Year 9 Camp

Last week the Year 9 cohort spent three days down at the YMCA Anglesea. Once again, both staff and students  enjoyed the many activities on offer such as Canoeing, Vertical Challenge, Skateboarding, Surfing, Mountain Biking, Giant Swing, Initiatives, Archery, Raft Building, night walk to the beach and trivia night.

The weather was hot, and while we experienced a cool change, it remained warm. I would like to thank all the students for attempting the activities on offer, even those they were unfamiliar with. It was heartening watching the students approach everything with a positive mindset. I asked each of the group leaders to nominate one student only per group that stood out as for their attitude and involvement over those 3 days.  Some of these attributes the leaders had to consider were persistence, positivity, perseverance, bravery, participation, resilience, great leadership, courage and enthusiasm.  As always, it was not an easy task as there were many students who did give the camp their all. This was a tough decision for most. Congratulations to the following students:

Group 1- Gordan Langley

Group 2 - Lucas Surenian

Group 3 - Luke Tokanovic

Group 4 - Mia Cicerone

Group 5 - Zelika Tuni

Group 6 - Scarlett O’Dor

Group 7 - Emma Mortensen

Group 8 - Constance Karatzias

Group 9 - Masa Basic

Group 10 - Jenaya Ngoma

A big thank you goes to the many staff who gave up their time and classes and came on camp with me: Mrs Deirdre Hughes, Mr Peter Nathan, Miss Caitlin Trustum, Miss Tessa Houlihan, Mr Chuck Chan, Mr Chris Brown, Ms Joy Singh, Ms Lisa Douglass, Mr Josh Cowan, Miss Olivia Giblin, Mr Elijah Brasher, Ms Jackie Kol, Mrs Tracey Blake, Mr Lachlann McDonnell, Mr Andy Moore, Mr John Brenton, Mr Mark Sidoti, Ms Melissa Navaratarajah as well as Ms Amber Carey who was our First Aider. Who had a fantastic medical centre and expertise available. The staff did an incredible job supporting and encouraging students and participating in the activities too.

A shame however, that there were many students who forgot to bring a hat, water bottle and other items. A packing list was emailed out many times and a hard copied also given. For some it had impacted on their dehydration levels and their ability to fully participate in some activities, which was disappointing.

The local op shop was cleaned out of caps/hats when I arrived to purchase some for our students to wear.

A reminder to all Year 7 parents to PLEASE assist with your child with the packing and ensure all items on the list that it will be accompanying to camp. 

Thank you

Ms Sue Formanek 

Camp Coordinator

Year 9 Camp was a fun experience for everyone, with new experiences and fun activities for everyone there. A lot happened over the 3-day period, with intriguing activities such as canoeing, skateboarding, vertical challenge, archery and surfing. We also had some other activities not connected to the camp, such as a night-time walk, and a trivia night with all our friends. This camp challenged all of us to try new things and achieve our goals, and it was one of the best experiences we could have ever asked for. 

Tiana Tsolakis

Year 9 McAuley 2