The best thing about school camps is the experiences the students get. Whilst the weather wasn’t great throughout the time we were away, many of the students touched, threw and skied on snow for the first time.
We had a great start to day one of the trip, promptly getting up to Falls Creek after a snack break and some play time in Mt Beauty. The excitement was palpable and there was a lot of noise on the bus as the snow became visible. That afternoon we picked up our hire gear and went off to enjoy some tobogganing and snow play. Ruby and Eleanor were some of the stars at tobogganing, overcoming some early fears to go full steam ahead down the hill.
A big first day ended with a roast chicken dinner and some apple crumble. Most of the students loved the meal and enjoyed trying some things that they hadn’t eaten before. After a movie, it was time for bed, with some sleeping away from family members for the first time.
Day Two was the action-packed day that we’d all been waiting for. We ate a cooked breakfast, gathered all our gear (most people didn’t forget anything) and headed to the day shelter. Once we had dropped off our day bags, it was time to take on the chair lift.
At the top most of us had a go at skiing, starting off with a lesson. Unfortunately, the icy wind and the poor visibility meant that most students were cold and wet. Aiden W, Dekoda and Zayden toughed it out the longest, with a great deal of skill. After a few extra runs downhill, it was time for everyone to have a lovely salad roll for lunch before heading back to the tobogganing area.
Little did we know that this would be our last few hours in the snow for the trip. Despite this, the students got the most out of the time, taking on Ms Turner and myself, in what can only be described as an unfair snowball fight.
Curry and chocolate mousse were on offer on night two and quite a few went back for seconds, such was its popularity. Students went to bed early on night two with not much resistance.
Day 3 was a little bit of a fizzer, with the weather so bad up the mountain that no lifts were open. The highlight of the day for many was the bacon and baked beans for breakfast.
A successful camp and a great time away for many. Well done to everyone, particularly those that tried new things and had a go!
Finally, a huge thank you to Ms. Turner for coming along and being a part of the camp. School trips like this can’t go ahead unless we have teachers like her who are willing to put in extra hours.