The Outdoor Classroom
Being one of the schools closest to the Snowy Mountains it is a logical consequence that St Patrick’s Parish School Cooma takes full advantage of its location to deliver experiences unique to the alpine environment. Whether in summer or winter, there are opportunities for the students of St Patrick’s to interact fully with this environment across a number of curriculum areas. In summer, the students in Stage 2 attend the ‘Earthkeepers’ program through the National Parks and Wildlife Service based at Sawpit Creek on the Kosciuszko Road. They are given first-hand experience at identifying our unique flora and fauna at the same time as they are encouraged to develop strategies for a more sustainable future. The Year 10 students from St Patrick’s have their annual ‘Altitude Excursion’ as a highlight of the year. While the focus is on Geography and History activities initially, the highlight is always the meditation session conducted on top of Australia’s third highest peak, Mt Carruthers. The impact of absolute silence, the whispers of alpine air and the soft snow grasses create a remarkable setting to ponder the beauty of God’s creation.
With the arrival of the winter snows, the St Patrick’s students are again involved in connecting with the mountains. This might include representing the school at the Interschools’ Snowsports competition up to national level, as occurs in most years or perhaps getting involved in the school’s snowsports programs from Kindergarten to Year 10. For many years the Secondary and Primary students have enjoyed the experience of skiing or snowboarding with their peers; peripheral benefits include developing coordination and balance, a greater sense of responsibility, improved physical fitness and the opportunity to interact with a much wider range of their peers than might otherwise be the case at school. For the last two years the Kindergarten to Year 2 program over 2 days at Thredboland has been very popular, and similar benefits have been evident for the St Patrick’s younger ones. These activities truly reflect the school vision statement of “A School with Altitude”.
Phil Stubbs, Principal St Patrick’s Parish School, Cooma NSW
Cover Image: Students from St Patrick’s Parish Primary, Cooma NSW participating in the school’s ‘Altitude Excursion’ at Mt Carruthers Thredbo NSW