Primary Happenings

Year 4 Camp 

Helen Reid, Year 4 Team Leader

The excitement was palpable as the buses pulled away from DCC on Monday morning with 104 Year 4 students on their way to Camp Adanac. The forecast rain was not going to deter anyone! 

Over the past 3 days the children have shown kindness, bravery, perseverance and resilience through all activities and meal times. Hut building gave children the opportunity to show creativity and survival skills. There may be future contestants of Survivior among us! Overcoming a fear of heights whilst going on the flying fox was a highlight for some. Eating delicious damper cooked over hot coals warmed us up on the cold days.  There were plenty of smiling faces coming off the canoes, but maybe they were just looking forward to a hot shower! Low ropes and archery gave opportunity to build strength and coordination. When the rain poured down a whole group game of Scramball was noisy but fun, with coloured balls flying over tall nets.  

It was a pleasure to sit with the children at mealtimes and hear the stories of their day. There were plenty of opportunities to serve others by clearing plates or wiping tables. We are so thankful for the wonderful parent volunteers who came with us. They were brilliant at running activities and providing encouragement.  

We started each day with a Psalm and were reminded from Psalm 100 that “The Lord is Good and his faithfulness continues forever”. We pray that the children remember the truths learned from the Psalms, as well as the skills learned through the activities.

Year 5 Excursion: Sovereign Hill

Mariah Reed, Year 5 Team Leader

Our Year 5 students braved a very chilly early start for their excursion to Sovereign Hill. With rain falling at DCC and temperatures sitting at a frosty 0 degrees, students arrived rugged up and ready for adventure. Thankfully, by the time we reached Ballarat, we were greeted with pockets of sunshine throughout the day.

Students stepped back in time as they explored life on the goldfields through a range of engaging activities. Highlights included watching exciting gold pours, trying their luck at gold panning, and venturing underground on the Red Hill Mine Tour. Of course, the famous raspberry drops were also a very popular stop! One of the biggest highlights of the day was the immersive Gold Fever reenactment game, where students took on the roles of miners, troopers, and bankers as they experienced the excitement and challenges of the Gold Rush era.

Throughout the excursion, staff at Sovereign Hill commented positively on the behaviour, enthusiasm, and respectful attitude of our students. We were incredibly proud of the way our Year 5 students represented our school.

A very big thank you also goes to our wonderful parent helpers for their support throughout the day. Excursions like these would not be possible without their help and willingness to give up their time to support our students.

Year 1 Excursion: Healesville Sanctuary

Kirsti Le Page, Year 1 Team Leader

Gudjinna (hello) DCC Community,  

Year One students have been fully immersed in learning about First Australians through a series of engaging workshops. These sessions explored important aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, including language, food, art and storytelling, as well as connections to animals, the environment, stars and the DCC land. To further enrich their understanding, students participated in an excursion to Healesville Sanctuary yesterday. 

During the visit, they observed native animals such as bunjils (eagles), mirrams (kangaroos), woterangs (platypus) and inga lingas (echidnas), deepening their appreciation for Australia’s unique wildlife.  Students also took part in activities led by an Aboriginal Education Officer, which encouraged them to explore Aboriginal connections to Country. 

There was an opportunity to attempt to make fire with sticks, inspect a possum skin coat and observe an emu being fed. Through these experiences, students developed an understanding of the importance of relationships between people, places, animals and the environment, and learned how cultures share knowledge through stories, songs and everyday practices.  

Thank you to the parents who assisted on the day, enabling our Year One’s to have such a memorable experience. 

Noon-Gudjin (thank you) DCC Community and triganin (see you later).