Step Up Camp

Immediately following the conclusion of year 12 exams, the cohort left the school and embarked on Step Up camp.  While it is usually a year 11 program, due to the problems arising with Covid last year inhibiting us from going on camp, we found ourselves going on an adjusted and shortened camp this year that still reflected similar ethos and main teaching points.  We departed from Chatswood at around midday following Respect Day with Queenwood and Roseville and arrived at Port Hacking mid-afternoon.  Upon arrival, we got straight into group activities being a mix of hiking, canoeing and bike riding.  However, it was not simply about doing these activities and the physical elements associated with them.  During each activity we would stop for extended periods of time as groups and have a discussion around certain key things required to ‘step up’ into manhood.  This included discussion of values, people who have influenced us, and how we would like to influence others.  That evening we were talked to by several old boys who each had significant and meaningful post-schooling stories.  Following this, we received personalised and heart-felt letters from our parents which we each went off and read privately.  This experience was incredibly rewarding, and all the boys greatly appreciated the incredibly kind words from their parents to help them get through the remainder of their HSC year.  The next day, we continued with more of these activities and then concluded the camp with an exercise called ‘group affirmations.’ This exercise required each person to go around their group of 20 or so and state something positive about each other.  It was clear how useful this activity was in bringing our year together and developing emotional and empathic relationships.  Overall, the condensed camp was a raging success, with such a variety of meaningful activities jammed into the two-day period.

Charles Dight