After completing a challenging bush walk and trail run during the Cove Program earlier in the morning, Year 9A continued their involvement in The Cove program with an excursion to Warrah Specialist School and Biodynamic Farm to complete some community service. Warrah facilitates an incredible program for a wide range of students with special educational needs and disabilities.

We arrived to a cold sunny morning on the farm and the students were bubbling with great confidence and excitement, enjoying the sun, cool and refreshing bush air and very green and undeveloped surroundings.

We entered the school gates at recess time and were greeted with lots of inquisitive and smiling faces from the Warrah students. Our Year 9s met people living with a range of special education needs and disabilities and our student’s confidence and excitement was infused with some nervousness.

We joined Warrah students for an open-air communal morning tea. We encouraged the Glenaeon students to mingle with the Warrah students; this came more naturally to some than others.

After morning tea, we split into two groups to commence our service for the school. The first group went off to a newly-built Discovery building to assist with some gardening and preparations for the official opening of the new building. The second group cleaned and organised the kitchen and washed and cleaned the school buses. The help with these hands-on tasks were greatly appreciated by Warrah.

After our service activities we again joined the Warrah students for a communal lunch and playtime in the well-equipped playground. The trampolines were a highlight for everyone! Both groups of students had become much more relaxed and settled and were playing simultaneously which was really lovely time for all.

After lunch, our Year 9s joined Warrah students for a whole school craft activity. Glenaeon students helped the Warrah students make Origami Easter baskets.  Some of the Warrah students needed hand-on-hand support with folding and cutting which was an overwhelming and challenging task for some. The end product was very impressive, and a collective sense of achievement was felt.

Our final activity for the day was a farm tour and visit to the Warrah farm shop. The head farmer Steve spoke of initiatives they are utilising on the farm, and the creative and innovative ways they are engaging all of the students at Warrah. The farm has been heavily impacted from the relentless rain. They have been unable to weed, plant, pick and produce as the same rates they normally have, which means less opportunity for Warrah students to be involved.

We did get to visit the incredible farm shop and this was a really lovely way to finish our afternoon. The Year 9 students were able to buy delicious organic and biodynamic fresh fruit and vegetables, and beautiful home-made sourdough loaves of bread and focaccia! The Year 9s had a great day visiting Warrah and took away many wonderful experiences and moments of gratitude.