From Monday, December 4th, to Wednesday, December 6th, our Year 5 students, along with several staff members, embarked on an exciting adventure at the first-ever Year 5 Camp held at Camp Rumbug in Foster North. The Gippsland region welcomed us with breathtaking beauty—lush greenery, captivating views of the Bass Coast, and towering hills that added to the charm of the surroundings.

We were blessed with fantastic weather throughout, allowing everyone to fully immerse themselves in a diverse range of enjoyable activities. It proved to be a remarkable opportunity for our students to hone essential life skills, including teamwork, initiative, independence, responsibility, and communication. The entire group embraced the challenges and experiences presented during the camp, creating lasting memories and fostering a strong sense of camaraderie.

The camp not only provided a platform for personal growth but also showcased the natural wonders of Gippsland. We wanted to share these moments with you, as your children demonstrated enthusiasm, resilience, and a true spirit of adventure. We look forward to more opportunities like these that contribute to their holistic development

On our first day, we left Good Shepherd, stopping at Coal Creek for a brief break and arrived at Camp Rumbug around lunchtime. Everyone was shown to their rooms and taken on a site tour. After our tour, we began our activities!

The Flying Fox

The Flying Fox ran over the lake and picturesque scenery, allowing students to take in the beauty of the region and race their friend down the hill at the same time. Many students faced their fears and overcame them with a smile on their face during this activity.

The flying fox was an exciting activity for all groups. There were 2 different flying foxes. One was over a small gorge and the other was over a lake. We had to wear a tight harness with many ropes connected. When everyone got to the top of the Flying Fox, The instructor connected two people to the Flying Fox.The two people ran off the platform and enjoyed the ride down. Many people thought that this was one of the best activities in the camp.

- Hughie

Aeroball

For Aeroball, students were spread out on four trampolines and were given a ball to shoot over the net and into the opponent's goal, in a game that combined the skills of volleyball, basketball and trampolining all in one.

Mud Run

The mud run was a muddy and hilly course with different challenging elements along the way. Lots of chaos and lots of fun was had by all students!

My favourite one was probably mud run because this was the only time it was acceptable to be muddy. We all got to spray each other with mud but in one part there were a lot of bugs, and when I say a lot I mean over 100 in the mud.

- Zenith

Team Challenge

For the team challenge students used their teamwork skills and worked together to complete all of the activities and challenges. They needed to communicate with one another to overcome the obstacles that we were faced with.

Giant Swing

The Giant Swing rose high up into the air and swung out over a very steep hill and above the trees. The students had to work together to pull one another up to the top. Once a student had reached the top, they pulled the rope and went flying through the air. There was lots of screaming but also lots of smiling too.

Raft Building

For Raft Building, students were given ropes, barrels and some wooden poles. They were taught how to tie a variety of different knots and shown how to put our raft together. Using these materials and their teamwork skills, they assembled the barrels using ropes and put wooden poles down the sides to make the barrels float. But unfortunately putting it together was the easy part! With their life jackets and helmets on, each team attempted to board their raft and paddle across the lake. Some were successful, but many students (and teachers) ended up in the water! Thank goodness it was a warm day!

Canoeing

When we arrived at canoeing, we split into pairs or groups of three and got into a canoe. The instructors taught us how to paddle forwards and backwards and also how to turn around. We had to work together with our team to play the games in the lake, otherwise our canoe would tip over.

In canoeing we learnt how to work together to make sure we wouldn't fall in the water. We also learnt many different paddling strokes so we could steer the boat in the right direction. We went through a few safety procedures and one of them was putting on life jackets. But over all everyone had a lot of fun.

- James

Camp Fire

Following our activities on the first day, we had a fantastic dinner and then prepared for our Camp Fire.

We all danced around the campfire and sang songs and chants into the night.

Disco

We concluded the second day with a Disco! There was lots of dancing and singing to the fantastic music. It was a great way to end our final night.

On the third and final day, we finished our final activities, said goodbye to all of our wonderful instructors and headed home, very tired, but very happy too.

Year 5 Camp was a wonderful experience for all that attended. The students were complimented on their behaviour and reflected our school values throughout the camp. Despite its challenges, the camp was an absolute success and we are very proud of our students.

Good Shepherd School

Issue 16 · 21 Dec 2023

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