An intrepid group of Year 5/6 students and teachers attended a three-day adventure camp at Benloch Valley in northern Victoria. A variety of activities kept us very busy for the three days including canoeing, flying fox, crate stack, frisbee golf, maze hunt and picnic at Hanging Rock. We celebrated Nicholas’ birthday and enjoyed roasting marshmallows around an open fire and listening to our school sports chants, followed by a night walk to look for animals. The camp offered the opportunity for students to experience an array of challenging and risk- taking activities. We had a wonderful time and learned a lot about ourselves and others- some of our teachers proved to be the most competitive in reaching a goal!

Though the activities were lots of fun, highlights included celebrating personal milestones and watching the students work cooperatively and challenge themselves and others, fostering both self-esteem and teamwork. Many students applied the principles of having a growth mindset and had a go at activities they had said they were reluctant to try before the camp, like the crate stack or canoeing. Ms Patto achieved the camp record in crate stack of 10, closely followed by Jack G  with 9!

The students should be very proud of their attitudes and behaviour and come away from the camp feeling a real sense of achievement. Thank you to all the students and staff in attendance who made the camp the fantastic experience it was.

Debra Bruenjes

Year 5/6 Teacher