Year 7 Camp

The Year 7 Camp at Marysville is about much more than simply providing the College’s newest learners with an initial experience of outdoor education.  This camp plays a key part in the transition program; it is a catalyst for personal development and for the formation of new relationships with their teachers and peers.

Throughout the week, students stretched themselves physically and mentally on the climbing tower, in canoes and during off-road cycling.  They explored the township and gained a new understanding of the power of the human spirit to ‘bounce back’ in times of adversity, just as the people of Marysville have done since the catastrophic bushfires of Black Saturday, 2009. They showed initiative on the ropes course and bouldering wall and got their hands dirty in the sustainable kitchen garden.  In spite of some initial reservations about camping, they rallied together to set up tents and cook an evening meal together.  They also enjoyed some stargazing and many viewed the moon through binoculars and telescopes for the first time.

Our theme for 2016 is “Every Voice Counts” and this was certainly the case at Camp Marysville. I commend the Year 7 students on the way that they communicated so positively with each other, ensuring that all voices were heard and that all students experienced feelings of unconditional support as they faced the challenges of the program. 

Catherine Spurritt

Year 7 Coordinator