The tree has 3 different colours, they give it character.
The bark is torn and curled just like paper when it’s wet.
The branches reach out to me just like arms waiting for a hug.
The leaves move with the wind back and forward just to say hi.
The trees are tall so they can watch over you just like your parents.
The tree blocks the sun from my body to insure I don’t get burnt.

The Alpine School days are long and tiring, and every now and then it’s nice just to be able to relax. Rest days occur every two weeks giving us the opportunity to either organise an activity such as a bike ride, a hike, help the cooks out, or maybe just to chill out in the Alpine surrounds with mates. Today was one of those days!

On the 20th/10/08 two aboriginals came to the school to tell people about their culture. Their names were Robert and Will. The whole of core one was undertaking this class. We learnt where their land was, all the different types of clans and we also got to look at some pictures. Then we split up into our expo groups. One group went outside with Robert to see something that the aboriginals used to eat. While the other group stayed inside with Will and learnt about the different weapons, musical instruments and what they used to communicate.

This week, all students from the Dinner Plain campus undertook their level one first aid C.P.R. exams. The hands on approach to the test involved using a friend to roll into a position for a conscious person, called the ‘recovery position’. C.P.R. (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) was demonstrated by using a life like C.P.R. doll to give C.P.R. to.

Enviro 1 was all about us getting in touch with nature and the surroundings of our home for the next 8 weeks.

We saw a slide show about all the different things that come from the environment. We saw what Velcro, sugar and pepper looked like up close, real close. We then got given a bit of timer with a colour on it. We had to pick six and then try find something that matched with that colour. It had to be from nature, so it wasn’t allowed to be clothing. Some were really tricky but if you looked close enough you would be able to find a colour that matched or close enough to that colour.

We then walked to this lovely spot in the bush where we got to pick a bunch of leafs and stuff of different textures to make a bouquet of flowers. We shared with everyone the different and unusual textures of the things we had.

This afternoon when core 1 did DP Navigation, we went out with a few teachers to Dinner Plain. Each of the 4 groups got 4 markers to place around their designated area of the village. We marked the location of each marker on the map then met up to swap map markings. We then had to go find each of the other twelve markers using our maps. At one point, our group had a lot of trouble orienteering the map but we worked it out using everyone’s suggestions. We also found it difficult communicating as a team because the groups were different to our usual CLP teams.

Bridge Building is an exercise to build the teams skills.

The aim of the day is to be able to cross a little bit of the Victoria River, in Cobungra, by building a bridge that everyone could cross (even the teachers) without getting wet.

Our first rest day of term four, on Wednesday the 15th Oct, Coleman.S & Tim. P organised a 46km bike ride to Omeo.

It was a long tiring bike ride but a great experience and heaps of fun too. There were great views and we took some detours on some dirt road which was really fun because you go really fast down them.

For our afternoon class today (14/10) we had Peer Skills 1. I don’t think many of us knew what it was going to be about. The first thing we were asked to do, was write down some secret about ourselves; something we were ashamed of. When I looked around the room at least half of the other kids looked like they were about to cry. This really made me realise that everybody has tough times in their lives and everybody goes through things; it’s just that we all deal with it differently.