From Monday 12 to Friday 16 February all Year 7 students went on their first camp to either the Gundawindi Lodge in Wandin North or to Mount Evelyn Recreation Camp. Five students share their experiences with us in the reflections below.
Carissa Manger, Year 7 Green
How was camp? Well in a few words, FUN, EXCITING AND EXHILARATING! The activities were great (my favourite being the giant swing) and the staff were really friendly and patient! I was a little intimidated by the high ropes that stood at the end of an oval, but it was actually quite nice! As soon as we arrived we were sorted into activity and cabin groups. Then it was straight on to the activities! There were initiatives which were basically teamwork activities. The crate stack activity was where someone would be harnessed up and would stand on crates while their team tried to get them super high on the crates. The giant swing was where someone would get in a harness and be pulled as high as you wanted, before being swung back down crazily! The banner painting was where we would splatter and play with paint on the banner! Gaga was a game that was like dodgeball in a small sandy arena and you could only touch the ball with your hands. Something special was where we would bring in something that had a special meaning to us and explain it. The pool was crazy since 70 kids were in it. The high ropes scared the living daylights out of me because I kept looking down - so I got off it early. Altogether I would give it an 8 out of 10!
Lauren De Betue, Year 7 Green
Camp was one of the best, most amazing camps I have ever been on. When we got to the camp it was very windy. Soon after we could go to our cabins and I think our cabin was the best one of all. Some of the activities included the giant swing, high ropes, crate stack, banner painting, something special and other initiatives. In our free time we could go in the pool, play with sport equipment, play gaga ball and talk. My favorite activity was crate stack - I went the highest! In my free time I liked playing with the hoola hoops - I am very good! Overall this was one of the best camps I have ever been on.
Bianca Condon, Year 7 Green
How do I begin to explain it? Camp was a great experience that I would do again in a heartbeat. When the bus pulled in, I was amazed by the lush greenery we were surrounded by. At first I thought that camp wasn’t going to live up to my expectations, which were very high after my past experiences of school camps. I thought wrong. I loved all the amazing activities we participated in. My favourites were by far the crate stack and the giant swing. Why? Well the crate stack required teamwork, balance and strategy which was a perfect formula for an enjoyable activity. I got up to 10 crates high before my group figured out the best approach was to get as high as possible. Figuring out this tactic resulted in us getting 12 crates and I believe we would have got even higher if it weren’t for the time limit. The giant swing was a huge favourite for students at camp, and for obvious reasons. It’s so much fun to challenge yourself and go to the top. Once I went to the top I was overwhelmed with pride as I had overcome something that challenged me. I met so many new people on camp and strengthened friendships with students in my homeroom. I really wished it went longer - I want to relive every second! We were so lucky to have such a great opportunity in Year 7!
Celeste Tisbury, Year 7 Green
Camp! Everybody says that camp in high school is one of the few things that you won’t forget. Well let’s just say that this is my point of view too. When the bus pulled up at Mt Evelyn the first thought that came to my head was ‘hmmm another one of these camps’. Little did I know that for this experience the motto ‘never judge a book by its cover’ would have come in so handy.
The activities helped my fellow classmates and I bond in a way I don’t think we would in the classroom. My friendships grew and I met new people. Some people complained that we had way too much free time but at the end of the camp I discovered that it had helped me come out of my shell. The activities we did pushed us to be brave and try new things and I think I could say the same about the food. Whilst some may not understand or appreciate it, camp did help us in different ways. I’ve been asked to rate the camp out of ten in the last few days and writing this made me think and appreciate camp more. I’m going to rate camp 7.5 rubber chickens out of 10!
Hunter Bourke-Finn, Year 7 Green
Camp. Well where do I start? Camp was interesting, terrific and a bunch of fun! First my group got to go on the high ropes which was hard work, but in the end it was a banger! The giant swing was a blast! Camp had a lot of activities that needed teamwork, strategy and an ability to complete the task in order to succeed. My favourite activities had to be the giant swing and crate stack. The giant swing was like hitting a hole-in one, just perfect. The crate stack was great because it used qualities like teamwork, balance, trust, thought and tests. The free time activities were awesome too! There was a basketball court, a gaga ball pit, a pool, a volleyball court and lots of open space. The food was good and the cooks were working really hard to feed us all and they did a great job really wowing us with their skills. On our last night our Peer Support Group came over and we played lots of games and had heaps of fun together. Camp was all out a better than I expected and I had a fantastic time! I was asked to rate how the camp was and I would say activities-wise it was a 9.0, and food-wise a 7.5!
