Year 9 Camp
In week 6, Year 9 Students travelled to Camp Somerset, along the Colo River and took part in a three day, two night camp. The experience was filled with both challenging and fun activities such as canoeing, bushwalking, archery, abseiling, rock climbing, obstacle courses and river run. Each activity encouraged students to step outside of their comfort zone, and that our Year 9 group did with enthusiasm and bravery.
Students also navigated their way along the Colo River from activity to activity and cooked and prepared all meals. Highlights were the “My Campsite Rules” challenge where students selected a cuisine and key ingredients to cook dinner.
The Year 9 Courage Cup was up for grabs. House points were awarded to students when they demonstrated Courage and aspects of our Marist Compass for Life. The challenge to take home the cup was welcomed by all of Year 9 with joy and excitement. A huge congratulations to Chanel House who are our 2024 Year 9 Courage Cup winners.
We are proud of our Marist students who courageously challenged themselves, learnt new skills and built new meaningful relationships with others during this experience.
Year 9 Camp Reflection – Natalie Munzarova
Recently, I had a unique 3-day camping experience at Somerset Outdoor Learning Centre at Colo River. During my time at camp, I stepped out of my comfort zone, gained resilience, challenged myself, used my skills in various ways, and made deeper connections with other girls. The highlights of the camp were the activities such as hiking, abseiling, the mudslide, the obstacle course, and canoeing. My favourite activity was abseiling because it pushed me to overcome fear and experience something new. With the support and encouragement of other girls, our teacher and the instructor in my group gave me confidence and helped build my resilience.
Teamwork was a key part of the experience; we had to work as a team to set up our tents, allowing us to bond with each other and learn teamwork skills, collaboration skills, and patience. The camp groups consisted of around 20 girls, which made it easy for us to bond with each other and create new and meaningful friendships. These interactions with others helped me overcome difficulties like sleeping in a tent knowing that every person was in the same situation and supporting each other in any way they could. The mudslide was one memorable moment for me at camp because it allowed all of us to relax and have a bit of fun together.
We developed important skills like leadership, communication, and problem-solving, all while working together to achieve our team goals. Whether it was canoeing or preparing meals as a team, every activity brought us closer and taught us something new. Overall, I was able to grow personally and socially in a positive way, learn new things, and make new friends and deeper relationships with other girls in my camp group because of the wonderful 3-day camping experience at Somerset Outdoor Learning Centre.
Year 9 Camp Reflection – Alyssa Head
In week 6, term 3, we went to year 9 camp at Somerset, along the Colo River. We got the opportunity to have a go in many different activities. My group along with Mr Allen and our group leader Caitlen all went and participated in activities such as canoeing, hiking, river run, archery, and abseiling, all these activities were super fun and challenging.
It was a good experience learning about how to set up a tent and learning how to cook different meals. I think most people in my group would agree with me when I say that I definitely got to connect and talk to different people that I normally wouldn’t talk to at school. Everyone was really nice when someone felt homesick or when someone forgot something at home. Everyone was really good at helping each other out and being really supportive. My favourite thing was having the opportunity to get to feed the cows, and my group was really lucky to have that opportunity.
My biggest takeaway from the camp was learning to have a go at different things and trying your best. Two of my favourite group rules were “having respect for others and your surroundings”, and to “positively participate”. Overall the camp was really fun and nothing like expected… but better.
