A tradition at QPS is to round out the school year with an Outdoor Education week; a week dedicated to fun & challenge in the outdoors. Fortunately the weather held and all activities went off without a hitch. Each of the girls had a blast and between me & Doug, one of us was able to be a parent helper each day. We're both so grateful to have the time & opportunity to join the girls in these kinds of school activities; Doug especially as his work schedule wasn't flexible enough to do this kind of stuff with the girls back in NYC.
Ben Lomond
Doug was a parent helper on Paige's hiking outing up Ben Lomond. It's a demanding, full day climb that starts right behind the school and continues up a 1,400+ meter elevation gain (~4,700 feet) The Year 5/6 students trained for this hike weekly for the past three months. Pretty incredible.
Early on in the hike Paige got some really bad blisters from hiking shoes she hadn't worn much recently, but she accepted the pain & carried on with a good attitude. Their group, along with a few others, made a wrong turn, which added a good hour to their trek up to the Saddle. Unfortunately that wrong turn meant there wasn't enough time to make it to the Summit. Both Paige & Doug were disappointed. While on the mountain, they agreed they'd reattempt the Ben Lomond Summit - and be successful! - this Fall.
At bedtime Paige & Doug compared their step counts for the day. Paige eeked out a win with 36,601 steps (!) to Doug's 35,522 steps.
The Playground
No visuals to share, but Paige and classmates hit up a place that's all about outdoor fun. They learned archery and did challenging ropes courses. Paige said archery was her favorite.
Water Fun Day
Swimming tog (bathing suit) on and ready to get wet! Sadie & classmates were all about water sports & water fun this day. They had all kinds of water related obstacle courses and free time in the school pool. Best part was the epic afternoon water fight on the school fields. Pure bliss for 7/8 year olds!
Kelvin Heights Peninsula Walk
Leisurely walk around Kelvin Heights peninsula, checking out the sculptures along the way. At one point the kids took a break to build their own nature art sculptures. Picnic
lunch along the lake waterfront & some water play (up to your knees only) capped off a really fun morning. Sadie is so sweet and wears her heart on her sleeve; she's so happy when me or Doug gets to tag along as a parent helper, and she's never shy about holding our hands and showing us affection while we're there.
Biking
Sadie's Outdoor Ed week culminated in a 15 km (9 miles) round trip bike ride from school, along Lake Wakatipu, to Frankton Beach. The Year 3/4 students had received various bike safety lessons at school in the weeks leading up to it, as well as biking assessments to ensure they were ready for the challenge of the ride.
Comments