Year 7 & 8 News

Camps 

Our Year 7 camp planning continues with the final preparations now being put in place such as staffing, activity groups and cabins.  From the Year 7/8 Team’s point of view, we believe it is really important that we have all students participate in this camp. Camp Coolamatong works really well with us and we ask for you to please work with us to overcome any barriers to your child attending so that they can get the full benefit of the curriculum and opportunities that we offer to them in Year 7. 

If your child needs any extra support whilst on camp, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the team, so we can incorporate special arrangements into our planning.

If you need any assistance overcoming barriers for your child to attend camp, please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss how we can help.

Covid protocols whilst on camp:

Please note, we recommend all students take a rapid antigen test (these will be sent home on Thursday 9/6/22) before leaving for camp. Whilst on camp, if students are showing any symptoms of illness, we will have extra rapid antigen tests at camp and will facilitate any students who would like to self-test. If a student is unwell, or tests positive to Covid 19 we will make contact with the family and ask they come and be picked up from camp. 

We are also pleased to announce that we are able to offer a 100% free camp for all Year 7 and 8 students. 

The Year 7 camp will be on the 8th – 12th of August at Portsea.

The Year 8 camp will be on the 18th – 22nd of July at Mill Valley Ranch Camp.

Permission forms will be up on Compass very soon, so keep an eye out for the notification. 

School camp is a fantastic opportunity for children to develop new skills, friendships and interests. However, for many kids (and their parents!) just the thought of sleeping away from home can provoke high anxiety.

Some of the common worries about camp include:

• Not being able to sleep properly
• Not liking the food camp will offer
• Who they will be sharing a cabin with
• Not enjoying the activities camp will offer
• Feeling homesick

Although these are understandable concerns, it is important to help kids feel more positive about camp and to overcome the fear of not enjoying camp.

The benefits of school camp are numerous, here are my top five:

1. Development of social skills

2. Development of independence skills

3. Development of decision-making skills

4. Increased environmental awareness

5. Learning new skills

What if your child is feeling anxious about camp?

1. Preparation is the key to feeling less anxious. 

2. Pack together and make it fun. 

3. Give your child a special journal to take with them on camp

4. Talk to your child’s teacher and share the concerns you have. The teacher will appreciate this extra information and most likely will keep a closer eye on your child.

Attendance

I would like to take this opportunity to promote attendance; going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education. Students learn new things at school every day. Attending and participating in school will help your child develop:

• important skills and knowledge to help them learn
• social and emotional skills such as good communication, resilience and team work.

Children who attend school every day and complete Year 12 have:

• better health
• better job opportunities
• higher income across their lives.

There is no safe number of days for missing school. Each day a student misses puts them behind.

Across our college we have an attendance target of 95%.

KPA (Kurnai Positive Acknowledgments) 

Year 7 and 8 students continue to lead the way across our campus with their record setting achievements of Positive Green Write ups. I would like to recognise that across Year 7 and 8 they continue to set positive Chronical entry records and I ask that you continue to congratulate your learner every night when they receive a positive KPA from their teachers.