Student Reflection: The Year 11 Camp Experience
Camp season at Wenona has come to an end and our girls have returned with a greater sense of unity and strength after testing their limits in the great outdoors. Rose of Year 11 has reflected on her experience of the three night adventure in Bateman’s Bay.
Rose of Year 11
I never know what to expect on camping trips, but I thoroughly enjoyed Year 11 camp for a variety of reasons.
Firstly, we brought photographs from childhood to now and scrapbooked our lives with the purpose of helping discover who we truly are rather than how we portray ourselves. This activity was the perfect introduction into the theme of the camp ‘if you stand for nothing, you fall for anything.’
The camp was designed to build and test character with a lot of physical challenges. It was these challenges that helped me gain greater insight into myself and the power of positivity. I wouldn’t consider myself to be a particularly positive person, but it was my determination to enjoy the camp that really got me through. Over two days my group had a 26 kilometre hike and much of it was ‘bush bashing’ through dizzying inclines. When there was a particularly steep incline that seemed to stretch on, I kept saying to myself, “Rose, just get to the top, I do not care if your body hurts or if you are tired, the struggle is all in your head, Get. Through. It.” I had an amazing camp leader and a group of wonderful girls beside me who encouraged each other when we were struggling and lent a hand by helping carry hiking gear. This kind of generosity and friendship within our group made us thrive. By the end of the hike, we all fell asleep on the bus back to the camp utterly exhausted but extremely proud of the triumphant effort we accomplished in 7 hours.
On the last night of camp we played a massive game of piggy-in-the middle. There was a heightened sense of community and increased closeness within the year group which made it a really memorable and fun.
I think camp was an extremely valuable experience because I came away with more confidence about who I am, how I came to be this way and why it is important to have conviction.
Read more about Year 11 camp and view the full gallery.