Year 7

Well done to Year 7 this week, finalising assessments for the term, working hard and giving their all. It was so nice to see Year 7 running activities for their Year 11 Big Sisters on Thursday. I saw Kahoot’s with baby photos, scavenger hunts, hot seat and celebrity head games being run by the amazing Year 7s, fostering their vertical connections at MLC School.

Week 9 (starting Monday 23 June) in Term 2 is traditionally a very fun and exciting week. It is Round Square Week so stay tuned for all the activities that will be on including; Prescott Puppy Pageant, Illuminate and the Colour Run!

Colour Run – Additional Information from the Learning Enhancement Department

The following will be in place for any student requiring adjustments to support their participation in the Colour Run.

• A sheltered tent will be available for students needing a quiet, alternate space to take a break. This will be staffed by the Learning Enhancement Department.
• A staff member from the Learning Enhancement Department will be actively visible throughout the event to support monitoring of students.
• Students will also have access to the First Aid Tent if needed
• Students have the option to “opt-out” of running in the colour run. If this is the case, students are encouraged to inform their Head of Year and identify an alternate form of participation in the event if at all possible.

You can read more about the colour run and register here.

Year 7 Camp Reflections

And finally, please enjoy these wonderful reflections from some Year 7 students about their camp experiences.

‘Camp was fun but also really scary in some parts. I was really proud of doing rock climbing and abseiling because I didn’t think I could do it and it was my first time. I was really nervous, especially for abseiling, but my friends cheered me on and I just did it. I enjoyed sleeping in tents and being with friends outside of school. One hard thing was sleeping away from home, but I got used to it after the first night. I’ll remember how it felt to finally get down the wall and how proud I was of myself. Camp showed me I can do more than I thought.’
– Olivia Wang (Year 7)

‘The Year 7 camp was great and amazing 🙂 This camp was an opportunity for us to grow as people. The highlight of the camp for us was the abseiling activity, which we both enjoyed immensely (we went down the highest course together three times 🙂 ). Tenting was a challenge for us as it wasn’t something we were used to doing, however with the comfort of our friends and teachers, we made it through. The memorable experiences of camp and the many friendships we made are aspects that we will cherish in our hearts forever.’
– Jasmine Luo (Year 7) and Ava Xu (Year 7)

‘Camp in the Blue Mountains was such an adventure! We did rock climbing and abseiling, which was scary but so fun. It was absolutely freezing the whole time, but we still had a great experience. Our group leader, Nick, was super supportive and made everything more enjoyable. The views were beautiful, and even though we were cold, we all worked together and had the best time challenging ourselves and making memories.’
– April Cookson (Year 7)

‘During the camp, I had a great time sleeping in my cabin, which felt cozy and relaxing after a day full of activities. One of the highlights was when I challenged myself with abseiling — it was scary at first, but I felt proud after doing it. We also spent some nights sleeping in tents, which was a fun and different experience. On the tent day, we made our own dinner, and it turned out really good. We also made yummy damper, which was a fun activity and tasted delicious. The food throughout the camp was great, and I especially enjoyed the lunch and dinner they provided each day. We had really good camp leaders who were friendly, supportive, and made the whole experience even better. One day, we went on a 6km hike surrounded by beautiful vibes and stunning scenery, which made the long walk totally worth it. I also got to bring my digi camera, so I captured lots of fun memories and amazing views. Overall, it was an exciting and memorable adventure.’
– Aria Fanos (Year 7)

‘During the 4 days and 3 nights at camp in the Blue Mountains, I was proud of hiking the 7km, and for being brave enough to abseil for the first time, even though I was nervous at first. I really enjoyed sharing cabins and tents with my friends, and doing fun activities like the tent activities (that included cooking burritos, learning to set up a tent, and a night walk), as well as team challenges and games on the last day. I’ll always remember the beautiful views from the hikes and how proud I felt after stepping out of my comfort zone. This camp experience taught me to endure challenges, and I’ll take that lesson with me for life.’
– Susie Wang (Year 7)

‘My camp week was an amazing experience. We had lots of fun, we reconnected with each other, we created new bonds with people we wouldn’t have imagined. On the first day once we got to the cabin site we were playing games and exploring the area. Then we made damper we had to collect sticks to make fire and then we got settled in our cabins. Then the next day we did rock climbing and abseiling it was quite the experience some people were scared and others were excited. The next day we did hiking, we did a long, long hike for the whole day, that night we slept in tents. On the day we were supposed to leave we spent the day playing games it was the best year 7 camp experience! My personal favourite experience was abseiling even though I was scared. I was proud of overcoming my fear of heights. I faced quite a lot of challenges especially being homesick, I missed my parents a lot, and I overcame it by trying to forget about it and by having fun.’ 
– Elva Wu (Year 7)

‘During this Year 7 Camp, something that I really enjoyed doing during camp was going abseiling. I found that it was very engaging to do, and it’s also a challenge to finish it which makes it even more fun. Even though I didn’t make it to the highest abseil, I still found the activity enlightening and I’m still proud of myself for making it to the intermediate abseil. I also enjoyed the hike along the Blue Mountains area as the views were amazing, and you really feel like you’ve accomplished something when you make it to the top. This really made me reflect on the value of when you work hard towards something, the result is always worthy of the effort, like how the view were worth the treacherous climb. Overall, I really enjoyed this whole camping experience in the Blue Mountains. Though there were a few challenges to get through (e.g. Sleeping in the tents in cold weather) we could easily solve those issues by wearing more layers, the whole experience was wholesome in general and I learnt a lot from this camp.’
– Charlotte Hui (Year 7)

‘Year 7 camp was an unforgettable experience that taught me so much about myself and my classmates. I’m really proud of pushing myself to try abseiling , even though I was scared at first—it felt amazing to face my fear and do it anyway! I really enjoyed spending time with my friends and playing fun team games. One of the biggest challenges was being away from home for the first time, but I got through it by talking with my parents and reminding myself how lucky I was to be there. I’ll always remember the laughs we shared, the confidence I gained, and the way we all supported each other—those are lessons I’ll take with me for life.’
– Elly Chen (Year 7)

‘Having our camp at the Blue Mountains was one of the unforgettable journeys of my life. From abseiling down steep cliffs to rock climbing up towering cliffs, every single moment pushed me just a little bit further out of my comfort zone. I was also exceptionally proud of myself for getting to the top of the green rock wall, even though I doubted myself, I pushed all my worries away and focused on each step I was taking. One of my key moments of the camp trip was making damper over the camp fire. Some were burnt some were undercooked, but in the end no matter how yours was cooked they were all delicious. Sleeping in tents was definitely the most challenging, especially with the freezing temperatures overnight. I had to put on a bunch of layers and I still woke up freezing. I also loved how all of us pushed through the 7km hike and shared a bunch of stories that we may not have. Camp teaches us how to bond, and makes us do things you might not have done, it’s crazy how at camp you see people differently and they become a completely different person. It had taught me that even though the conditions were tough, there’s always a way to make memories that last.’
– Fedra Nikolakopoulos (Year 7)

‘As we arrived at Katoomba, my face was hit by a cool gush of wind, brushing against my skin. Over the 4 days of freezing cold weather, I experienced various challenges and obstacles, that I both enjoyed and overcame. My favourite activity was rock climbing up the huge cliffs of the Blue Mountains, and abseiling back down. After convincing myself to complete the highest wall, that reached up to 50m, I reluctantly abseiled down. When I reached the ground, I felt accomplished, and relieved that I had completed it. Later that night we did a bush walk through the track, walking by the breathtaking views of the 3 sisters, and spotting various flora and fauna. Year 7 camp was an amazing experience, where we built strong friendships and skills like courage and collaboration, and was a memory that will stick with me for the rest of my life.’
– Felicity Kouch (Year 7)

‘Alice and I are both very proud of putting ourselves out there and trying all the things camp had to offer. We enjoyed being outdoors and seeing possums at 5am. We were challenged when we had to do abseiling and rock climbing. We were scared at first but when we started doing it, it was actually so much fun. Alice and I overcame our fear by persevering and doing it anyway. We will always remember Ms Stolzi’s wake up call, when she ran into everyone’s cabins and played music really loudly (it was hilarious).’
– Anelise Storino (Year 7) and Alice Baker (Year 7)

‘Camp was an amazing experience overall. There were definitely some highs and lows, but the groups got through it. My group (group) 4, were camping on the last night, and it got down to 0°C at night! All of our fingers were freezing! Another challenge I faced was probably the hike. We walked about 6km, up and down stairs, and in really cold weather – I remember having about 5 layers on. In my opinion, the best part of camp was what we did on the 2nd day – hiking and abseiling!! There were multiple walls to do when abseiling; beginner, intermediate, and advanced which had three different ropes, each one with different rock faces and challenges. My favourite wall was the one on the right, were there was an overhang. You had to lower your body until your legs were above your head, then you pushed off and reached for the wall with your feet (but I couldn’t quite reach, so I just sat and moved down). The most challenging thing I did was rock climbing when I tried a wall called Pepper Corner. I had to shuffle up against one wall, put my hands in a small gap, and move my legs up, bit by bit. My friends cheered me on from the ground, and belayed me too. I also had such a great time orienteering, and making damper!! All in all, the things I will definitely take away from camp are; damper tastes better with jam, abseiling is super fun, – especially with friends – there can be multiple leaders in a team, when you communicate and cheer others on (or are cheered on), things get easier. I believe the most important thing I will take with me is that challenges are worth doing, like climbing a mountain, or hiking up MANY stairs, because the view at the end is one of a kind. Camp made me grateful to be able to go to places like the blue mountains, where nature has created something so beautiful.’
– Olivia Eddy (Year 7)

– Claire White
Head of Year 7