Our College Year 7 students, minus a handful of students in isolation, set off to the Chosen Valley in Bombay Hills for camp that almost eluded them due to the rise in Omicron cases in the community.
Determined to make it happen, the usual three-days and two-nights camp was improvised to a one-day camp with masked adult supervisors, confined to class bubbles and packed food and drinks from home.
Despite the change of plans, students had the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities that pushed them to challenge themselves and embrace teamwork.
We were blessed with three sun-soaked days of beautiful weather, with each day divided into three sessions, which classes rotated.
The Confidence Course, as always, tested all levels of ability with three graded courses built over water. Under the scorching hot sun, some ‘deliberate’ fall into the water came as a refreshing respite despite rumours of eels in it!
The Hill Activities included the Trolleys – ropes for steering and no brakes. Students got to hurtle down the bumpy, rock-hard slope from six increasingly fast and difficult starting points. Wipe-outs were common, but safety gear and long sleeves and trousers for protection, meant everyone came up smiling keen for another turn. They also spent time at the Team Balance, where they had to work together to complete a series of activities without falling off. Then it was on to Archery where many achieved the satisfaction of hitting the target and even a bullseye.
The Lake Activities was a great chance to cool off in the lake. Instructors took them for a kayaking lesson which was a first time for some. They also completed a very complicated Rope Maze and the built over water Balance Island, that had them walking nervously over logs, wobbly bridges and not to mention, dangling off wires. Then it was off to the water slide, made even speedier by parents using a rope to slingshot students down the slide.
All three camps were a success. It was amazing to see students participated fully and challenged themselves beyond their comfort zone. The squeals of delight, the beaming smiles and the proud looks of accomplishment were seen and heard throughout the camp.
Our sincere thanks to a large number of parents who gave up their time to join us at camp as supervisors. We are also grateful to the teachers who led and encouraged their classes throughout the day.
While it wasn’t the full camp experience we would normally have, the students all left at the end of their long day, tired, happy and proud of what they had achieved from their camp experience.
