Story by Kristie Richards, Girls’ School Director of Sport, Year 8 Tutor Teacher and Head of International Students.
Our girls know that term 1 is the term they get to go on camp and no matter what the age group or location, our girls relish the opportunity. For our Girls’ School Year 7 students, it was off to Tauranga for camp week.
We were blessed with perfect weather throughout camp and our girls happily participated in a variety of activities such as river hopping, kayaking, water sliding and paddle boarding. In the evenings, they continued the hive of activities with team building challenges, glow worming on the idyllic Lake Rotoiti in wakas, enjoying different sports games and relaxing in the hot pool.
It was heartening to see the girls embracing every challenge fully. By the end of the week, it was evident the Year 7 girls had formed a closer bond, experienced personal growth from challenging themselves, made lifelong memories and had plenty of fun.
A parent who joined us for the camp summed it up best when she shared her observation over the duration of the camp. She added, “It was both fascinating, and wonderful, to witness the change in the girl’s body language over the duration of the camp. As we had breakfast and broke camp to leave on Friday, the girls were clearly tired but so many of them carried themselves with a confidence that was not there on the first two days. Whether they know it or not, so many had discovered that they can overcome both physical and psychological challenges, including the fear of the unknown. Granted parents were by then a more familiar face, but the language they used, the level of eye contact when they spoke, the strength and tone of their voices not just with us but also their peers was markedly different and more confident. They carried themselves upright with their heads held a little higher and many spoke of their experiences, particularly in overcoming their biggest fear as the highlight of the week away.”
We would like to thank all staff who helped with the camp for their professionalism, flexibility, and hard work.
The girls returned to school at the end of the week brimming with excitement and totally exhausted.
