Chaplain's Corner
Hi Everyone,
After two and a half years of COVID our excited and a little nervous level 5/6 students headed off to Marysville on Tuesday on their first experience of school camp! For many, being away from family will not be their first experience, especially if they have had sleepovers, visits with Grandparents, or have been on Cub/Scout camps. But of course, this will/has been different. For one or two, it may have been a little overwhelming.
School camps build confidence, ignite creativity and problem-solving, stimulate a sense of adventure, encourage social interaction and team-building, and promote independence.
The rewards can be fulfilling for both students and teachers and can be something that students will remember long into the future.
The importance of school camps and the benefits school camps offer students are:
- Development of independence skills - school camps can often be the first time a child is away from family and home for a few nights. Parents are not around to remind them to wash, eat healthy food and to look after them. School camps are a great opportunity for children to learn independence skills like how to look after themselves and do things on their own. Most children rise to the challenge and learn to rely on themselves when they spend time away from family and their home.
- Having a strong, positive relationship with their teacher/s can assist in students learning and school camps can help these relationships and gives teachers and students an opportunity to get to know each other outside of the classroom.
- Helps develop a student's social skills - school excursions and school camps offer a great opportunity for students to develop a range of social skills. School camp activities tend to involve team work, which helps to strengthen established friendships and create new friendships by working with students they don’t regularly socialise with at school. During school camps, children have the opportunity to learn about caring, understanding and acceptance.
- Development of decision-making skills - Should I stay up late with my friends or should I go to bed as I am tired? Should I eat the third biscuit? Teachers are not able to constantly watch over students at camp so children are able to make more of their own decisions and choices.
- Increased environmental awareness - at school camps, students are exposed to real nature-based experiences. Hands-on activities in the outdoors stimulate all senses and help learning. Students become more aware of the environment, develop outdoor skills and an appreciation for nature.
Creating memories and exploring their potential
Some of my favourite school memories are excursions and camps, where we went to exciting places and escaped the classroom schedule for other more fun activities. A well planned and managed school camp not only looks at learnings based on curriculum. It can take kids out of their day to day routines and into a new environment of experiential learning, where they practice new teamwork and leadership skills and form new friendship groups. It also has the capacity to help them push beyond what they believe they can achieve.
Poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson had it right when he said ‘The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions.’
The same applies to stretching out of our comfort zone. When we achieve, it stretches our self-imposed limitations and provides a benchmark for comparison. ‘Ok, so I didn’t think I could do that, but I did. So maybe I can do this too.‘ In other words, doing hard things teaches us to do other hard things.
I am looking forward to hearing all about the Marysville and Lake Mountain Camp from our campers. Hmm…I wonder who won the teddy bear/cuddly toy competition? There will be many tired but happy campers, both young and ‘not so young’ returning today!
May you and your families have a lovely weekend of rest and sharing of adventure! To ALL OUR ACPS FAMILIES, STAY WELL AND TAKE CARE!
Robyn Mulholland (School Chaplain)