In weeks 5 and 6 of Term 3, students in Years 8 and 9 who were in good standing had the opportunity to attend a camp in Albany with the focus being on team building and personal development. On the Wednesday of each week, 57 excited year 8 students and 44 relaxed Yr 9 students left Katanning SHS for not so sunny Albany. Arriving at Camp Quaranup, students were quickly into action with a range of activities on offer for everyone. Students were split into 6 teams, with the battle for camp supremacy well and truly alive. Some of the activities that students were involved in over the three days included:
Team building games: A series of physical and mental challenges in which students had to work in teams to gain points
Low ropes course: Another team activity for students to test their balance, skill and teamwork in a challenging environment
Canoeing/Rafting: The Yr 9 students lucked out with the weather and were able to hit the water for some fun
Fishing: Bayley Shehan, Ashley Kleeman, Mrs Paini and Mr Iqbal were the only ones to catch something on the Yr 8 camp. Mr Gaudin’s expertise helped many more students catch fish on the Yr 9 camp.
Art: Students in Yr 8 had to work in teams to build paper pyramids – Yr 9’s got to design paper costumes. James Dark and Seb Crossley took their role as fashion models very seriously (see attached pictures).
Cooking: With the assistance of Miss Elson and Mrs Paini, students were able to whip up some pikelets and cookies which were enjoyed by all
Sport: Whether it was a tabloid sport activity or just a game of indoor cricket, students were kept busy with a range of sports at their disposal in their free time.
Lantern Stalk: Miss Elson had all the kids excited with the night time activities – the lantern stalk was a particular favourite for all camp-goers
Quiz: In teams, students pitted their general and music knowledge against others teams – Mrs Paini’s cassette player trivia was a favourite round
Bushwalk: Students got to see the beautiful scenery of Camp Quaranup and Albany by going for a walk around the point at the camp
These activities were a great way for students to get a feel for their surroundings as well as building a rapport with their team members and fellow peers. All students were fantastically behaved, with all students being great representatives of Katanning Senior High School. At the conclusion of each camp, 10 certificates were presented to students who had made a special contribution in their time at camp.
Both camps were a huge success and the students who attended had the opportunity to be rewarded for maintaining their good standing throughout the year. The camps would not have been successful without the dedication of Lower School Coordinator, Mr Iain McPherson who put a lot of time and effort into ensuring that these camps went ahead and to all the staff who attended the camps.
Mr Scott Galipo—Upper School Coordinator