Wellbeing - Middle School

Our Year 7 cohort has just returned from a four-day adventure at Camp Somerset Outdoor Learning Centre in Upper Colo, NSW — and what a journey it has been. The camp provided a unique opportunity for our students to step outside the classroom, build friendships, challenge themselves and grow in confidence. Over the course of the camp, our students engaged in a wide variety of outdoor activities, many designed specifically to foster teamwork, resilience and stepping outside comfort zones. The site at Camp Somerset is well-equipped for exactly this kind of immersive outdoor education.

Some of activities included:

• High and low Ropes / giant swing

• Archery and orienteering 

• Canoeing and raft-building on the Colo River

• Tent/camp experience / moving campsites

• Campfires, sharing circles and reflections time. 

The staff on camp noticed significant growth in our students which included stronger friendships formed in tents, cooking together and tackling challenges, which helped them bond with peers they don’t usually sit with. We also saw increased confidence, whether it was trying the high ropes, hitting a target in archery, or paddling on the river, students stepped beyond their usual boundaries and came away with a sense of “I did it.” The students needed teamwork in the sense that they had to plan, delegate and deliver as a team. The positive change in attitude (especially in cleaning up!) was very encouraging. Most of all, there are great moments and stories to share for years to come.

Thank you to the following staff: Maria Cesarano, Tom Mullen, Nicola Ageras, Kristy Bartels, Michael Elias, Chelsea Fyffe, Robert Luciani, Peri Maniakas, Peter Maxwell, Jack McCann, Alycia Patterson and Macquire Tatola who spent time away from their own families to ensure that our young men of Year 7 had an unforgettable experience and made some life long memories.

Alexandros Sinadinos

Director of Middle School