Reporoa College students show they are made of tough stuff

Reporoa College students up Rainbow Mountain after a run as part of the Cactus programme. Photo/Supplied

Grit, determination and team work have got 24 Reporoa College students through a police-run youth development programme.

Ending with a graduation dinner last Friday, the students from Year 10 to 13 undertook the combined adolescent challenge training unit and support (Cactus) programme for eight weeks.

Training was on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings.

Year 12 student Jessie Walker said that after the first week she did wonder how she was going to last the whole eight weeks.

"The best thing was to finish - it was mentally and physically challenging.

"It was all about team work - we couldn't work without being a team. We learned everybody's abilities to get us through the challenges."

She said she played a lot of sport but had never done anything quite like Cactus.

Fellow Year 12 student Emily Braithwaite said she was proud of herself and her team mates.

"It was real fun, I loved every moment of it."

She said the programme helped her make new friends with people she never thought she would have.

Reporoa College art teacher Natasha Bol said the kids did an awesome job.

Reporoa College students after towing a bus behind them. Photo/Supplied

"The whole programme is so worthwhile. Not one student who took part regrets it. It's changed their confidence."

For the last day of the programme the students did a 5am run up Rainbow Mountain carrying wooden poles, having stayed at the Ohaaki Marae the night before.

The rest of the day consisted of more running, putting up old Army tents, paint ball - with parents and teachers taking part too - and setting up calf pens for a local farmer, before pulling a bus at least 500m along the streets of Reporoa to arrive at their school.

"[On Friday after] when they were pulling the bus it was freezing, around 3 degrees," Mrs Bol said.

"We're very proud of them, especially as half of them are at-risk students, to see them completing the challenge."

Mrs Bol said the programme helped the students form close relationships with the Rotorua police involved, and helped their relationships with teachers.

She said it was the sixth time Reporoa College had taken part in the Cactus programme.