River as Teacher

Three days canoeing up Shoalhaven Gorge, between towering golden cliffs, under bright blue skies, past water dragons and lyrebirds. It was challenging, it was hilarious, and we learnt so much about the place, each other and ourselves.
We came back stronger in a multitude of ways!
 
Here are some of our lessons from the river…

“I found my strength and found my rhythm with another person. We had to read the river so we could adjust ourselves to work with it.” -Kenta

“You have to know the language of the world so you can work with it.”- Kurtis

“Find your RHYTHM.”- Ferdi

“I learnt about my own determination. I made it further than I ever expected.”- Jude

“The river can easily take you to places you can’t get to by land. And there is so much there!” Ahliah

“I learnt to work with my own strength and how the water works. I learnt to work with the wind and with different people. I found different strengths and weakness that complimented theirs.”- Matilda

We are Water – Ferdi
We are water.
We are wet, we move, we splash,
We ripple.
We evaporate, we condensate,
We flow, we float.
We are calm.
Rough
Slow
Fast
We are water.

We are Water – Marley
We are water,
Our body a mirror
To the trees, rocks, leaves and sand.
The river is flowing through our veins.

Sarah Daniel High School Geography Teacher

Sarah has a B. Arts (UN) and a Master of Teaching (UNE). She works both as a teacher and as student support throughout the school.
“One of the most exciting things when working to support students, is when they find something that they are passionate about, that they really connect to. Finding ways to support their engagement and the depth of their learning is incredibly rewarding. As a teacher, it is a pleasure to be working in an environment where creativity, critical thinking and a real sense of love for the world is valued and imbues all you do”.