Community
7 May, 2025
Students become ninja warriors
COBDEN Technical School students have new equipment to embrace their inner ninja thanks to funding from the Victorian Government.
The school recently installed a new obstacle course playground similar to those which have been popularised on television shows such as ‘Ninja Warrior’.
The addition was among a number of purchases made under the Victorian Government’s Active Schools program, a $45.4 million initiative to boost support and resources to heighten physical activity in schools.
Cobden Technical School physical education teacher Neal Simmonds said the funding was already proving beneficial for students.
“Initially we got a grant of $15,000 but we made a further application for a $35,000 fund,” he said.
“We looked to the students and asked them, and a lot of the things they wanted to install were sports related – but we thought something for kids who aren’t necessarily interested in ball sports would be beneficial.
“But all the kids like climbing things, so the ninja course was a path we wanted to go down.
“The students love it.”
The funding has been used on a number of projects at the school since 2023, including joining with the Cobden Cricket Club to install new netting at the nets to benefit both students and the club.
“We put a few things in with the money we’ve had as we’ve had the funding over two years, so there have been options,” Cobden Technical School principal Narrelle Holliday said.
“The funding allowed us to put in so much; we started with outdoor table tennis tables, we’ve put in a mountain bike track along the side of the school, a Gaga Pit, and we’ve also used the funding to give all the students a sport shirt and drink bottle so they’re ready for sports days.”
The funding has also extended outside the school, heightening physical activity and connection among students.
“The funding has also gone towards experiences such as surfing, which students wouldn’t normally have the chance to do,” Mr Simmonds said.
“We want them to do more things during the breaks, to stay active, but the experiences have been really good for the students.”
Mrs Holliday said part of the funding was also used to support teachers in heightening their knowledge of the benefits of students remaining active.
“Active Schools have also been here to give the staff professional development in brain-breaks, to keep students engaged in any classroom,” she said.
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