Year 9 CLC Program

Excursion Season is in full flight at the popular Year 9 CLC, with our 60 Semester 1 students having just completed 3 epic day trips to kick off their program, focusing on the key concepts of Gratitude, Empathy, Resilience, Trust, Mindfulness, Philanthropy, Community and Connection.

Lake William Hovell proved an ideal first destination on February 8th. Isolated in nature with no phone reception, social connection and mindfulness were the focus of the morning which involved a Bush Walk on which terrific conversations sound tracked the way to the Slaters Creek crossing, where a number of students took the opportunity to splash their feet in the crystal-clear water, Amarina Huggins, flanked by her crew Hannah Dods, Naomi Roberts and Bethany Tanner, won prizes for the Longest Leaf discovered, her 69cm monstrosity pipping an unlucky Mikylle Grainger by 5mm.

CLC Family Lunch, prepared by Mrs Newman, Mrs Wilson and Mr Manning, comprising of salad sandwiches and wraps, was provided to the kids as it is every week, enabling the kids to socialise and bond over food, a vital cog of the program. It was great to see many kids volunteer to assist serving and loading equipment on and off the bus. 

Challenge and teamwork were the order of the afternoon session, with a Slack-Line challenge being dominated by Harry Hyland and Skelly Manning, and teams competing in a Pipe Filling relay, running to fill up buckets of water from the lake, and filling it as quick as possible helped by group members plugging holes with their fingers. Round 1 was taken out by Jack Berry, Osten Hasson, Robert Masters, Clara Rocchiccioli, Cam Sgarioto, and Abbey-Rose Turner, while the Round 2 victors were Trey Dale, Ollie Fox, Maddison Kelly, Will King, Ella Lewis, Jamie Matthews, and Merin Sessions. An outstanding first trip.

We toured interstate to Albury on February 15th, for a double-header involving Indoor Climbing and an uphill hike to the Albury War Memorial atop Monument Hill. CLC staff witnessed the best climbing they had seen in CLC history, with Skelly Manning, Oscar Benson and Harry Hyland all able to conquer the most difficult Double-Ledge Cliff Hanger wall, a wall only rarely beaten. Skelly then went went at it again, mesmerising onlookers by conquering it twice in the space of half an hour. Climbing staff also made comment of the outstanding manners shown by our kids, after many of them approached to shake hands and give thanks for the session.

CLC Family Lunch was again salad sandwiches & wraps, this time in the beautiful Albury Botanical Gardens, followed by a walk up to the peak of Monument Hill. The kids got quite a shock at the steep incline, with most having to stop for a breather. Merlin Tzaros, when asked, quietly admitted to staff that he runs it in a time of 1 minute 20 seconds.

At the monument, students were tasked with remembering the name and details of one Fallen Soldier from the memorial, and back at school, they wrote a thank you message to their soldier. Many of the kids went quite deep, writing detailed messages, showing significant empathy for those fallen. Another highlight was the students giving our bus driver a rousing clap and thank you as we pulled into school, followed by the driver announcing to them that they were probably the best CLC group he had ever driven. Wonderful stuff.

Bounce Trampolining in Wodonga was our venue on February 22nd. For 2 full hours, our 55 CLC kids bounced non-stop. The Slam Dunk rings were dominated by the likes of Ruari Adamo with his Tomahawk dunks, Haydn Cornhill, Cooper Hardman,Will Simpson and Sam Cutler. CLC staff, for the 2nd week in a row, rated the participation and skill level the best they had seen in CLC history, with all kinds of flipping and twisting happening over various mats, and speed racing happening on the climbing walls. Levi Zachariou was brilliant on the trampoline with his trademark back/forward flip routine, Ava Byrne was putting together flip sequences like a gymnast, and Skelly Manning again shone with various feats and spins.

Best of all though, was a parent in attendance, who had a newborn girl strapped to her chest and so couldn’t take her 6-year old on the High-Climb Obstacle Course. The mum approached us to highlight how impressed she was that one of our girls, Abbey-Rose Turner, had noticed her 6-year old wanting to have a go, and took her up herself. What an outstanding example of everything we’re trying to instil in CLC.

We thank all of the CLC students for the exemplary way in which they have begun the program, and we look forward to great things in the next few weeks which will include First Aid Training and further excursions.

Special mention to the recently-retired CLC legend Donna Lane, who was a lynchpin of the program for many years including last year. Thanks Donna for everything you did for the program, and the kindness you modelled for so many kids that came through.

We also welcome Nathan Manning to the CLC team and family, who has quickly proven an excellent fit for the program. Nathan has already shown off his skills with this video.

Jud Mullins

CLC