9 Camp Week

In a new experience for all, the Year 9s departed for our camp at Anglesea on the first day of Term 2! There was a mixture of excitement and nerves as we watched the weather reports and drove down the coast in the pouring rain.

As it turned out, we were incredibly lucky with the weather. Wednesday morning was met with lovely sunshine and amazing waves for our surf lesson. It was great watching the students giving it a go and, most importantly, laughing and smiling all the way. Those who chose not to surf joined in a beach clean-up which was both rewarding and entertaining. Apparently there are many interesting items left at the beach.

In the afternoon the weather cooled and clouds rolled in, but that was perfect for our walk to Erskine Falls. The air was misty and the green moss coverage on the rocks and trees was magic. We even took three minutes of silence when at the bottom of the falls to take in the sights and sounds and the sheer beauty of it all.

Mountain biking was the main feature of Thursday. For some this was a challenging and difficult activity where the students showed their resilience and the ability to operate outside their comfort zone. On the flipside, there were definitely a few daredevils who took to the tracks with gusto and pushed their bikes and themselves to their limit.

A talent show rounded out Thursday evening. It was brilliant to see so many people willing to get up in front of their peers and show off their musicality or drama skills, attempt to make the crowd laugh or even present some magic!

There was plenty of time between activities and it was awesome to see so many people playing board games, inventing new ball games or practising their performances for the talent show. It must also be mentioned that everyone was INCREDIBLE during the dreaded camp clean-up on the final morning. There were so many busy workers all getting the jobs done in both record time and with no resistance. It was a real highlight. After it was all done, the key take away from the camp experience was that the group bonded really well, looked out for and cared for each other and welcomed our three new students beautifully. It was so nice to watch countless acts of kindness and inclusion that helped make the camp such an outstanding success. 

Kris Austin

Year 9 Coordinator

kris.austin@preshil.vic.edu.au