23 March 2018
The Year 5 Camp ran from 6 to 9 March 2018 and it involved 5A, 5B, 5M and 5S along with their teachers Mr Aaron Barrie, Ms Clare Brooking, Ms Julie Marshall and Mr Jamie Schubert. Also in attendance were Ms Em Wilson, Ms Rebecca Golding and the two GAP students, Harry Morgan and Ben Meaden.
On day 1, the boys travelled by bus to Port Elliot, Victor Harbour and Middleton Beach where they played beachside games, ate a bakery lunch, got to experience the thrills of the Big Duck and had a surfing lesson. Dinner that night was a delicious lasagna followed by a restful night’s sleep in freshly set-up tents.
On day 2, the the boys experienced yet another day of adventure. They undertook the Finniss Challenge, climbed the high ropes in the gymnasium and played a variety of mentor games. Time was also spent listening to Keith, a Sea Shepherd volunteer. Sea Shepherd’s mantra is to defend, conserve and protect the oceans to save the planet. The boys learnt much from this talk and raised many thought-provoking questions. That night, the boys were visited by Dr Deane (think Curiosity Show from the 80s) who has a one-man show called Going Green with Dr Deane. The focus of the show were the four elements: air, water, fire, earth. The boys delighted in experiments that popped and water that at first disappeared and then turned to jelly! They also learnt how to make sea water suitable for consumption through the process of evaporation. Dinner that night was homemade hamburgers and apple crumble.
On day 3, the boys learnt about Aboriginal art and designed their own artwork on a wooden board. They went on a bike ride and got to experience the thrills of sailing on the Finniss River. That night, the boys enjoyed a homemade pizza, thanks to the earth dollars they had managed to save over the previous days.
On the last day of camp, all camp members gathered at the Finniss lagoon for a friendly House raft-making competition. Using only rope and inner tubes, the four Houses problem-solved the best raft design, which they then constructed. They then competed against each other in the lagoon. While the competition was fierce, it was Stokes-Ware who proved to be the strongest House on the day.
The Year 5 Camp was a memorable experience for all who attended. It could not have occurred without the planning and organisation of Mr Jamie Buxton-Stewart and Ms Lisa Sachse. Thank you Jamie and Lisa for providing us all with such an amazing four-day experience!
Clare Brooking, Junior School Teacher