From rope-tieing to rock climbing, rolling fire-hoses to spotting ocean rips – The Armidale School’s senior students have been learning life-long skills as the Activities program kicks off for the year.
The second Activities Day for the year was held on 25 February and students rose to the challenge of new experiences, despite the warm weather.
Rangers (Year 7) and Cadets (Years 8-11) canoed, cooked, trekked and navigated at various locations around Armidale and at Nymboida. Many were out overnight on bivouac, including the TAS Cadet Unit’s all-female 7 Platoon, made up of all girls in Years 9 and 10 and those who have selected cadets in Year 11.
Having learnt about fire behaviour the previous week, Year 11 girls and boys involved in the Rural Fire Service program gained practical training in pumps, hoses, communications and fireground safety at the New England RFS training facility in Armidale.
Those undertaking expeditions went hiking, whilst trainee surf life savers trained their eyes to find rips, learnt rescue signals, and gained experience on various surf rescue craft.
The mandatory outdoor education programs are part of the leadership, service and adventure offering at TAS that is all about developing character and courage.
“Students will approach the Activities program with different levels of personal enthusiasm and this is natural. The aim of the program for all students is the same though; to present challenges in the outdoors that will see them stretch themselves and test the limits of their ability,” Headmaster Murray Guest said.
“This may come in the form of learning how to sleep in the bush for the first time, lead others on expedition, overcome fear on an abseil or learn fire-fighting and surf lifesaving skills that will be taken through life. Collecting experiences of embracing new challenges is preparation for facing future hurdles in life and it is an investment that we see as central to our purpose at TAS.”
RFS instructor and TAS Business Manager Pat Bradley and Bill Whitney watch as Dougal Mackay rolls out a fire hose
Thomas Goodfellow, Lukas Cook, James Hartog-Smith, Jessie Digby, Saxon Hughes and Olivia Fenwicke practice rescue manoeuvres as part of Surf Life Saving training
Erin Page adjusts the straps on Ellen Coote’s new cadet backpack
Emily Hempel managed to squeeze in an early morning Viola lesson before her first day in 7 Platoon
