Beyond the Classroom

As part of our Health and Physical Education programme, our camping adventures are an integral part of the personal, social and physical development of learners. Each year our students attend a Term 1 camp in a location that is near water and is just outside of Gisborne. The major foci of these experiences are to:

• provide a range of adventure activities
• enhance co-operative skills
• explore adventure based learning
• foster personal, social and physical skill development through fun and enjoyment
• create learners who know how to be active, safe and skilled in the outdoors by planning strategies to evaluate and manage personal and group safety in an outdoor environment
• provide cultural opportunities to stay on a marae in some situations

We enjoy the fact that so many parents offer their services on camp as this hub bonding experience brings everyone closer together and sets learning hubs for a positive year as a cohesive learning unit.

At Gisborne Intermediate we pride ourselves in offering our students the chance to experience an exciting and challenging range of opportunities both in school and outside the classroom. Our experience has shown that students engaging in these opportunities are able to explore and discover interests and passions that they never knew they had, learn about themselves, develop self-confidence and also encourage them to become more engaged in their education.

The Growing Great Explorers trips are an option and are for year 8 students who are driven, open to discovery and are keen to move outside their comfort zone in a safe, well-managed environment alongside their peers.

The range of exciting opportunities in the past have included travelling to Wellington, Auckland, Rotorua and Rarotonga.

All teaching at GisInt is focused on raising student achievement. Growing Great Explorers supports the development of goal-oriented young people by providing an opportunity to set goals and achieve these. Students who participate in Growing Great Explorers trips are expected to display a high standard of behaviour, where the student must consistently display the school’s RISE values. It is also important to recognise that there is a significant financial commitment that must be met as these trips are self-funding.

Each year Gisborne Intermediate sends students to various elite inter-school sporting tournaments in the Bay of Plenty / Poverty Bay Region. With very little local competition for our students, inclusion in the Bay of Plenty Intermediate Schools Association gives our athletes access to a range of high level competitions.

We select representative teams to compete in:

Aerobics, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Cricket, Cross Country, Girls Rugby, Golf, Gymnastics, Hip Hop, Hockey, Indoor Bowls, Ki-o-rahi, Lawn Bowls, Lightweight Rugby, Mountain Biking, Netball, Rugby, Rugby Sevens, Soccer, Softball, Squash, Surf Life Saving, Surfing, Swimming, Tennis, Touch rugby, Triathlon, Ultimate Frisbee, Waka Ama.

Each year we either host or travel to Whakatane Intermediate School. This association has been going for a quarter of a century. We have a wonderfully close relationship with our friends through the gorge and each exchange is a special occasion.

We not only challenge each other in rugby, soccer, netball, hockey and basketball but we also have a friendly rivalry in numeracy, literacy and debating.

Over 300 students take part each year and it is another unique experience that Gisborne Intermediate School offers our learners.