Our Kitchen has gone out to tender with the designs, concepts and material lists sent out to 3 Commercial Builders. Tenders close on Monday 2nd September and we look forward to moving forward with this project and becoming a fully catered Outdoor Residential School.
BLACKWOOD 2025
Applications for our 2025 Blackwood Programs are now open!
APPLY HERE FOR 2025
Blackwood Special Schools Outdoor Education Centre continues to evolve. With a focus on curriculum, catering, events, facilities and grounds the staff at Blackwood are busy building new programs and utilising resources to ensure our School is suitable for students across the Victorian Special Schools Network.
Blackwood Staff are looking at creating more events in 2025
As we strengthen partnerships with a variety of stakeholders, we are improving our School and what we can offer to improve student outcomes through our unique experiential outdoor education curriculum.
With each Victorian Special School assigned a Blackwood Staff member as their Program Co-Ordinator, our staff look forward to working together with their Schools to create engaging educational experiences for your students as we all work together to extend their comforts and improve their outcomes.
10th BLACKWOOD CHEVIOT RIDE
Applications for the 10th Blackwood Cheviot Ride are now OPEN.
APPLY HERE FOR THE CHEVIOT RIDE
Blackwood Cheviot Ride
Dates:-Tuesday 10th – Friday 13th December 2024
Cost:- $220 per student
Enjoy riding along the Great Victorian Rail Trail as you explore the townships of Yea, Tallarook, Alexandra & Molesworth while also discovering the 201m Cheviot Tunnel.
9th BLACKWOOD EXPEDITION
This year our Expedition will see your students explore the Grampians National Park where they will engage in a variety of bushwalks, rockclimb and supporting the Rangers through community service.
APPLY HERE FOR THE GRAMPIANS EXPEDITION
9th BLACKWOOD EXPEDITION
Dates:- Monday 9th – Friday 13th December 2024
Cost:-$200 per student
Caravan Park accommodation base
SCHOOL UPDATE
With our 3 school funded projects already approved by the VSBA, we are
- At tender stage with our Kitchen
- Finalising tender documents for our Student Learning Hub
- Working on council permits for our high ropes shed
We have been impressed with the quality of work completed through the VSBA Ramp Program at our School, making it easier for everyone to access our facilities.
We will be building a new accessible playground at our School Accommodation Site in September.
Blackwood Special Schools hosted the ROSA Conference in late June with over 110 Outdoor Education staff attending.
Important Information
WHO ARE THE BLACKWOOD STAFF?
WILL
What is your favourite lesson at Blackwood?
High Ropes
What do you enjoy about your job?
Working with lots of different students.
Seeing them challenge themselves and have fun.
What is your favourite food?
Kebabs
What is your favourite animal?
Border Collie
What colour car do you drive?
Orange
CURRICULUM– A NEW ACCESSIBLE LOW ROPES COURSE
Low Ropes is returning to Blackwood Special Schools. Originally built in 1990, Low Ropes was the first program offered at Blackwood that really started to extend the comfort zones of students. Retired in 2021 and pulled down in 2022 to accommodate our new office & classrooms (soon to be dining room), the above accessible Low Ropes design has recently been approved. With site preparation complete, construction will begin in September 2024, and we will once again be able to further challenge students through our Low Ropes lesson.
Glow in
the dark!
CURRICULUM – ARCHERY
Improvementshave been made to our Archery classroom.
The addition of a roller door means that Archery is now a fully lockable classroom, while this doesn’t add much warmth to the classroom, it does allow for improved resources to remain set up.
Through the skills of the Warringa Park VPC students a forest mural has been added to the walls within our Archery Range. Through Terms 2 & 3, the VPC students have been working together to bring the mural to lifefor all to enjoy.
With the installation of Black Lights and glow in the dark targets, Glow in the Dark Archery is fast becoming a very popular lesson at Blackwood Special Schools.
All photos and Wurundjeri language have been granted permission through appropriate processes and approved by relevant corporations
