Year 5 Camp to Lord Somers

Written by Karen Friede, Head of Primary

It was great to see our Bialik Year 5 students return to school after camp so enthusiastic and positive about our camp experience.

The Lord Somers camp provided our students with a community of caring mentors and teachers who provided experiential education for the 4 days we were there. All of the outcomes; independence, overcoming challenges, staying healthy and building character, were evident. In addition, great friendships and enduring memories were established.

Our camp pushed the students out of their comfort zone and exposed them to new activities and experiences that they may not have been familiar with. They experienced surfing, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, bush tucker with Leon a First Nations educator, group games such as ‘Quidich’ (Harry Potter style!) and ‘Quest’... and that was before dinner! Then there were the night activities with our Year 10 Madrichim. I could not have been prouder of the group of children with whom I spent the week.

Moreover, the camp experience helped to foster independence. I am happy to report that nearly all students slept without any midnight alerts of being homesick! The camp provided a safe environment with caring teachers and mentors and peers that allowed our children to quickly overcome their need for parental dependency for a few nights.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the dedicated Bialik staff and the Year 10 students who were exemplary in the way that they managed the camp and activities and thank you to all our families for preparing the students so well. It was great to see our Bialik Year 5 students return to school after camp so enthusiastic and positive about our camp experience.