Year 9 & 10 Portsea Camp

On the 28th of October, the year 9s and 10s were lucky enough to take an adventure down to The Portsea Camp. What a fun three days we got to experience!

At the bright and early start of 8:30am, students were full of excitement and joy ready to begin our bus journey down to the picturesque Portsea. After quite a long trip, it was great to have finally arrived and stretched our legs. The fun then began! We ate some yummy lunch, got assigned our cabins and camp groups then went on a tour to discover The Portsea Camp further. Soon after settling ourselves and freshening up we began our activities. Over the course of three days, we participated in a variety of different activities. Flying fox, giant swing, high ropes, a survival challenge, kayaking, lifesaving and on the last day an amazing race took place. I can truly say every single activity was an amazing experience and so many memories were made. The camp instructors guided us on how to be safe on the courses by running us through a safety briefing before starting each activity. Each student during these activities showed such great resilience, unity and compassion. We got to spend lots of time getting to know with our teachers and classmates. We shared three delicious meals plus afternoon and morning tea each day throughout all the busyness of our activities. My two favourite activities were the giant swing and kayaking. Both of these challenges required all members of the group to step up and work together as a team. In order to get higher on the giant swing, everyone needed to work constructively to pull the rope as fast and hard as they can and then listen and respect the person on the swing. When they yelled “STOP”, everyone took a big step forward and braced for the big drop! It was funny to see how our peers reacted as the air swooshed them over the blue waters. Now what's a beach camp without participating in water sports??

Kayaking was awesome! Each person put their life jacket on and hopped in a kayak with a paddle. It was difficult to navigate the kayak at first but not long after we got the hang of it. We also had the most peaceful hike down to the beach at night and had the chance to take some cute pictures, collect seashells with our friends and indulge in the breeze and sound of the ocean. Then we lit a campfire and sat around roasting marshmallows and listening to some music. At this point in time, I was so happy. Everyone was smiling, having fun.

So many more incredible experiences over our three days journey that we will never forget.

It was so great to see all of the students and teachers making the most of camp and embracing the time we had away from our day to day lives. Not only did I get to learn so much more about my classmates, I got the opportunity to communicate informally with my teachers and learn so much about them away from the classroom. I enjoyed taking risks and engaging in the range of courses that I couldn't imagine myself doing. We returned back to school feeling tired, relaxed and rejuvenated, reflecting on the amazing time we had. On behalf of us students of year 9 and 10, we are so very grateful to have experienced the most wonderful camp we could ask for. Thank you to our amazing teachers who went above and beyond to ensure we had the best time possible.

Olivia Karamitanis, 10C

Year 9/10 camp experience

Towards the end of October, the Year 9 and 10 cohort and I, had the opportunity to stay at The Portsea Camp from the 28th to the 30th October. After a bus ride filled with excitement and many people talking, we arrived at camp and soon after, we started with the activities. Some of the activities we had over the three days included high ropes, a giant swing, kayaking, swimming, a night walk, a flying fox, a talent show, a movie night and roasting marshmallows on a campfire. On the third day, our last activity was a race to find clues, this activity helped us build our teamwork skills.

Overall, this camp helped us with communication, teamwork and leadership skills and also helped us to be more courageous. It was a great opportunity for us Year 9s and 10s and an experience to remember.

Aurora – 9B