MySelf Program

MyOutdoor Sailing Camp

On Tuesday, 29 October, the Year 9 My Outdoors class arrived at school at 7:30am, eager and ready to go on camp. We were all tired but were looking forward to sailing as it was going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity for most of us. 

Once we were all ready to leave, we made our way to Southern Cross station where we took the V-line to Geelong. It was a long trip, but we stayed entertained by talking to each other and playing UNO. 

Once we arrived, we were met by Lincoln from the sailing camp who directed us which way to walk. It was a hard task remembering directions and once we got to the beach it was hard remembering if we were meant to go left or right.  We guessed left and well it was wrong, and we had to walk an extra 10 minutes.

Once we got there the wind was a bit strong, so we were split into groups of eight to take the bigger boats. The first group went sailing with Mr Vlahos while the second group which was my group walked with Miss Chiuchiarelli to Lime Breakers Point.

It was a nice walk and we discovered the Natural Mineral Spring Water Tap.  Once we arrived at the boat ramp we swapped over and it was finally our turn to sail. I was with Mike and I was very excited. He spoke to us about the important parts of the sailing boat like the main sail, jib sheet and the skipper who steers. He also let us have a go at steering.

At first it was hard to get used to, but once we got the hang of it, it was fun. He also taught us how to turn.

We stayed at the Barwon Holiday Park. Once we organised cabins, we walked to Coles to buy our food for the camp. Soon afterwards we got to play with the frisbees where Mr Vlahos and Miss Chiuchiarelli were throwing them to us to catch. It was fun but Mr Vlahos threw it over the fence a few times too many.

Cooking food was quite an interesting task for some, as the boys used dishwashing soap thinking it was oil. Luckily, they were stopped before they could ruin their food. There were no phones allowed in the cabins on this excursion so most of us got together and played UNO. I was excited and nervous for the next day and I did not want to fall in because the water was freezing!

After the long day everyone headed to their cabin and was given one phone per cabin for emergency use only. Everyone had a goodnight sleep, eager for the next day’s sailing training.

Everyone started waking up at around 7am to freshen up and get breakfast ready. After that they started packing up and leaving the cabins. We took a bus from there to Victorian sailing school. There we changed and were separated into groups of three. Every group got a boat and then we headed to the beach.

One-by-one every boat started to enter the water, and the students sailed by themselves. Some were so excited while others were nervous because they didn’t want to tip the boat. The instructors were on the power boats at a safe distance and helping the confused boats. It was an amazing experience and taught us the basics of sailing and the importance of teamwork.

After around an hour, we headed towards the land and took the boats out of the water. We were given some time to change and have lunch. And at this point, it showed how intelligently every group had spent their money on their food as one of the groups had to eat cereal for lunch, but other groups shared some of their food with them.

Then it was time to start heading back. So, we walked to the train station and from there took the V-line to Southern Cross station and a bus to Doncaster.

On the bus we coincidentally met with two more groups from our school and took the same bus back school. 

It was a wonderful and memorable experience for everyone!

Isabella B (9H) and Hajirah N (9H)

Year 9 MySelf: My Animal

Reflection by Year 9F My Animal class

On Wednesday, the My Animal class invited Scott Morone, the Team Leader Local Laws from the Manningham Council to speak to the students about Animal Management and Animal Welfare including responsible pet ownership in our local community. It was a very interesting presentation.

It was interesting to learn about the process and what happens to lost animals. We also learnt how to be responsible pet owners. He spoke about the responsibilities of having a pet (eg: food, health, grooming and exercise) as well as the consequences of not treating pets fairly. He also spoke about techniques that can be used to prevent dog attacks.

“‘Scott’s a legend. He’s doing all pet owners a huge favour by educating us about animals in Manningham,” said a student in the My Animal class.

A thing we learnt was that all pets bought after 2007 have to be microchipped by law, to make it easier for rangers to find an animal’s owner.

In addition to learning about the value and use of microchips for cats and dogs, we learnt that these microchips are placed in between the shoulder blades and have a low possibility of moving.

We learnt about common domestic pets and how to be a responsible pet owner. We discussed what animals need and what is necessary for household pets.

On the Melbourne Zoo excursion we explored the different kinds of animals and reptiles and how they live, eat and survive and how they impact our world.

We really learnt a lot about animals and what the local pound really does. Their role is to help save animals and get them back to their owners and their homes. They deal with harmful situations and resolve them in a calm manner.

It was a great experience.