From the Principal

The past week has seen the following exciting activities:

Year 7, 8 and 9 camps to Spring Beach and Maria Island
Mustard Leadership program for Secondary students
Year 3-12 Athletics Carnival

It was an absolute delight to spend time away with the students while on camp last week. There were plenty of opportunities to interact with them in contexts that are different to the school environment. I valued getting to know some of them better while on a walk or over a meal.

Camp is a time to have fun, for students to develop new or deeper connections with their peers and to try new activities. It is a special time to immerse in the natural world. One of the highlights for me was an evening walk, as we watched a storm in the distance.

It is also a time to develop greater independence and interdependence. On Year 7 and 8 camp, this included some simple things like having to carry their own heavy bags, fulfil orderly duties or being responsible for their belongings and the cleanliness of their rooms. There is also navigating sharing a cabin with friends. This can be a test for even the closest friendship!

Year 9 camp involved an even bigger step out of the comfort zone for some. Sleeping in tents and developing a meal plan, preparing their food and then cleaning up after each meal was a new experience for a number of the students. I was very impressed by how sensible many of the menu plans were. While I did see a large number of packs of instant noodles, I also saw scrambled eggs on toast for breakfast or pasta and sauce for dinner. It was also fun seeing some groups engaged in important negotiations when it came to combining meal items, to develop some more exciting options.

One of the points of feedback I have heard from students is that they want to know that what they are learning has a purpose, that it is important. During these camp experiences, students are developing life skills that will be invaluable in the future.

Spending concentrated time away also enabled the students to participate in rich devotions. Part of the Year 9 camp included devotions related to having a guide rail. Puk Campbell, one of our Indonesian teachers, spoke to students about having God alongside, to guide us in the way we are to go. He talked about the options of different guide rails that we can follow that may not be as trustworthy or reliable.

I also want to acknowledge the contribution of our amazing teachers to each of these events. They all took an enormous amount of planning and preparation and, the camps especially, involved a large personal contribution.

"For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God."

~ Romans 1:20

Jodie Bennett

Principal