Year 7 News  

Year 7 Camp

Starting secondary school: big bags, big books and big kids.  Lockers, timetables, school maps, form groups, student managers, log-ons, textbooks…the list goes on. For a Year 7 student just getting through those first few weeks is a milestone and from all accounts our Year 7’s have transitioned smoothly into Vermont Secondary. But another of the major milestones for our Year 7’s is Camp.

Over 5 days and two camps around 300 students attended Year 7 Camp in Marysville. To put that in perspective the second camp required 5 buses to transport the group to and from the site. Most of our students have been on a camp before but probably not with quite that many students! It can be a bit overwhelming. 

Our students certainly rose to the challenge, stepped out of their comfort zone and embraced this exciting opportunity, thoughtfully and positively.

Camp Marysville had a range of experiences for our Year 7 cohort such as high ropes, canoeing, initiative challenges and bouldering, many of which had students genuinely surprised that they could complete so well.  What a great way to develop self-confidence! Other experiences focused on making connections with peers and teachers, developing friendships and having fun.  This is why our school values and prioritises camps as part of a diverse range of learning experiences. 

Here is what some of our Year 7’s had to say about camp…

“Meeting personal challenges and learning about myself is always a big part of school camps, not just getting to see a different side of myself outside of academic work in the classroom, but also collaborating with people I usually don’t work with.” – Liz

“The hardest part for me was believing I was too short and couldn’t do a lot but after beating a bunch of peers a foot taller than me in high ropes, I started to stop worrying and enjoy.” – Shae

I truly found the most understanding friends who really get me.  This made me feel like there’s others just like me.” - Anya

“I have gained a lot from Camp Marysville, this camp has taught me how to work as a team, how to work better with other people and even to know sometimes it’s better to step out of your comfort zone because you’ll learn something new.” – Awn

“My favourite activity was definitely beach-volleyball. I remember how many rallies we did.  Me and my friends all got some good services in.” – Ethan

“I was feeling really excited, my first camp in high school!  One of favourite parts of camp was nighttime, when me and my cabin-mates were whispering and trying not to be caught by teachers, and it was one of my favourite parts of camp because it was exciting and they were my new friends.” - Doryan

All of this would not have been possible without Mr Amos and Mr Loh – congratulations on a successful venture thanks to your endless hours of the meticulous planning and organisation. Thank you to our Year 7’s for giving camp a ‘red-hot go’ – we hope you have created life-long memories and lasting friendships. Special thanks to the staff who gave up their time and classes to attend and make this experience possible. 

Mr Atkinson, Ms Carberry, Miss Travers & Mr Duiveman - Year 7 Student Managers