Big Day Out

Well all the school kids and teachers at home will be heading back to classes this morning so I thought it would be a good time to finally get around to posting some pictures from Aiden’s Big Day Out. On December 14th, Preps, Grade ones and twos went for the day on a field trip down to Warrnambool. I was lucky enough to be able to go along as a chaperone. Or maybe not so lucky being stuck on a bus with 15 rowdy, excited 5 to 8 year olds.

It was just over a two-hour bus ride down to Warrnambool, where we went to Flagstaff Hill. Flagstaff Hill is a recreated maritime village and reflects the pioneering atmosphere of an 1870’s coastal port.

We became a part of the 1870's Flagstaff Hill Common School – complete with costumes, stern School Ma’am, scratchy slates, hard wooden seats and recitation of the times tables in the Reading, ‘Riting and Rithmetic’.

When we arrived the girls were taken to change into costume, while the boys were taken down to the school to don vests and hats. Everyone looked sooo cute when they were all dolled up. The School Ma’am explained to the kids that they would be attending an hour of school staged back in the 1870’s. She explained how they were to line up outside, boys in one line, girls in another, from shortest to tallest. The girls were to enter first, the boys to follow but to remain standing once they were at the desks.

Once in the classroom, the School Ma’am

explained that they were to sit with their hands clasped and on the desk at all times unless they were told otherwise; they were not to speak unless spoken to; they needed to stand when answering a question; and they needed to address her as Ma’am when answering a question. Just like school in the 1870’s. The session started with a hand inspection. As a class they recited the alphabet and named a few of the letters and different words starting with those particular letters. Slate boards were handed out to practice printing the abc’s. The math lesson consisted of reading off some numbers and reciting the sevens times table. The kids did a fabulous job playing along. It was great fun to watch.

From there we headed down to Lake Pertobe Adventure Playground. It was an amazing playground with giant sides, flying foxes, a maze and great playground equipment. We had a picnic McDonald’s lunch at the playground; the McDonald’s being a highlight for many of the kids. After lunch the kids played at the playground for a while then it was time to load up and head home. We stopped at Mortlake on the way back to have a short playground break and to have an ice pop (Popsicle). We arrived back into Halls Gap around 5 pm, everyone tired and exhausted but with grins on their faces.