Whitefriars College is committed to providing students with opportunities for learning beyond the classroom. Camps stretch young people to step outside of their comfort zone in a supportive and structured environment. A truly effective camp program gives the impression of being relaxed and informal, yet it is the product of months of meticulous planning and organisation. Camps position young people and adults as respected partners in the experience – who make decisions and navigate challenges together. Camp is an environment of high challenge, physically, socially and emotionally which is always accompanied by a high degree of care and support. Living and learning in the outdoors stretches the comfort zone of our students and fosters in them dispositions and skills which will serve them well in the classroom, too.

Last week, our Year 8 students experienced the beauty of the outdoors as their classroom in their program at Eildon Wanggai Bush Camp.

“The Year 8 Camp was a new experience for a lot of the people and helped us understand important skills for survival and teamwork, which were demonstrated throughout various activities. The survival skills included bush walking, which required you to carry heavy objects over rough terrain. Sleeping overnight in the bush, where we had to prepare our own dinner, set up our own tent and making sure to leave no trace. Lastly, there was cycling, which was an amazing way to see bushland Eildon for what it really was. The camp also helped us build teamwork, which was displayed in the water activities. As a group, we had to build a raft, work together to balance on a log and swing across a small pond using each other and a rope. It was incredible to see everyone encouraging and supporting each other through the many obstacles we faced. Overall, the camp was a challenge, but very rewarding in the end.” – Alex G

I extend my thanks to Whitefriars College staff who journeyed with our students on Year 8 Camp last week and to Miss Sam Riddle and Mrs Helen Kelly for their organisation of the program. Without their generosity of spirit, these educational experiences would not be possible.

Mrs Catherine Spurritt

Deputy Principal – Learning & Teaching