William Pike Challenge Award

Part of the challenge of leading the first year is all the logistics and paperwork required to set up each event. I also set myself the challenge of keeping the cost of the WPCA program as low as possible for the students and their families. An email announcing an event co-hosted by WPCA and Drowning Prevention NZ was a welcome surprise - providing a low-cost outdoor event with the added bonus of mingling with students from other schools and a water safety theme providing valuable learning for the young people.  A highlight for me from this event was having a go at something new - SUP (stand up paddle) boarding. The highlight for the students was the moment when I fell off!   

Our first outdoor event was a bush walk in the Hunua Ranges.  On 6th February I headed out to pre-walk the Wairoa Loop Track, a beautiful and comfortable 3 hour walk through the bush, beside streams and around dams. Waitangi Day turned out to be a scorcher. The hill climb after lunch proved challenging in the heat, and I figured it would be a good first challenge for the Pike team. Turned out the second time around the walk was much easier. Another difference was the change in volume - the Pikelets talked, sang and laughed all the way around the loop. Even the hill climb didn't quieten them much! Driving back to Auckland afterwards I enjoyed the satisfying feeling of a good day out in the sun with a great bunch of young people. And as a result of our WPCA event I have re-discovered the beauty and accessibility of the Hunua Ranges. Check out some photos in the video clip below :)

Kicking off the WPCA program with a team building session will become a tradition. I teamed up with Brooke from the Salvation Army up the road... and the students and I enjoyed a 1.5 hour session of challenges and problem solving.  My favourite activity was the Blindfold Challenge. Two teams, one member of each team blindfolded. A whole lot of objects scattered throughout the library (our team base). The blindfolded student had to recreate a structure identical to the one given in a photograph they cannot see with objects they cannot see! A great exercise in  communication, strategy and teamwork.   Look out for the snake! Where is it?? Brooke and I were super impressed with the students reflective skills. As a group they initiated their own reflective conversations, and with help were able to make links to real world scenarios.  A fun and LOUD start to the year!

    Kia ora, hallo, and hello.... It's been almost 12 months since my WPCA journey began, and the experiences have been such an adventure I've decided to join my students in blogging my own recount of the journey. To find out what WPCA is check out the information on our Wesley Intermediate page.  The idea for the Wesley Intermediate WPCA program was planted during conversations at an Outdoor First Aid course in 2018.  Over the next six months I researched, brainstormed and held discussions with the Leadership team and the Board of Trustees at Wesley Intermediate before launching the program in December 2018 with a presentation at a school assembly.  The program is being offered to Year 8 students with a combination of key components:  l eadership skills, reflective thinking, life skills, challenge and adventure, community service, passion projects and mentoring . The students accepted into the WIS program already demonstrate a solid understan...