant about it. I have been going on school camps for 5 years now and I think I may have had enough of it. I felt more enthused about it today because I genuinely want the kids to have a great time. Whilst trying to pacify their fears and get them enthused and excited I worked the magic on my own mind, which was good.

It is a lot of hard work though. I have to organise my classes that I will miss in my absence, plan my home to be away for 3 days and then be 'mommy' to 28 kids for 3 days and if I am lucky their parents will pick them up on time allowing me to get home before I drop. When I get home, because I have been away for 3 days I have to deal with catch up there. Then on Monday I will get to see whether the teachers who were taking my classes, actually stuck to the plan and the work got done. I hate feeling this cynical but I have been on camp and rarely experienced a variation to this routine.

It will be ok though because it is warm and I will get to do lots of great activities and be in nature and hopefully see independence and team building and all those inspiring wonderful things that I remember when I am asked if I am available to go on camp. It reminds me of childbirth really. You forget until it's time to go! Lucky for that or my beautiful son wouldn't be around. No, it wasn't actually as bad as school camp - childbirth that is.

I will post a favourite photo when I get back, I promise and I haven't forgotten the mask yet. I'm saving it for one day when I feel particularly lost for words.

Above the clouds

Our last camping night was spent above the clouds at the Mt Skene lookout. I was so tired from the fear and supressed rage of the day that I retired to the tent before the sun left the sky. I am glad I took this photo of the wildflowers and the tops of the hills or I may have missed the beauty of the place entirely.

Camping on the banks of the Murray

One of my favorite stops on the trip home was on the Murray. I loved going for a swim in the evening and in the morning. It was warm when we stopped at Echuca. It was delicious.

I was amazed at the number of people in all different kinds of boats using the Murray. We stayed at Picnic Point, NSW, one night and then camped at the banks at Echuca. They were both great.

Got to visit Auntie Angela and Uncle John whilst I was there who both provide accomodation in Echuca. There places are great, but naturally booked out at this time of the year so I didn't even try them, visited them the morning later.
I do worry about the Murray though, we seem to use it so much, I just hope it can be kept healthy and flowing because it is such a provider to that part of the world.