At camp we were blessed with warm sunny days that melted our frost after surfing under the sun in the refreshing water of the ocean. We learnt how to ride waves, relax our minds from worries and challenge ourselves with a week away from the comforts of our homes. We had the long awaited joy of not wearing masks and breathing the fresh air. It was a great way to connect with the new kids who came this year, and reconnect with others after too much lockdown. Camp ended on a positive note as we disembarked from the bus after a fun week.

– Lulu F., Year 7

What I learnt in camp about myself was that I know how to keep going and not give up with what I do. There were some times where I found things challenging and I pushed through. I learnt that I don’t need a phone wherever I go because we didn’t have an option to bring it to camp and it just felt good knowing that I didn’t have my phone with me.

I know how to express my feelings now. I know how to take my head out of hard situations and remove myself from bad conversations that will interfere with how I act. Wherever you go you learn new things – for example on our trip to Araluen campsite in Anglesea we stopped off at a First Nations’ site where they showed different types of boomerangs and how they work. Half or even more of the information he gave was extremely new to me.

It felt extremely weird without being with my parents but as every day went on I knew that it would be getting closer and closer until I would see them again. I missed them but I know that I was surrounded with joy and happiness by my friends and teachers and if I felt upset they would comfort me. This camp we got to talk to people in our year that we wouldn’t usually talk to. We got split into 4 different groups and I only had some of my friends with me. In that group we stuck with each other that whole time. I became closer with each and every one of them.

I can honestly put it out there and say that that was a really good experience as well as camp!

– Amy S., Year 7

“CRASH”. Here comes the wave! I paddle ferociously as the wave comes in. The last wave I caught, I fell off my board, but NO, not this time. The wave is at my toes now. I paddle 4 more times, and get on my knees. I quickly twist my left leg, and get into a crouching position. I am standing on the wave now, and it is one of the best feelings that I have felt in my whole life. In fact, this camp is one of the best feelings that I have felt in my whole life. Here are some of my key points:

The water activities: On camp we went surfing twice, boogie boarding and stand-up paddleboarding, which was my personal favorite. Our first activity was boogie boarding, which was a great way to start. Our second activity was surfing, which was hard because the waves dumped me underwater quite a few times. The next activity was stand-up paddleboarding, which was a very calm and relaxing activity.

The food: At camp we got delicious food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was all delicious!

The teachers: We were all very privileged to have so many great teachers on camp to look after us, stop trouble and have fun with us. We were also privileged to have 4 year 10 students who were Alex, Jack, Reagan and Naomi. They also looked after us, and we are all thankful for the year 10s and the teachers.

The campsite: We went to the Araluen campsite in Anglesea. It was a very good campsite with many features such as: An oval with footy posts, a volleyball court, a basketball court, a low ropes course, archery, trampolines, a playground, a great hall, 2 games rooms and over 15 cabins. It was a great place to stay. I would rate it 5 out of 5 stars.

Free time: Every day, in the afternoon, we got some free time. It was a great time to calm down in the afternoon, and a great way to bring in the night activities.

Night activities: Every night we had a night activity before we had to go to bed. It was a fun way for everyone to connect with each other and have fun. We had a couple of communication and teamwork activities, we watched a movie, and on the last night, some of us even went to the beach! Everyone enjoyed the night activities, because it was a great way to forget about the bad things and just relax.

Everyone enjoyed camp at Araluen, and it was a great time to connect, especially since it is early in the year and there were lots of new kids to our grade. Everyone got closer to each other and made new friends, and it was a great way to start off this unpredictable but hopeful year.

– Ethan W., Year 7