We are very excited to share that our first ever Year 7 Aquatics Camp took place this week! As part of our transition to high school program, this camp is an amazing opportunity for students to get to know each other, work together, demonstrate their persistence and bravery and have a lot of fun and adventure!
One thing we can say about this camp is that no time is wasted! Leaving for Port Augusta Monday morning, there was time for a quick bite of morning tea before getting changed and heading out for the first aquatics session – half the group went canoeing while the others tried their hand at wind surfing. The groups swapped over so everyone had a turn at both activities.
Following warm showers and little downtime the Year 7s set up their beds, broke out the cards and board games then went for a walk to the shops. A selection of snacks for the movie night came back with them!
Tuesday was an action packed day which (to the delight of staff) left everyone a little worn out and ready for a much earlier night! Sailing, surf skis, kayaking and snorkelling were all on the agenda. The slightly windy conditions were great for sailing but a challenge for the paddlers at first. This was a time where a number of students wanted to give up. With the encouragement of their peers, teachers and instructors, they stuck with it and did themselves proud.
A highlight of the camp is always the final expedition – this time we took surf skis and catamarans down to the beach where the group were met with morning tea at the park followed by games on the beach. Everyone was happy to get into warm, dry clothes after the expedition and after a quick clean up we were ready to load the trailer, thank the instructors and hop on the bus to head home.
As always, we are very grateful to Simon, Megan, Steve and new instructor Mick from the Port Augusta Aquatics and Outdoor Centre – their experience and encouragement when working with students is amazing and adds so much to the experience.
Thank you to Josh Palmer and Max Rutjens for joining us on the camp – they both spent lots of time on the water helping and encouraging students, trying some new activities and (mostly) staying dry! Not only did these guys do the important stuff like packing the trailer, setting up the projector, cooking a couple of BBQs and ensuring there was always a card game to join, they also offered to drive the ute up and back – even though that meant missing out on a bus ride!
Mrs. Deb Davis is a well-known fan of the aquatics camp and her cooking is legendary with the instructors up there! We were lucky enough to have Deb join us again this year… along with her delicious sausage rolls, apple crumble, Weet-Bix slice and chocolate cake. Deb’s energy, experience and interactions with our students brought so much positivity to the camp and we thank her for coming along.
Thank you also to Mr. Barry Martin for driving the bus up on Monday and coming back on Wednesday to pick us up.
The shared experiences over past three days are ones that we know will be memories these students talk about throughout their time at GHS and beyond. Thank you to all of their families who supported the camp with donations of baked goods, fruit, eggs and other snacks. We hope you are hearing lots of stories and from their adventures!
Kate Seidel - Middle School Coordinator