School Update

Year Six Camp 2026 - Camp Rumbug

Written by Sienna B and Olive R

Recently, the Year Sixes went on camp to The Great Aussie Bush Camp, camp Rumbug. The camp was a 2 and a half hour drive away and it was located in South Gippsland. The camp activities consisted of 8 activities, with 2 on the first day 4 on the second and 2 on the last day. The activities were canoeing, raft building, archery, mud run, giant swing, leap of faith, bush craft and flying fox. 

The camp instructors were all so nice and this camp wouldn't have been as great as it was without them. On the first night we participated in Passport to the World, an activity featuring navigation skills and common knowledge questions. On the second night we took part in a night activity called Splash. This activity included groups of 10 rotating round though 10 activities, the winning team with the most points gained a bag with better materials than the other teams and the goal of the night was to protect a water balloon from 2 metre drop with limited materials. 

While at camp Rumbug on night one, the grade had a campfire night, we sat around the campfire and told stories and got cookies with chocolate milk. The food at camp was good, camp food is never amazing but it wasn't bad and everyone ate it. Over this camp we learnt team building skills and had fun with friends and got the chance to participate in activities with people who aren't in our class. 

Overall camp Rumbug was great, and we highly recommend it and hope next time our school visits their grade enjoys it as much as we did.

To start off the activities, we had Archery. There were 2 targets and 4 bows and we rotated shooting. We played many games such as the Pizza game, where every colour you shot represented a different pizza topping and to win, your team had to create a full pizza. We had a great time joking about our messed up pizzas and arguing over ingredients. 

We also learnt about each part of the bow and how to perfectly get a bullseye, even though not many people did. This was so fun shooting and competing to get the most points even if you weren't the best at archery you still learnt some more skills and enjoyed this just as much as everyone else.

A major highlight of our camp was definitely canoeing, where we had the opportunity to learn about canoeing and how to get in the water and paddle. We learnt how to correctly use an oar and how to efficiently steer and turn. 

We played a couple games including fish the ducks, where the aim was to gather as many rubber ducks as possible, and country rock paper scissors, where when you touch a canoe, you play rock paper scissors and the winning team's country takes over the losing team until one country has taken over. We also learnt how to raft together by connecting all the canoes and eagerly participated in the duck game competitively. A few people capsized whilst we were at camp including my group. 

During the duck game we got very competitive and leaned over a bit too far. The water was so cold it completely froze my legs but the whole time our instructors handled it really well and kept us calm and safe. Our instructors helped us get back in the canoe and helped make canoeing one of the best activities at camp.

We also had raft building, this included learning multiple knots such as the figure 8 knot and the box knot. By using the new knots and skills we learnt we tied together 4 barrels with ropes and used 2 wooden planks in the hope of creating a stable, floating raft. 

A lot of the rafts made it, but there were some exceptions, for example in my raft, the barrels kept rolling and 2 of them slipped out. We sailed our rafts over a small dam with deep water and used canoe oars to paddle to the other end and back. 

Many people fell in from rafts falling apart or even just loss of balance but even for those who fell in everyone enjoyed this. Building the rafts was fun but I definitely found testing them funner. 

Me and my friends raced against the other raft back to shore and won, even if we had a few people fall in across the way. This was definitely one of our favourites. 

A memorable activity that I’m sure none of us would forget was the mud run. This was made up of an obstacle course style uphill hike, complete with mud everywhere you looked. We had to wear old clothes that we could get dirty and they definitely did! Between the mud drenched ropes that pulled us up and covered us and the puddles and holes that we fell into, we were covered from head to toe. We scrambled from obstacle to obstacle facing challenges like tunnels and climbing frames complete with pools of mud wherever you stepped. We had to run through the mud pools as high as my knees and climb steep slippery hills. 

All in all this was something none of us had ever done before and the people who went out of their comfort zone to join in had so much fun and it really did make this camp special.

There was also the giant swing, which forced plenty of people out of their comfort zones from being hurled up 10 metres high by your activity group and pulling the string, you swing forwards and backwards and reach impressive heights, not to mention the stunning views. The giant swing is definitely the most anticipated activity, it is incomparable from anything else. Many people went to the top and enjoyed swinging high like on a giant scaled up version of a playground swing. The instructors were all so nice and encouraging for this one especially because many people were scared at first but even if you didn't go to the top everyone had fun.

Next is the leap of faith, where again, pushed many people past what they usually do. While climbing up a pole (in a harness) using little grips on the side that were, not to mention slippery and pretty far from each other, you could bear hug around the pole and swing or you could push yourself to wriggle around onto a platform and jump. For this activity I got to go first and I have to say it was so fun. After scaling a tall wooden poll that was 20 ft tall we had to jump off it and then get lowered back safely to the ground. It was exceptionally scary but was so fun and I would definitely have regretted it if I didn’t try. 

Another activity we had was bushcraft. This consisted of learning how to build a fire out of scattered pieces of wood around a field. We had to gather wood and try to build a fire out of the 2 types of fires we learnt about, a tippy fire and a long fire. 

We learnt the benefits of each fire and the pros and cons such as the long fire is better for more cooking and more warmth but the tippy one is great for signalling for help. We also had to attempt to use just ropes, tarps, sticks and trees in the area, to build a shelter that could protect you from rain. Many of them fell down but some actually looked good. 

I'm proud of myself because my group tried very hard and our shelter ended up looking great. As well as that, we learnt about making SOS signals when in need and how we use SOS because no-matter which way you look at it, it’s still the same. In this activity we learnt critical survival skills and had a great time attempting to make fires and shelters.

Our last activity was the flying fox and it was definitely one of the best. We would make the walk up a hill and zoom down the zipline with a friend you could lean back and enjoy the beautiful view of the lake and trees. We were taught how to land forward, by running and how to land backwards, by skidding your feet through the soil. 

There were a couple fails and many of us got dirty but it was definitely worth it. We had multiple goes and even though some people got stuck, the instructors and workers handled it really well and no-one was scared or stressed after the first go. 

From the top of the platform most people were scared but my whole group gave it a go and we all enjoyed it so much. From learning how to put on a harness to going down the flying fox with friends this was definitely one of the best.

We had two night activities, the first one was Passport to the world, where we had to look around the camp for countries using a map. Once we found a country we had to answer the questions on the flag and memorise all of them so we could tell the instructors our answers and get another stamp.  Once we started everyone leaned into their competitive side to see which team could come first. To win we had to get every country and some of the common knowledge questions were tricky. 

On the second night we had an activity called splash, what we had to do was complete these activities with our group and see in the end who had the highest score, Skipping, Basketball, Draw Mr.Schmidt, Shoe tower, Egg and Spoon race, Fruit Salad, Get the ball in the cone, Paper Airplane, running with a ball in between your knees and finally, one were you had 3 goes throwing beanbag sack, normally, through your legs, and over your head. 

At the end, 6 teams tied and each team nominated a person to play head shoulders, knees and toes grab it, where you had to get the sack when instructed and the first person to win. Then the winning team overall got the best bag of materials to use to protect their water balloon. Then when everyone finished designing the way they would protect their balloon, one of the instructors stood on a table and dropped the protected balloons. All the teams tried so hard for this one using critical things to make the safest possible balloons with limited materials but in the end only one team, The Tiny Teddys, teams water balloon made it, and they didn't even have the first pick of materials.

Overall We all had an amazing time at camp Rumbug and our whole grade enjoyed participating in the fun activities and evening challenges. During every activity my instructor always knew how to help us have the most fun and the atmosphere at camp 

Rumbug really made the whole camp experience better. We sang songs taught to us by some of the camp staff and learnt new skills in bushcraft and raft building. We laughed in our cabins and sneakily ding dong ditched when the teachers weren't looking. From capsizing in the canoes to screaming on the flying fox to trying something new and stepping out of our comfort zones in activities like the mudrun, leap of faith and giant swing. Everyone left with fun stories to tell, new skills they learnt and massive achievements.

I couldn't think of a better way to have our last year six camp at this school.

SunSmart Reminder – Term 4

Term 4 is a SunSmart term, which means all students are required to wear an appropriate SunSmart hat whenever they are outdoors. In line with our school policy, this includes broad-brimmed, bucket or legionnaire-style hats, preferably in our school uniform colour of green. Caps are not permitted. Students who do not have an appropriate SunSmart hat will be asked to play in designated shaded areas.

We also recommend that students apply sunscreen at home before arriving at school. Sunscreen will be available in every classroom for students to reapply before recess and lunch, and students are also welcome to bring their own sunscreen from home.

Thank you for working with us to keep our students safe and SunSmart throughout Term 4.

OSHClub Newsletter 

Reminder - Gate Times

To help ensure the safety and cleanliness of our school facilities, we would like to remind families of our new gate times.

We kindly ask that all families and visitors have departed the school grounds prior to gate closure times.

Thank you for your ongoing support in helping us maintain a safe and welcoming school environment. 

Dogs on school grounds 

We would like to remind all members of our school community that dogs are not permitted on school premises at any time.

This policy is in place for several important reasons:

• Student safety: Even well-behaved dogs can act unpredictably, particularly in busy and noisy environments with young children.

• Allergies and health concerns: Some students and staff have allergies to animal fur or dander, which can be triggered by the presence of dogs.

• Fear and anxiety: Not all children are comfortable around dogs, and their presence may cause distress or fear.

• Hygiene considerations: Maintaining a clean and safe environment is essential, and animals can introduce hygiene risks.

• Duty of care and liability: The school has a responsibility to ensure a safe environment, and the presence of animals can create avoidable risks.

   

We kindly ask that you do not bring dogs onto school grounds, including during drop-off and pick-up times. If you need to bring a dog with you, please ensure it remains outside the school gates at all times.

We appreciate your cooperation in helping us maintain a safe, inclusive, and focused learning environment for all students.

Recess & Lunch - What is Nude Food? 

Nude Food is food without excess packaging. This reduces the amount of 'stuff' that needs to go in bins to be sent to landfill. Durable, reusable containers are a great way to bring food, as they may last from primary school through to high school and beyond, providing long term cost savings and environmental benefits. Up to 50% of items in school bins comes from food and drink packaging. You can help the environment and help our school reduce waste disposal costs.

Financial Support 

As the year progresses, we are aware that there are numerous excursions and camps that need to be paid for. If you would like to have a confidential discussion regarding alternative payment plans and available supports, please reach out to darcie.brown@education.vic.gov.au and we can schedule these at a mutually convenient time.

WNPS Sunnyside Fete (Save the Date) – Sunday 22 November 2026

After a 7-year hiatus, the biannual WNPS Fete is back and better than ever!

We have a fresh new look, a new name - The WNPS Sunnyside Fete - and new event coordinators who are determined to make this the best fete the community has ever hosted. 

The fete will be held on Sunday 22 November 2026 and will be jam packed with rides, delicious food, activities and fun for the whole family.

Be sure to follow us on Instagram (@williamstownnorthps and @wnps.sunnysidefete) and Facebook for updates, announcements, sneak peeks and all things fete-related as we count down to the big day.

Please get in touch with Lauralee & Sharon at willynorthfete@gmail.com if you can contribute to making this a not-to-be-missed event!

Follow us on Socials 

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to keep up with the latest news, updates, and highlights from our community. 

Instagram – @williamstownnorthps

Facebook – Williamstown North Primary School