The Adventure Zone is entering its fifth year at Thames South and offers a new take on learning for our middle and senior students.

Students in this syndicate are taken out of their comfort zones and challenged both academically and physically. This is an important time for our year 7 and 8 students in particular as they prepare to transition to high school. The teaching team recognise this and challenge students to work hard with their support to set and achieve not only academic but personal goals too.

Learning is not limited to the classroom with experiential-based learning bringing the adventure to our zone. Some of the opportunities our children have been involved in since the programme's inception include: confidence wire rope courses, riding the Hauraki Rail Trail, along with snow and camping trips. The personal gains have proven to be immense and children are directly involved in fundraising which is often leveraged through learning opportunities such as spelling bees. Students are expected to meet agreed behaviour and personalised learning goals for these trips.

The teaching team walk the talk too, getting alongside the kids on activities such as the Jacobs Ladder challenge. They work to find and create events that challenge them and take them out of their comfort zones.

Growing Digital Citizenship

As is the case for all classes at Thames South - students have ready access to technology with over 75 iPads available for use school wide along with desktop PC's. In Room One - learning tasks are set at the beginning of each week, with students being accountable for how they structure their time to meet those tasks. This allows more one-on-one student teacher conferences throughout the day. Room Two follows more of a group learning approach but collaborate on many projects with their peers in Room One.

While academic achievement remains our key focus - the way we help students achieve this and their equally important personal goals is delivered in the special 'Adventure Zone' way.