Mr Peter Stevenson - Dean of Biblical Studies
In a year of so much change and disruption, it was fantastic that Year 6 were able to get away on a camp. I think every student was relieved and excited as the bus pulled away from school, to be able to spend a few days with their friend's and participate in fishing, sailing, canoeing, paddleboarding, climbing, abseiling and more. For our students, being able to get away from it all and not having to think about ‘2020', was a welcomed relief.
Whilst talking with one of our students, Surjin, at breakfast, she said ‘We build so many memories on camps, memories we will have forever'. This summed up a lot of the sentiment of camp.
While we as educators like to fill every moment of the day with learning opportunities, on camp they can learn some skills they don’t usually experience. These may include being a risk-taker and pushing themselves in rock climbing, balancing on a standup paddleboard and learning how to spot and anticipate the shifting patterns of the wind while sailing.
Students were encouraged to think about their character, and what type of a person they are becoming. It was encouraging to see students being patient, kind and helping each other.
Camps are such a vital aspect of school. Memories are formed, jokes are enjoyed, friendships are established, and boundaries are stretched. Henry Ford once said, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” So when a student says ‘I don’t like heights’ and attempt rock climbing making it to the top, then they have pushed themselves and grown. Camps provide such wonderful opportunities.
Our fantastic Crusader Leaders helped our students think about what Jesus has done for them, by looking at the person of Saul and his transformation and name change to be Paul. The students learnt about how Saul didn’t like Jesus or his followers and would go out of his way to persecute them. However, one day Saul met Jesus and his life was forever changed. The hatred that Saul had for Jesus was forgiven and Saul, who later became Paul, started to follow Jesus.
In a year where our Year 6 students have missed so much, being able to get away and have some time together and some ‘good old fashioned fun’ was just spectacular!
