HEAD OF SECONDARY SCHOOL

This week, I had the fortunate opportunity to attend Year 9 Camp at Port Hacking. This was an inaugural Year 9 camp and it was a wonderful experience for both staff and students. It has led me to reflect on my previous camp experiences and the College’s transition towards the implementation of stage-based camps.

School camps provide us with the opportunity to take our students away from the context of school and place them in a different environment, often filled with challenges and lessons. These fun filled challenges enable students to learn new aspects of their character as well as challenge themselves to engage in activities they may not ordinarily do in their everyday lives. They may also reflect on the challenges they faced and apply them to broader experiences and struggles they are undergoing. 

At the Year 9 camp, students were asked to commit to offering “full value” for the time that they were completing activities. Students were asked to determine what this meant, and in essence concluded that it meant supporting each other to move outside of the boundaries we have placed on ourselves, even if it was only taking one step. At the end of each session, students were asked to reflect on their experiences and to connect what they had learnt to the broader context of their lives. This is an important aspect of the social and emotional learning that our students undertake at the College.

Moving forward, the College will streamline the outcomes of our stage-based camps with those of our Wellbeing Framework. Camps provide intensive opportunities to grow our students in targeted ways while continuing to develop the positive culture within the year group. I encourage Year 9 parents to speak with their child about their camp experiences and to support them in reflecting on what they have learnt. This will ensure that we see continued growth in our students, allowing them to see the purpose of camps in the broader context of College Wellbeing.

Christopher Ingold | Head of Secondary School