Red Cross Cadets took lessons into their own hands last week, with students being responsible for coming up with ideas to enhance the team-work skills of their peers.

Under the supervision of staff, small groups of senior cadets came up with a variety of team activities which required the remaining students to work well together to deliver outcomes.

Photographed here are one of the events - a chain obstacle course.  Students were provided with protective wear, tied together with a rope, and then made to traverse a range of obstacles.  From going down a slide, to carrying a team member on an inflated tractor inner-tube, to crawling under playground equipment – the students were challenged to think through possible solutions.  To make the scenario a little more complicated, two of the team members were blind-folded.  Communication, problem-solving, care for others and support of one another were all necessary to complete the timed event.  Once a time was recorded, the next team rotated through to see if they could work better and achieve a better result.

A great fun way to work together, that saw a lot of laughter, as well as learning experiences.

Friday afternoons at Cornerstone are set aside for Secondary Options – the most popular of which is Red Cross Cadets.  90 students get to experience the adventurous, help the disadvantaged, learn skills and develop team work.

Last week, with the inclement weather, some in-school activities were undertaken, which included team challenges.  Of particular hilarity on this occasion, was Mrs Robinson’s marble run activity.  Two teams were presented with tape, a long tube and a marble.  Opposing team members taped the hose to students and created a difficult and complicated route for a marble to run.  Once this was set up, a marble was dropped in one end and students had to work together to get the marble out.  Some very strenuous manoeuvres were required to complete the task, with lots of laughter as well as physical discomfort experienced.

Mrs Robinson, when not laughing, was timing the activity, with points awarded to the team who was able to get their marble from one end to the other in the shortest time.  In some instances, multiple marbles were added which made the process even more complicated.

A brilliant show of team work from all involved.

For most of us, changing a tyre on a bike is something we hope we never have to do.  It is a difficult and fiddly process, that can bring frustration to even the most patient among us.

Well if that is you, then you need Colby Dean around!

As part of the Red Cross Cadets team rotations, the Mountain Bike option provided some opportunities to learn skills – one of which was a tyre changing lesson and then timed challenge.  Students were asked to completely change and then inflate a tyre on a bike, and were timed as they went.  Colby’s result was achieved in the first week, and no-body else came close.  In 1 minute and 24 seconds, he achieved the almost miraculous by completing the task.  For his efforts, the Dunsborough Bike Shed donated an impressive inflating device as a prize.

Well done Colby.  Leave your number at the front desk, and we may call upon you in our times of bike-tyre-changing need!  Simply sensational.

The Red Cross Cadets at the College have kicked off another year with a range of fun team-based activities.

With 90 Secondary students participating in the Cadets Program this year, the benefits of team work and celebrating one another has become even more evident.

Today saw students escaping the heat, with some creative memories being made within the College’s Sports Centre.

Teams of students firstly blew up balloons, and attached them to one team member.  That team member was then required to complete an obstacle course, with the winner being the person who managed to retain as many balloons as possible.  The yellow team, were the winners.  After this event, with team members shouting their encouragement from the sidelines, the balloon bearers were encouraged to burst each other’s balloons, as quickly as they were able to.

Following this event, the newspaper was brought out, and teams were required to build a shelter for 3 of their team mates.  The ’houses’ had to be free-standing, and made only from paper and tape.  The efforts were less spectacular than staff would have liked, but it was an fun and enjoyable afternoon of students working together and getting to know their new peers.

Greg Spencer, the co-ordinator of the program at the College said the aim was teamwork.

‘It is a simple and fun way of getting together and beginning the year well.  It is clear, within the teams, that leaders begin to emerge and this is something we will foster as the year progresses’.

The Red Cross Cadets program at Cornerstone is the only one of its kind within Western Australia, and is proving to be an ever popular option choice.  This is, by far, the largest group the College has had participate since it’s inception almost 11 years ago.

As is the tradition at Cornerstone in term 4, secondary students are expanding their skills in the water, with many taking steps towards earning their Bronze Medallion.

As part the College’s Red Cross Cadets Option, 15 Year 10 students are spending part of their Friday afternoons at the Geographe Leisure Centre, fine-tuning their rescue skills.  A second group of students are also participating during their studies on Wednesdays.  With the weather pleasant and the company enjoyable, the students were seen to be enjoying the daily challenges Miss Needham placed before them.  Today they took turns in rescuing one another, both in the water, and from the side of the pool, as well as completing some timed swims.

Holding a Bronze Medallion is not only valuable for recreational activities, but can also aid in employment opportunities as well.

College teacher, Jo Needham is excited to see the progression of the students, as they learn new lifesaving skills.  As a careers teacher, she also celebrates any educational activity that prepares her students for life beyond their secondary education.

The Red Cross Cadets Option will continue to be a part of the Friday afternoon range of options in 2012 – and promises to provide further opportunities for participants to learn leadership skills, as well as gaining practical knowledge.

The Red Cross Cadets at Cornerstone Christian College were seen completing their Senior First Aid course today. The Year 11 students were guided through the practical elements of their training by College teacher, Jo Needham, who is a qualified first-aid instructor.

The students were completing their testing on the College’s first aid dummies -on what was their final day at school for the year.  The Year 11 students commence their exams next week.

The training was the culmination of a section of the Red Cross cadets curriculum for this term.   Having such a large group of skilled and qualified first-aiders within the College is tremendous – both as a benefit for the College, as well as for the wider community.

The Cornerstone Christian College Red Cross Cadets are currently participating in a campaign which is aiming to direct attention to the plight of those affected by nuclear weapons.

The Australian Red Cross always works to limit suffering during war. Nuclear weapons cause extreme and unacceptable suffering.   This year, Australian Red Cross launched a campaign to raise awareness of the devastating consequences of nuclear weapons and the need to ban their use.

The aim of the campaign is for schools and community groups to help the Red Cross collect 1000 paper cranes in the ‘Target: 1,000 Cranes Photo Competition’.  The program is inspired by the famous true story of Sadako Sasaki, a brave 12-year-old girl who became ill with leukemia as an after-effect of the first atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945.

While in the Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital, Sadako recalled a Japanese legend that anyone who folds 1,000 paper cranes will be granted a wish. Sadako folded 644 cranes before passing away at age 12. Sadako’s school friends folded the remaining 356 paper cranes and buried all 1,000 paper cranes with her.   Whilst the Cornerstone students don’t believe that the legend holds truth, the campaign is a worthy one.

The Australian Red Cross has a goal to collect 1,000 cranes in support of a ban on the use of nuclear weapons so that stories such as Sadako’s need not be told.

To enter the students need to fold paper cranes and email the Red Cross a photo of their handiwork  for their chance to win a Nikon Digital SLR camera or an iPod shuffle. There are also educational packs available for the first 20 schools and community groups to also mail in 50 or more actual paper cranes. So far, the Year 11 students have folded 150 in bright red paper, which makes a striking image.

Year 11 form teacher, and co-ordinator of the College’s Red Cross Cadet program, Mr Greg Spencer, said that the campaign holds merit, as well as highlighting the work that the Red Cross are doing globally. ‘The students are amazing with the speed in which they can produce these folded cranes – with some of them being incredibly tiny and requiring a steady hand to achieve’.  He plans to send off the current batch of cranes, but students are determined to fold 1000 cranes alone.  Quite a feat.

A final total will be advised at the completion of the project.

A three day hike in the Blackwood National Park has been successfully completed by Cornerstone’s Outdoor Education students.

Supported by five adults, the students were split into girls and guy teams, and were required to navigate untracked through  a course of approximately 34 km in length.  The terrain they experienced was challenging, but at least on this occasion, the bad weather tradition that usually follows these events was broken.  According to Secondary teacher, Greg Spencer, the  students were required to climb some fairly decent hills, make their way through some savage vegetation and successfully manage some river crossings.

College Principal, Bruce Douglas, along with former College graduate, Travis Dykstra provided support for the boys, and teacher Maria Ackerman, with another former graduate, Danelle Spencer worked with the team of girls.  Greg Spencer provided vehicular support and oversaw the event.

‘The highlights included the excellent leadership & group skills shown by the students, particularly the way the students ran the Tyrolean traverse roping exercise to cross the river’, Mr Spencer said.

Upon their return, the students declared that the experience had been wonderful, but that they were very ready to return home for a hot shower and a soft bed.

This event was part of the Stage 1 & Stage 2 Outdoor Education classes at Cornerstone.

Mr Greg Spencer continued the tradition of taking his Outdoor Education Class on a canoeing adventure that experienced all the seasons in just one outing.

On May 18-20, Mr Spencer, his adult daughter, Danelle, who is studying Outdoor Ed at University,  and the Year 11 Stage 2 Outdoor Education class, made their way along a 30km stretch of the Blackwood River, between Punch Road & Great North Road.

Their first day had beautiful clear skies and sunshine, and was a beautiful start to their journey.  The participants were lulled into a false sense of weather security however, with rain starting on Thursday, and the journey completed on Friday with heavy rain and cold temperatures.  But that is just how Mr Spencer likes it.  His viewing of the weather forecast ahead of departure brought joy to his heart, believing that a little bit of rain (or even a lot of it) can be fun to journey in.

Mr Spencer’s humour was still intact upon the team’s return to the College, with some interesting comments about aspects of the journey.

‘The leaches were very friendly this time;  Miriam proved what we’ve all known for some time by wearing a clown suit for the first day;  and Hannah discovered that waterproof drums only work if the lid is screwed on properly,’ he said.

But it wasn’t all just fun and games, with a lot of valuable lessons learnt along the way.

‘As usual, many of the kids learnt that they are capable of much more than they thought they were’, he continued by saying.

Because the river levels were up slightly from previous years, the group faced less rapids and more portage.  The excellent equipment and professional leadership provided by the College, meant that each aspect of the journey was well planned and that the safety of students was regarded as a priority.

A new legacy has begun, with this year’s group creating a new tradition that is sure to continue on for years to come in this annual event on the College calendar.

‘Massage lines are great for aching muscles after a day of paddling”, Mr Spencer said.  The students agree.

Cornerstone’s Red Cross Cadets have completed another week with a range of interesting
activities.

The Cadets were divided into groups and participated in a range of activities, including
Community Service, Cooking, Bike Riding and Beanie Making.

One team was found at the home of a local lady who needed some assistance in the garden.
They cleaned gutters, installed reticulation, mowed lawns and performed general tidying duties.  The team of around 15 students, with the support of College Chaplain Debbie Robinson and Cornerstone Community Pastor Rick Paget, completed an enormous amount of work in just a few hours.  The recipient, Michelle, was delighted.

‘I can’t stop smiling.  I am just so overwhelmed and delighted at the work that was done for me’, she said.  As a single Mum, the work was extremely helpful for her and she said the students did a remarkable job.

Whilst they were busy helping others, the next team was busy helping themselves – competing against one another in a Masterchef type competition, but that was based on cooking on an open fire. Teams had 45 minutes to make pancakes, damper, cook a meat dish, and boil the billy for a cup of tea. Their efforts were judged on their skills of fire care, taste, presentation, team-work and cleaning up. Some pretty impressive looking dishes were presented to the judge, but thers were a little less enticing. All appeared edible.

As this group were busy making an impression in the cooking arena, others were taking on the challenge of racing around the oval on mountain bikes. In a style reminiscent of the time-trials at an elite level, students worked towards being the first person to complete three laps of the oval.

For those less inclined to be making a physical impression, the fourth team was found making bucket beanies. This clever technique delivers a knitted style beanie in around an hour. Some of the students were able to model their attempts by the end of the session.

Whatever activity the students elected to be involved with, the result was the same. Another sensational day of being a Red Cross Cadet.  Impacting the community, and learning new skills.  A great way to complete the College week.