Outdoor Ed - Mixed class activity.

Last week there was a break in the weather and despite a cool start to the day, it promised to be a dry one. In our year 9/10 outdoor education class we were ready for a day exploring the local hills and mountains (pretty small ones) on our mountain bikes. Our class had received refresher tips on cycling safety and etiquette for both riding on the roads as well as on the tracks.

We had a group of 10 students but coming along with us were three year 6 students. Coincidently the year 6 class was completing a ‘Ride Nation Schools’ program and were also spending time cycling around the quiet roads the put into action the skills they learnt. The three boys we had were very competent riders who were ready to take the challenge of riding with us.

We left school at about 9:50am and headed up to Mt Melville. There were a number of tracks that were challenging to navigate, with some tough uphill sections. The rewards at the top of these tracks was the spectacular views over our city port and down town area. Unfortunately, one of our group had a small fall, but after some minor first aid we continued our journey.

We made our way towards Mt Clarence where we had some fun on the downhill track, a popular track for experienced and novice riders. We met the Year 6 class at a local park for a BBQ lunch, where we shared our morning adventures.

After a hearty lunch we eagerly got cycling again, first up towards Mt Clarence, then following a variety of tracks that eventually got us on the way back to school. We had a quick stop at the newly completed pump track, then the adventure was completed when we got back to school.

Having the three Year 6 students were very successful as they not only were strong enough to keep up, but they were also taught by their older peers. There was encouragement and teaching between students and from the teacher point of view really good to see.

The student review after the day was pleasing. They enjoyed the outdoors, and loved the experience of riding on different surfaces, from the roads with traffic, to the bush tracks and board walks. A great day was had by all.