MERRIBEK TERM 1 2025 WEEK 3

Merribeks 3rd week started off with swimming at Brunswick Baths. It was a beautiful 35°C which made a perfect day for swimming and a refreshing first day back after our Cathedral Ranges camp. This activity prepared students for lifesaving at south Melbourne beach on Friday and our surfing camp in week 4. Students showed off their swimming skills of treading water and diving while practicing water safety. Our next activity was hip hop writing at Glenroy Library! This activity started off with a rap inspired icebreaker that helped inspire the students to write raps of their own. Students helped collaborate by creating a beat, lyrics and vocals to a song which ended up being recorded with professional equipment!

Thursday started off with us heading down to Richmond to ride bikes along the Yarra river bike trail. Students though nervous about the ride practice resilience and showed bravery by putting their nerves aside and riding along the bike trail. The trial led us to Federation Square where we stopped to have lunch with some students rewarding their hard efforts with a slurpee and meat pie from 7 eleven, before making our way back!

Friday was jam packed with learning about water safety and catching some waves at South Melbourne life saving club. Alistair our instructor educated us on how South Melbourne life saving club operated with students being able to see behind the scenes from visiting the medic room to being in the watchtower trying out lifeguard binoculars. Our next activity was learning how to perform CPR. Students after the tutorial had to perform CPR on the Annie doll for 2 minutes with the reward being a CPR certificate from South Melbourne life saving club. Once the students CPR training was complete we sang happy birthday with candles and a chocolate cake to one of our students who was turning 14. While sharing cake and having lunch we sat in the sunshine on the beach and enjoyed our food before our next activity, lifeboard surfing. 

Students were given a lifeboard and a rashy and paddled out to sea to swim and catch some waves. While others were lucky enough to ride in South Melbourne life saving clubs buggy which towed the boards. While surfing there were some tumbles in the water but students showed perseverance and determination by getting back up on the board and trying again. Our day ended with our last activity which was us washing our brand new bus that was generously donated by Clifton Hill Bendigo bank. Students had a blast making our bus squeaky clean and looking fresh ready for our Surf camp this week. 

A very big thank you to the Community Bank Clifton Hill - North Fitzroy Bendigo Bank for their generous donation towards our new bus, Operation Newstart is beyond grateful!