Tales of Adventure

Year 8 Camp

By Jasmin Muir, Year 8, Plenty Campus

Year 8 Camp took place at Gippsland Lakes. We left school at midday on Sunday 28 March and returned on Thursday 1 April. This camp was our cohorts first school camp since starting high school. Unfortunately, 2020 being the year that it was, meant that our Year 7 camp was cancelled, and we were unable to have that experience. 

Fortunately, this year we did not have such restrictions and were able to fully take part in and enjoy Year 8 Camp to the fullest. It was an amazing experience and staff and students made up for the misfortune of last year by bringing out the best of every moment. 

The camp was separated into two locations and our year level was split into two groups: one at Lakewood Park Camp and the other at Emu Bight Campground in the Lakes National Park. The students at Lakewood Park took part in activities such as stand up paddle-boarding, sailing and environmental service. With these activities, we were fully involved and always active with our friends and classmates. The other group of students at the campgrounds had to sleep in tents and prepare every meal. The experience was rough but very rewarding and allowed us to learn and hone our newly formed skills. While at the Lakes National Park, we spent a day taking part in a heptathlon, walking many kilometres between each activity and also spent an hour to ourselves to reflect on our time at camp. On Tuesday afternoon each group swapped locations.

This camp allowed us to bond further with our classmates, friends and teachers and taught us many skills. I speak for everyone when I say that Year 8 Camp bought us closer together as a cohort and was an amazing experience that none of us will ever forget.

Cadet Senior Leadership

By Emilie McKenna, Year 12, The Ridgeway Campus

I thoroughly enjoyed my four years in the School’s Cadet Unit. I have worked my way through the ranks, making it to CUO (Cadet Under Officer) this year, commanding Buckley Platoon 6, which in my opinion is the best platoon!

A highlight of the cadet year is always at the end of Term 1 when we head off on Annual Cadet Camp. This year, it was the first Cadet Camp in over a year because the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020 impacted the Cadet Program. It was a terrific camp and I got to spend five days with my platoon of about 22 students. I am so grateful that we were able to go on camp this year because I was able to bond with my platoon in a way that wasn’t possible through our regular Tuesday cadet sessions, many of which had been online because of the pandemic. We played platoon games between scheduled activities, got to know each other better and had quite a number of laughs. One of my favourite jokes from camp was the parody song we made up for our platoon which earned us a lot of merits on team games night!

My role as CUO, both on Annual Cadet Camp and on Tuesday afternoons, has allowed me to grow as a leader, learning how to best connect with my cadets and make their experience enjoyable. While this sounds like butterflies and rainbows, there are some difficulties that come with being a CUO, particularly when in charge of 22 cadets who are experiencing something completely foreign. We had to do a lot of work, both in preparation for and on camp, like organising uniforms for the new recruits and helping all my cadets set up their own hoochies.

A highlight of this camp was going to the army base with all Year 12 cadets where we did an obstacle course and were able to shoot guns loaded with air canisters. While the obstacle course was difficult, the teamwork and encouragement in my group was inspiring. Additionally, learning how to use the guns was so much fun as the simulation told us how close we were to the targets and as a result of the air pressure in the canisters, the guns pushed back against us, making the experience feel very real!

I had the role of division officer in the Ceremonial Cadet Parade, doing sword drill with the other CUOs. We had to learn this drill very quickly, while also making sure the cadets and corporals were aware of what happens on the parade as it is a new experience for all of them.  

The annual Cadet Dinner is the final formal activity for Year 12 members of the Ivanhoe Grammar School Cadet Unit. This dinner gives us an opportunity to celebrate our commitment to the unit as it signifies the final time we put on our ranks.  Due to recent COVID-19 restrictions, unfortunately the Cadet Dinner was postponed this year. We hope we can still have this opportunity of what the dinner offers, in the near future.

I’m so grateful for my time in cadets and I will cherish all the memories I made with my platoons over my four years!

Year 9 Reflections of Annual Cadet Camp...

For many of us this year, it was our first Annual Cadet Camp. A supposedly intense training camp, lasting for almost a week around people you only know from School. However, it did not live up to all these slightly terrifying rumours. It ended up being challenging, yet fun for many of us. 

It also propelled many to continue with their cadet journey at school. Although it was a shock to line up on a dirt road with your pyjamas still on and waking up so early, you would expect that we’d be fuelled into doing essential tasks our platoon needed to complete for the day. Instead, there ended up being a lot of sitting. While this could often get boring, it allowed our platoon to talk and play games during this time. I also enjoyed the navigation activity, where we luckily did not get lost, but had to climb through some dense trees just to reach a garbage bag. Overall, my first Annual Cadet Camp experience is something I will never forget, as it holds important memories for myself and my friends.

Philomena Spicer, Year 9, University Campus

Going on a week-long camp after going through the pandemic and quarantine was certainly an interesting experience. In the beginning, it was quite difficult to adjust to the outdoors life without my parents and all my friends but looking back on it now, I can definitely say that it is one of my highlights of Year 9.

Although the nights spent at the camp were filled with fun, my favourite part of camp was the platoon bonding time we had. It was a little jarring to be practically living with around 20 people for a week, but the platoon bonding made it so that you got to be comfortable with everyone in your platoon. As we spent more time bonding with each other, our teamwork as a group improved, and instead of stressing about wanting to go home, I was always looking forward to the next activity we would participate in.

Even though this was my first Cadet Camp, I enjoyed and really appreciated the time I got to spend at the camp. It was an enjoyable experience that I can’t wait to go on again! Sarah Fang, Year 9, University Campus 

By far, some of the most enjoyable aspects of Cadet Camp were the team game nights and other similar events. Not only did we have the opportunity to mix with other platoons, we also played games - my favourite being the hide and seek round where we were sent to a patch of land to find people hiding amongst the foliage. The next night a capture the flag style tournament was organised, which gave all platoons from both Plenty Campus and The Ridgeway Campus time to have fun, bringing the team spirit to an all time high. But by far one of the best aspects of cadet camp was being able to connect with your platoon, allowing us to build stronger friendships or even make new friends.

I am sure we were all pleasantly surprised by the fun and enjoyment of this camp even though we slept outside with mediocre food. Dean Fiume, Year 9, University Campus

After lockdown and being stuck at home for roughly a year, Cadet Camp was a great opportunity to step out of our comfort zones and have an adventure. All of the Year 9 and Year 10 students had little to no experience with Cadet Camps due to the setback of COVID-19. 

Being our first camp, it was extremely fun and definitely an experience to remember. Although sleeping outside and navigating through trees with a compass and map may not be everyone’s favourite activity, the change of scenery from the busy and active environment of school was refreshing, and gave me the chance to relax and focus on something else. Although I expected to hate the experience, I enjoyed being challenged physically, as it put me out of my comfort zone, and being able to spend time with my friends was definitely the highlight for me.

 For the most part, I had a good time, although it sure felt good to have a real shower when I got home.

Elora Twyford, Year 9, University Campus