In Week 5 of Term 3, our keen writers departed the school, their eyes full of adventure and excitement. We drove the seven students to Halls Gap, where we excitedly set up our cabins, ready for the first workshop of the day. Our literary explorers braved the long walk from Sundial Carpark to the top of the summit, a long and gruelling 2.6km climb up the mountain. Through our journey, the writers would pause and make notes about thoughts, feelings and observations, and took in the beautiful views. They began to realise how impressive their trek was when we approached the top, looking down the mountain and seeing how far they had come.
At the Summit, the students celebrated their accomplishments and settled down for a session of writing. Some wrote narratives, drawing on their experiences, others wrote recounts and expressed their feelings. We then began the long trek back down, and it seemed the going down was harder than the going up. We had some very tired writers back at the cabins, but it didn’t stop them from exploring the surroundings. We all worked together to prepare a dinner of tacos, then we shared our writing pieces, giving each other feedback.
The quality of the writing was most impressive, and we look forward to sharing their writing in the coming weeks.
NestingThe next morning, Seth and Ellie departed us to attend the Athletics Carnival, while the rest of us explored a bush fairy garden, then walked to Clematis Falls, an easier 1.5km trek. The waterfalls were beautiful, and the writers fully engaged with the experiences, tasting, feeling and listening to the falls. We settled in for another writing workshop and enjoyed the gorgeous views.
A highlight for the teachers was hearing the stories the students were building as they walked, and to see them pick up other peoples’ rubbish as they walked, and they were completely unprompted in this. We were so proud of our environmentally conscious students.
It was a fantastic trip, and the writers gained a lot out of it, in their writing, and in their relationships and thinking. We look forward to reading the finished pieces and sharing their achievements. Definitely an experience to repeat.