Camps
The Helena College camps programme provides an extensive range of experiences – from visits and sleepovers for Junior Primary classes through to major expeditions and adventure challenge camps at the Senior School.
Camps are often among the strongest and fondest memories of past students.
Please see the College calendars for the dates of each camp.
The annual camps programme typically includes:
| Junior School | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-primary | Overnight sleepover 5pm – 9am in ELC on a Friday evening | To develop the students’ social and emotional development (ie to build self-confidence and the ability to spend a night away from family) |
Activities: During the evening the children make fruit kebabs, their own pizzas, make place mats, play party games, admire the pretty city lights, experience a torch walk to the oval and watch a movie cuddled up in their sleeping bags before they go to sleep. In the morning they get dressed, eat breakfast, pack up, complete a reflection of the evening and have another play before being collected by parents.
|
| Year 1 | Overnight sleepover at the JS | To develop socialisation and independence; Curriculum based excursion to Scitech | Activities: ‘camping’ sleepover at school in tents outside the Year 1 classroom, with a bbq dinner and cooked breakfast – followed by an excursion to Scitech the following day to tie in with Term Three Superheroes inquiry unit. |
| Year 2 | Scitech – overnight | ||
| Year 3 | Bickley Outdoor Recreation Camp at Bickley Reservoir – 2 days | To build students’ independence and resilience in a safe and structured environment whilst developing their ability to work as a team. | Activities include: Ice breaker games; team building challenges; bush survival; snake and lizard encounter; and Flying Fox. Accommodation is dormitory style and the camp is fully catered. |
| Year 4 | Woodman Point, Cockburn – 3 days | To provide experiences and activities to challenge students, camping for a longer duration (two nights), fostering independence and resilience. The aim is to have fun while consolidating class cooperation and friendships. |
Activities: Reptile Park tour, Flying Fox, archery, high ropes and climbing challenges in The Cube, team building games, historical quiz challenge of the Woodman Point camp site, movie and fun night. Accommodation is dormitory style and the camp is fully catered. |
| Year 5 | Kingston Barracks, Rottnest Island – 4 days | To visit Rottnest Island, studying its unique environment and to further build on collaborative work in small groups and as a whole class. | Activities: Aqua Fun Park, bike ride around the island, star gazing, quokka study, team building games, fishing, sand sculptures, quiz night. Accommodation is dormitory style and the camp is fully catered. |
| Year 6 | Ern Halliday Camp, Hillarys – 4 days | ||
| Senior School | |||
| Year 7 | Orientation camp, Woodman Point – 3 days | Orientation camp establishing new friendships, meeting teachers and preparing for a smooth transition to high school. | Activities: picnic tea with parents, archery, flying fox, IB session, search and rescue, sand sculptures, quiz night, rock climbing, tenpin bowling and ice skating. Accommodation is dormitory style and the camp is fully catered. |
| Year 8 | Camp Quaranup, Albany – 5 days | IB MYP academic focus | Activities: reef study, team building, sailing lessons, fishing and Whaleworld visit. Accommodation is dormitory style and the camp is fully catered. |
| Year 9 | Nanga Bush Camp, Dwellingup – 4 days | To engage in a series of personal and group challenges. | Activities: canoeing, study skills, abseiling, climbing, circle songs, team building activities, juggling and the Nanga Challenge. Accommodation is dormitory style and the camp is fully catered. |
| Year 9 | Bibbulmun Track, Duke of Edinburgh training treks – 3 days | To prepare students for the Year 10 expeditions. | Activities: hiking approximately 10 kilometres per day, over relatively easy terrain, carrying equipment in a backpack, sleeping in tents and self catering, cooking on fuel stoves. |
| Year 10 | Duke of Edinburgh expeditions – 5 days | These treks fullfil the Adventurous Journey requirements for the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award by extending personal boundaries through a demanding land-based expedition. | Activities: hiking, carrying equipment in a backpack, sleeping in tents and self catering, cooking on fuel stoves. There are two options: |
| Murchison Gorge expedition, Kalbarri | The Murchison Gorge expedition at Kalbarri is a 35km hike, some of which is easy walking along river flats and rocky ledges. However, there are also many places where the terrain is quite rough. The landscape is spectacular and students have the opportunity to swim at various sites. | ||
| Cape to Cape expedition, Margaret River | The Cape to Cape expedition near Margaret River involves walking a section of the famous Cape to Cape walk which runs between Cape Leeuwin and Cape Naturalist in the Yallingup region. The walk of about 55-60km crosses some of the beautiful beaches of the South West and takes in spectacular coastal and forest scenery between Augusta and Margaret River. | ||
| Year 11 | Adventure camp, Margaret River – 5 days | Transition to adulthood, developing awareness of responsibilities and rights, utilizing a challenging adventure programme. | Activities: raft building, day walk, creating song lines, abseiling, climbing, circle songs, caving, team building activities, relaxation exercise, creating mandalas, environmental interpretation and a quiz night. Students sleep in tents and the camp is fully catered. |
| Year 12 | Retreat camp at Kingstown Barracks, Rottnest Island – 3 days | Rottnest Retreat is the conclusion of the Pre-primary to Year 12 camps programme. Focus is on relaxation and regenerating after exams and before final assessments / WACE exams. | Activities: island bike rides, snorkelling, circle songs, swimming, beach games, relaxation strategies, surfing, board games, art, scenic flights, mini golf and gun tunnel tour. Accommodation is dormitory style and the camp is fully catered. |
| Ski trip | Falls Creek, Victoria – 7 days | The ski trip, held annually in the July holidays, enables the students to experience the wonders of the Snowy Mountains and winter sports. | Activities: skiing, snowboarding, tubing, pool competition, shopping, AFL football match. Accommodation is in hostels and lodges and is fully catered. |
| World Challenge | Expedition and community service project in Nepal – 29 days | The aim of the World Challenge programme is to teach life skills and expand minds outside the classroom. Participating students and teachers benefit from expeditions to over fifty destinations across the world, which guarantee an amazing adventure! | The selected students are required to fund raise $6,800 towards their own costs and also contribute to their planned community service project.The students will spend 29 days on the Challenge in January 2014.On arrival in Kathmandu students will spend a few days preparing for the trek and community service project. They then depart on a spectacular Annapurna Circuit trek through the Himalayas. On their return to Kathmandu the students will spend 7-10 days working on their community project in a Nepalese village school. Their trip will conclude with a few days rest and recreation, including white water rafting and other activities.To find out more about Helena College’s participation in the World Challenge please go to the website OR contact Deputy Principal-Curriculum, Bob Simpson. |
In addition there are camps associated with various subjects, such as the trip to Canberra for students of Politics and Law, Year 11 and Year 12 Outdoor Education major expeditions, overseas language and culture trips, an annual ski trip, and a bi-annual music camp.
For further information on the Junior School camps programme contact the Head of Junior School.
For further information on the Senior School camps programme contact the Camps Coordinator.