Year 10 Supported Learning National Park Experience

We read the book “Cuz” which was an NZ book about two teenagers surviving in the native bush of the West Coast. We also were looking at environmental issues and resource management in Social Sciences. So we decided we had best “rise to the challenge” and go have a look at what we were learning about. For some of us the biggest challenge was managing our anxiety, turning up, and trusting each other as a team. Many of us had not been on class trips before, especially overnight and with no cell phones for 48 hours. Often our cell phones are our security.

_“This experience showed me I can go away on a school trip with people I don’t like being around at school and have fun, because they were better out of school. We all were. And people carried my pack and helped me when I slipped. I felt part of the team.”
Shekinah Lambert _

On 16 September, we packed our packs in the gym and jumped in a van or Mr Friedel's car and off we went. We stopped at Taihape for kai, and saw where the Tangiwai disaster happened as we headed to the Tongariro National Park.

We put on our packs and off we went.

“My goal was to carry my own pack out, because I didn’t on the way in. Friends helped me. I felt really great having met my goal. It was hard and I did want to give up at times, but people waited for me and encouraged me - told me “Travis you have got this!”
Travis Filer

First stop was by the waterfall. We had several river crossings.

“The hike was hard. The experience showed me if I put my mind to something I can do it. I had a lot of patience and resilience. It reminded me of the book “Cuz” because the hunger, cold, resting on the track because we were tired, pain (on my shoulders) and seeing the mountains and trees. The river crossing made me nervous, but some guys always stepped up and helped us all across. If I ever got the chance I would go again”
Thomas Mumby

Many of us saw our first snow. It was on the track as we got close to the school hut.

_“This experience showed me how I can do something that I don’t want to do and I can push myself past my limits. It makes me strong. We had to put ourselves under a bit of pain and pressure to feel the experiences of Huia and River in the book Cuz. It makes me want to go to the gym and do more things to push myself.”
Kiwi Panui _

Students of Ms Meade's SOI01 class
21/9/20