Learning sign language and how to bend glass tubes to make shapes were some of the experiences on offer for Blue Mountain College pupils last week.
About 90 year 7-9 pupils took part in the school’s annual activities week.
Teacher in charge Vicki Crawford said the school always had three days of activities for junior pupils at the end of the year but the emphasis had changed.
‘‘We’ve developed it from just being an arts week to now being activities week, so we can bring in a wider range of people with different strengths.’’
Community members, teachers and senior pupils help take the activities.
‘‘It’s all hands to the wheel pretty much.’’
The pupils spent an hour on activities including art, swimming, practising the school’s haka, Christmas baking, games and a scavenger hunt at the West Otago Vintage Club museum.
‘‘We try to mix it up so it is purposeful and interesting.’’
The pupils were in mixed age groups.
‘‘Mixing them up in the groups really plays into one of our school values which is inclusiveness so that they are bonding as a different group not just with their normal class members.’’
A team of seven planned the event, which was ‘‘always fun’’.
