Somers Camp 2014

I caught the Vline from Melton to Sunshine. My suitcase fell in between the crack of the train and the platform. I squeezed past the first two rows and sat down in the third on the isle. My suitcase took up half of the walking space. We take off and the inspector asks for our Miki cards! Bloody hell! He can’t move past my suitcase and I can’t find my purse among my baggage. I start to get butterflies in my stomach. Why? My card is topped up. Sunshine station time to get off, my bag twists and nearly breaks my arm. An Asian man tries to squeeze past me. Come on help me out here! I am totally lost. How do I get off the platform? I follow the lady in front of me and get in the lift. At the top I have to make a decision as to which ramp I go down….Which way to Sunshine Primary school? I walked the wrong way and ended up at the catholic primary school. The junior school had an excursion so they were all waiting for their bus out the front. I just walked past casually smiling at the kids. Walked back past 5 mins later looking like a criminal and having to sheepishly ask for directions to Sunshine primary school, 30 minutes later I arrived.

I introduce myself and straight away I’m given the job of ticking the children’s names off the list calming parents and directing children to their correct lines and buses. I don’t know any of these children or their parents. Anxious parents… I leave on bus number 1 with 70 children and another staff member. We sit in the middle of the bus. Five minutes into the trip I can feel motion sickness creeping in. Great! We chat all the way while the children watch Gnome and Juliet. An hour and 30 minutes later we arrive at Somers.

I help the Somers staff take the bags off the bus and put them in Humpy 2 (Humpy 1 burnt down). The children go and play on the basketball court.

 Today is induction day for visiting teachers and children. Staff are making a big deal about us being there, I feel privileged to be here. Catlin is inducting me and the kids. She is amazing with the kids, firm, forthright and honest. I haven’t had a chance to get to know my group of girls yet. We have lunch (yum – salad rolls) and more inductions. My head is spinning with information. Lots of responsibilities and roles to undertake, at the same time it is very loose (another staffs word) here and you feel like a fish out of water. Just a matter of time understanding and the roster and routine.

Catlin leaves for the day and the girls are mine. I called them together to have a chat and formally introduce myself. I explain I am with them 24/7 I am the person they go to for anything and everything. They warm to me straight away. They are a lovely bunch. They opened up very quickly and quickly broke my heart. They have lost parents, moved school 6 times, and had 4 different mums, home sick and lonely.

After dinner we played games as teams/huts all together. We are hut 7. I have 10 boys and 10 girls that I work with during activities, very challenging dynamics. We pulled together and worked through our challenges and won a couple of times, disqualified once (they didn’t like that) and came second twice. There was a balloon game, making the Sydney harbour bridge with your bodies, tin can game, name remembering game and diary entry writing. I was involved in it all, they loved it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to the huts to settle in for the night, this was tricky. I had 2 girls who were crying because they were home sick. I talked to them about home, brothers, sisters, mums and dads and told them they will feel sad tonight and tomorrow night and it’s normal and ok. I feel the same way; I have left my family at home. I sat on the top bunk holding her feet until she fell asleep. Its 10.30 and I’m lying in bed typing away with my door open just in case one of the girls needs me. I didn’t join the other staff tonight in the common room just in case the girls needed me. I promised I would be here all night.

Day 2 (Wednesday, 7 May 2014)

6.15am the kookaburras found something funny right under my window. Very cute. I txt Jake to wake him and Emily for school, he was up already (so responsible). I jumped in the shower before I woke the girls; they all need to be up at 7am. The shower was like ice! I walked out half-dressed and a couple of the girls are standing there looking at me. We all just started laughing I had goose pimples everywhere. From then on I had a different girl walk sheepishly into my room, I have a sore throat, I’m cold, I didn’t sleep very well…lol simple remedies, pop a beanie on, wash your face, laugh with your friends. They are so excited this morning. We have play till 7.25 then breakfast and assembly. After assembly I have 2 hours of boating.

Assembly. I walked in and there was singing, loud singing. Every staff member was playing a guitar, bango or the piano. They were singing loud and the kids were singing with them. It was awesome! I joined in straight away. The energy and creativity and genuine enjoyment was so powerful.

We had boating down at the river. Steve took the lesson. Awesome teacher, his management skills of the group were creative, entertaining, honest and real. Immediately he had their attention and respect. The learning intention wasn’t for the kids to learn how to row a boat it was to challenge them in communication skills and management of different personalities. The kids have a booklet that they reflect in honestly without judgement. This is done before and after the activity.  Steve was quiet explicit in the learning intention and rules. The children were to use their initiative in every aspect of the lesson. Some kids found finding a life jacket to fit a challenge others found it challenging to tell their partner to row in the opposite direction before they crashed into the bank of the river. Steve barked at them the whole 2 hours. I could see some kids wanting to throw it in because it forced them to be assertive or make a command of a person they don’t know. Steve didn’t give them time to think to long about it. We partnered up together and he instructed me to row this way and that. Occasionally I would hit myself with the oar clumsily and awkwardly. But an amazing experience.

 I am so keen to model different techniques I am learning from these teachers/principals, especially dealing with home sick girls.  I am finding this the most challenging is consulting these children on their well being/life skills. The prin has done his masters in this field and has this ease in which he works with challenging children. I hope to see more and record some of his methods.

Prin method: Talk about their family. Acknowledge they are home sick. Get them to think in the moment and do in the moment. Buddy them up with a friend. Keep them busy with responsibilities. Talk about how we can make them feel better and take those steps one at a time to make things right.

I had an hour an a half break today. I thought I would go for a run. I was told to head out the front and follow the road. Uh huh. The road went in 3 different directions. I went left, ran until the road ran out and then turned right…it was all bush. I was lost. I was so lost I was late back for my activity of low ropes. The staff thought it was the funniest thing and haven’t stopped ribbing me about it. So much so they threatened to not let me go on the night hike tonight.

I was given a walkie talkie lol and I joked about tying myself to the kids so I wouldn’t get lost. Night hike was fast and dark. There was no moonlight. We seen a couple of small possums and a koala eating gum leaves. It was about a 4.5k walk, that whole walk I had a girl link my arm and not let go (my arm got pins and needles) Its 9.11pm I have just settled the girls into bed. The staff meet at the VT lounge at about 9.30pm until 10pm and then I’m back on duty. That’s if the girls are asleep. I am exhausted and it’s only day 2. Tomorrow morning I’ll have the girls with blistered feet to fix sore throats, belly aches, headaches, home sickness, diary inspections, hut inspections and organisation of table monitors. Oh and showers.

Day 3

I slept ok but totally exhausted. Woken again by laughing kookaburras at 6.15 I jumped into a freezing shower and got the girls up at 7am. Busy day today no break. Bacon and eggs for brekkie, yum. I wandered down to the environmental centre this morning after brekkie with the kids. There is a 3 legged goat and a black goat, guinea pigs, spotted chickens, cockatiels and parrots. I can’t resist playing with the animals. The kids put a guinea pig into a box and take it into the sun a brush it. Great for home sick kids.

Low ropes course was terrific. It wasn’t about the kids being successful in getting around the course it was about trusting your partner to support you and to be a supportive partner. Team work. I modelled to the kids how to do this. They were great, there wasn’t a lot of talk but there was hands up, they were standing close and leaning on their partners shoulder and new friendships were formed.

Archery was interesting. It put some children in a position where their arm was hurting.  It was about resilience. Bike Ed. Well this was my challenge. I can ride a bike but sometimes get nervous going around bends or positioning myself through tight squeezes. I only crashed twice and the kids were encouraging me to keep going don’t give up! I took a young boy who was very new to bike riding. It was a challenge for him to balance and use his brakes. We were heading down a hill and he got the most wonderful speed wobbles I couldn’t not laugh while I called for him to brake. He could easily put his feet on the ground but crashed at the bottom. He brushed himself off scratched bleeding hands and all and got back on and rode as fast as he could to join the group. I was so proud of him.

Drama. Hmm interesting. We were divided into 3 separate groups told we would be performing tomorrow night. I have a lead. I have never taken the lead on stage before. My challenge. I am nervous I won’t remember my lines but I am going to give it my all because the kids are feeling the same way and we are going to smash it! lol

Bush dancing, what a laugh. It was great to see how the staff allocated the moves for the children. How they managed behaviour of 150 kids that didn’t want to touch a boy or girls hand! My group was the first to demonstrate a dance. I was up and dancing with them-2 left feet laughing the whole way. They loved it. The visiting teachers had to dance together- boy/girl! The kids were laughing so hard, we were crying we were laughing so much. A fantastic night had by all.

During bush dancing Katie had the mic and said shhh! All of us teachers laughed. Then she said that the amount of times she had said shhhh! She was about to deflate onto the floor. I found the joke funny. But seriously they manage 150 kids amazingly, stern, funny and straight to the point with honesty. They don’t stop and wait for them to be quiet they continue on. The kids stop and listen.

It is 9.44pm I have just got the girls settled now I have to go to the VT lounge we have to make a poster as a group. It will be a late night.

Day 4

I was treated to a beautiful boat ride this morning. Steve (permanent teacher at Somers) rowed me out to the bridge and back. He barked at the kids stern and encouraging and quick to tell them what they were doing incorrectly. I have not heard one staff member here say ‘well done you have done a good job.’ And the kids have the upmost respect for them. I hear ‘that can be done better.’ Or ‘I told you to use your left arm and your using your right arm. The job can be done better and effectively if you use your right arm.’ They pin point the problem and talk about the problem. They don’t praise the kids they let the kids acknowledge their own achievements. There expectations are high and they tell the children from the get go. Instructions are given explicitly and the children stop and listen. There is no discussion, no questions. Questions are at the end of instruction time but are rare because of the explicit instructions. Instructions are done in steps thoroughly and then revised briefly step by step.  It is rare that a child has no idea what to do usually because they are in pairs or groups. Then they are expected to work it out between themselves.

I learnt how to start a fire today, make a billy of tea and damper. At the end of the session the children cleaned up the fire and the area. They were in groups of 4 and given a letter a, b, c, or d. All a’s from each group formed a separate group to sweep, all of b’s formed a group to scoop the coals into the wheel barrows etc. It just flowed so smoothly.

I had an hours break today and made my way to the beach. Beautiful beach and houses that back onto the beach. I was talking to Pete when I noticed something black in the water (the water was like glass). I walked closer to the water and about 50 metres away was a dolphin playing. It came closer to the water as I did. It was just a beautiful experience. I really don’t want to go home. I want to teach kids like this, no parents to contend with just pure teaching. One day.

I was pushed outside my boundaries tonight. Not that the staff had any idea. We had a concert and I was to play a teacher who had a fight with another teacher and so on. I was shitting my pants. I got on stage and mucked up my first line. Pulled it together and had the audience joining in and pissing themselves laughing. It was fantastic. The kids all felt nervous too but did brilliantly.

 

I have just put the girls down and now heading to the VT lounge to work on the poster with the other teachers. We are non-stop on the go continually. I have assembly in the morning and I am presenting awards, doing this for the next 5 days.

Ps we have hut awards for the best, cleanest and environmentally friendliest hut. We are coming second. I have the girls sign up for different duties every morning. Planning to win.

 

We won! this is our trophy. The girls decorate it and then it's displayed in the hut window for every one to see. 

 

I am not going to write so much any more. I want to keep this experience special close to my heart. As we go along things at Somers become sacred and secret. Very special experiences that stay with the people and children you are working with. You become very close and share an extremely close bond with them.

 

I will share some of my challenges, rock climbing is one...On Monday night some of the staff met up after the kids went to bed about 9.30ish. We harnessed up and I attempted a rock climb. I have the most intense fear of heights. I climbed to the top with the help of staff yelling move your right foot, straighten your legs, pull your bum in, push up etc. When I did make it to the top I threw one leg over and got stuck. Very attractive I heard. Thus I was nick named the beached whale.

 

My group going through the safety procedure of rock climbing.

 

 

I wasn't so successful with high ropes. I encouraged and prompted my group all the way through. The kids were so inspiring pushing through any insecurities or fears and working great as a team. I was really proud of them. They thought I needed to have a go because they wanted me to share their experiences.

Day 5 High ropes.

 

One of my girls ventured out to the play pen on the high ropes. Big effort as they are really tricky. She panicked and had to be rescued. She hung for quiet some time and was exhausted. She was debriefed by Somers staff after they rescued her. It was awesome to watch.

 

I started to climb the ladder and was feeling scared. By the time I reached the platform my heart was beating  a little faster. I could see the ground under the platform and that scared me. I had a plan and a goal to conquer. I was going to do the short area and return on the flying fox. Huh! I took my first step onto the wire and nearly poohed my pants. My group were all standing underneath me shouting up encouraging words. I shuffled along at the same speed as a snail. My legs had a mind of their own and were shaking out of control. The more they shook the more the wire wobbled and the more unstable I felt. I made it to the first platform. Removed my carambena to the next part. But my arms were tightly wrapped around the pole. I went into a complete panic attack. I joked with the kids that they might get wet underneath me! I didn't want them to be concerned. They were. I returned the same way I went, slowly. We debriefed back at the hut and I shared my fears with the group and they shared theirs. It was a lovely reflective session and that were comforted in the fact that we all face challenges in life no matter how old , big or small and its ok to feel scared. 

 

Day 6

 

Family day.

Today their is challenges for everyone. Some children have their parents to come and visit others don't. Some children who are really home sick might want to leave today. Staff highly discourage this. We are keeping a close eye on the children and supporting them as best we can. Often it is the parents that are anxious and make the children anxious and upset worrying about mum or dad.

 

Pete came to visit with Emily and Jake. We had a beautiful picnic down at the beach and Emily fell in love with one of the guinea pigs! lol

 

Its the day before we have to leave. Feeling really down. I don't want to leave. I'm learning so much but could learn so much more. I feel I have offered a lot too.

 

I have rock climbing this morning I am going to give abseiling a go. Before I went up I raced to the toilet. Petrified. The kids are so encouraging, I wonder if they are mirroring that from me. These kids have inspired me to conquer my fears. It is changing me as a person.

 

I went up and my heart was literally pounding out of my chest! The staff were amazing. Karen just focus on my words. Put your heels over the edge. What?! lol slowly slowly I lowered myself down. It was an awesome feeling. Absolutely the best thing ever! I was so proud of myself, the kids all cheered me. I wanted to cry I was just so proud of the kids and myself. It was definitely a team effort.

 

 

 

Last few daylight hours of the second last day. I am going to the beach with some of the kids. Most of this group come from Horsham the closest beach for them is 5 hours away. It is a nice afternoon sun is out but it is probably to cold to swim.

 

These kids walked down to the beach seen the water and couldn't get their gear off quick enough. Squealing, screaming and laughing they ran straight in to the water. Shortly after they got into the water a dolphin came swimming in to play with them! How amazing! How beautiful for these kids. Just fantastically heart warming!

 

Look closely and you can see its fin. It was jumping in and out of the water in front of the kids.

 

 

Last night.

 

Walking to a secret location for a camp fire. Everyone is a little sad... We are sitting 2 rows from the front. I have children leaning on my shoulders from both sides and one from behind. I cant write about it was just a very special heart felt night with many tears.

 

 

Last day.

 

I am so sad. This has been a life changing experience for me and the children. We have all changed in our own ways, grown and learnt so much.

Assembly. The staff made a slide show with pictures from day one through to today. They were on a massive white screen with music to pull at your heart. We were all laughing and crying. I got up on stage with the other VT's and we did the chicken (ghost Chicken) dance for the kids.  We were presented a certificate from the kids who summed up what it meant for them to have each one of us. More tears!

My girls and I were hugging and crying. The Somers staff even had water in their eyes lol. I will miss them all very very much. I know I made a difference to these kids as they made a difference to me. Staff told me they were going to miss me. I will be back one day to make a difference to a different group of children and again to myself.

 

This experience will be unforgettable and always stay very close to my heart. It is with a heavy heart I sign off now.