geraldinenews Woodbury School kicks year off with camps both near and far

Woodbury School has kicked off the year in style with not one but two school camps during week two of the first term. While the senior Tarahaoa syndicate (Years 4-6) headed off to Camp Iona near Oamaru for a jam-packed three-day adventure, the junior Huatekerekere syndicate (Years 0-3) stayed a little closer to home, enjoying day trips to both Skipton Animal Park and Pioneer Park reserve near Raincliff. “Tent City” was erected on the school playing field for the students’ overnight stay.

Exploring the wider Oamaru area, Tarahaoa students participated in activities such as fossil hunting, penguin watching, a steampunk experience, and the ever-popular Tarahaoa’s Got Talent show which sees students perform a variety of acts hoping to take out the top prize. Visiting the Elephant Rocks in Duntroon was also a highlight.

Teacher Sarah Greenslade says, “The kids had a pretty packed programme. They threw themselves into every activity, which was great to see. We were lucky to have so many parent helpers, which made it run so smoothly and helped us get from place to place and enjoy such a range of experiences.”

“Camp is always a great way to start the year and have the kids bond as a class,” says fellow teacher Rachelle Nelson. “It’s a great way to get out of the classroom and the comfort zone of school and enjoy learning through other opportunities. A visit to Shag Point was a special pilgrimage for the students, a chance to engage in the story of Tarahaoa and Huatekerekere, the legend surrounding how the maunga on our back doorstep and the names of our classrooms came to be.”

Huatekerekere students were also wellsupported by parents. Teacher Bronwyn Patrick says, “We were overwhelmed by the support from parents wanting to lend a hand and stay the night at school; we had at least 15 families stay in tents for the night. We had loads of extra hands for our shared barbeque and some wonderful helpers for our Friday excursions.”

The camp’s Once Upon a Nursery Rhyme theme saw children dress up as their favourite characters, including Little Bo Peep, the Crooked Man, and Incy Wincy Spider. Afternoon snacks of spiders, ladybirds and fairy stars, made by the students, were a hit, as was the nursery rhyme jigsaw scavenger hunt. A swim in the school pool was a welcome end to a hot and busy day.

Teacher Jud Baynes says the camp’s highlights included “lots of firsts for the children - their first night sleeping somewhere overnight, setting up a tent, making their own snacks. Watching the sense of pride and achievement when they manage these tasks independently is special. Skipton Park was another highlight where they were able to pet and feed the animals.”

Scott Robinson (6), on saying goodbye to his teachers at home time, said, “Thank you so much for camp; that was the best time of my life.”

Principal Mike deJoux says, “A lot of work goes into planning these camps, on top of the normal planning and preparing for student’s learning. We are very lucky to have such passionate and enthusiastic teachers who see the tremendous value in these experiences. The camps are wonderful not only for student learning but also for the confidence of being away overnight and the socialisation that occurs. As usual, we had large numbers of parent helpers willing to get stuck in; the parent interactions are another really important aspect of these camps that help build up a positive culture around the school.”

In times past, Shrove Tuesday was the last opportunity to use up eggs and fats before embarking on the Lenten fast - pancakes are the perfect way of using up these ingredients. Fasting for Lent made a lot of sense in the northern hemisphere, where it was early spring, and there was not much to eat anyway. The word Lent comes from the old English lencten describing the lengthening of spring days in the northern hemisphere.

In our postmodern world, feasts and fasts get mixed up. No doubt we will be able to enjoy pancakes next Tuesday without most of us feeling obliged to then submit to a 40-day Lenten fast. Indeed the Good Friday treat of hot-cross buns are now re-designated Easter buns and are enjoyed as soon as Christmas is over, until such time after Easter as we are fed up with them.

It is hard for us in the southern hemisphere to think of fasting in autumn when the earth is yielding up its bounty and harvest begins. We note that on Saturday, 18 March, the Woodbury community will gather at Woodbury Domain to celebrate the harvest with food and drink, stalls and competitions. A fun way to spend a Saturday and, with free admission, great value. Speaking of harvest, the Winchester and Geraldine A&P and Mayfield A&P shows will soon be upon ustime to start weighing those squash, cutting those flowers and baking those cakes (no doilies allowed)!

This week’s edition is a small one again. As the year progresses, we anticipate having more space to share more of what’s happening in our town. As it has ever been, the number of pages each week is determined by the number of ads placed.

On a side note: To the person who has been posting historical information about the red brick cottage in Talbot Street anonymously into our letterbox - thank you for your interest in the paper, but without permission of the owner/tenants of the house or indeed verifying the source, we will not be acting on the information.

Have a great week. FI