Students from Wooli Public School show off their favourite boards
Most days at Wooli Public School, about 50km south-east of Grafton, begin with a walk along the picturesque coastline just outside the building’s doorstep. Their motto is to ‘develop successful global citizens’, with a focus on building co-operation, tolerance and mutual respect in a safe and sustainable environment.
Hunter Armstong, Year 5
“It’s a good learning sport and you can only do it sometimes when (the surf’s) really good. I just love getting in the water as well. This is my second surfboard. It’s just the right size”.
Jasper Waer, Year 5, Ethan Skennar, Year 6, and Hunter
Jasper: It’s one of Kelly Slater’s boards. I got it for my birthday in November. I go surfing most mornings and afternoons. I’m pretty good at it. I’m in the Coffs Harbour Boardriders Club; I’ve just started competing and I came second on the weekend.
Ethan: I’ve had a surfboard for a fair while – I’m getting a new one for my birthday but this one is good because it goes really fast. I can do cutbacks. I’m in the water as much as I can.
Ruby Iredale, Year 5
Sometimes I surf but I haven’t done it much. I like body boarding too, especially when it’s really hot.
Alys and Jago Trevillian, Year 1 and Year 3
Jago: The water is good. I like going out deeper and getting dunked by the waves. Sometimes we go down with our friends and boogie-board at the bay. I like being in the water on hot days.
Alyce: Sometimes I jump over the waves. I can stand up on the waves on my board, while moving!
Bailey Cochrane, Year 4
My dad’s friend did the artwork on my board, he just did it as a surprise. I reckon the artwork is the coolest thing about it. The octopus is called Jeff. It’s fun going to Wooli School.
Levi Skennar, Year 4, Isaac Bibby, Year 5, and Bailey
Isaac: I like surfing a bit more, I just brought my body board down to the beach today. My dad used to have it and it’s actually a pretty good body board. I can spin around, do a 180, and a 360 barrel roll.
Levi: I went snorkelling when I was about three, and I just saw what it looked like (underwater). And then I had my first wave it was all clear and I could see the bottom of the water. Baddo did the artwork on my board – he’s just one of our friends that live around here.
Nina Bibby and Jasmine Iredale, Year 3
Nina: I do body-boarding and surfing. I like going fast and I’d be in the water all the time if I could. We go to the water a lot. We’ve done a class of surfing together.
Jasmine: It only comes once a year, for three days. My favourite trick I normally do on this is to get dumped. It’s fun. My cats have scratched my board, they use it as a scratching post.
Thanks to Principal Robyn Parnell, staff and parents for their help with the shoot, and to the students for taking time out of their morning classes to be such good sports (literally).
www.wooli-p.schools.nsw.edu.au
Written by Clare Morton and Photographed by Gary Parker
