2010 ANNUAL REPORT - St Leonard's College

Outdoor Education & Camp Ibis
Outdoor Education
The Outdoor Education program
uses outdoor and environmentbased
activities to facilitate the
students development of personal
and interpersonal skills. Students
from years 5 – 8 attend the College’s
Outdoor Education facility at Camp
Ibis on the Banksia Peninsula while
students from years 9 – 12 are
offered a range of core and optional
experiences.
During 2010 the Outdoor Education
program was designed to provide
opportunities for students to
enjoy the outdoors, undergo new
experiences and learn new skills.
Many students find the year 9 and
10 mobile camping experiences
to be a memorable challenge and
experience. During 2010, year 9
students undertook a five-day hike
on a section of the Great Ocean Walk,
in the Otways National Park. The year
10 students hiked and camped in the
beautiful mountains of the Alpine
National Park.
The camps took students out of their
comfort zone and extended them
in many ways. They were required
to be self-sufficient and used many
life skills ranging from problem
solving and navigating to cooking and
camping. The program is designed
to foster skills such as teamwork,
goal setting, patience, initiative and
independence. Many students who
completed the camps also formed
new bonds with their peers and
teachers.
During the year a range of
supplementary trips and
experiences were available for
students from year 7 onwards,
as listed here.
A group of students from years 10
– 12 participated in a rockclimbing
camp at Mt Arapiles over Easter,
while another group worked on
their surf skills and knowledge on a
camp in Angelsea. In July students
from Upper School had a very
special skiing and snowcamping
trip to Mount Stirling. With heavy
rains and snow for the season, the
rivers were full of great rapids for
the two groups who camped and
rafted their way down the Mitchell
River in September. Students of the
College’s rock climbing team also
attended indoor training sessions
and competed in the Victorian
Interschool climbing competition.
The Boardriders (surfing) Club
enjoyed various weekend training
and recreational trips. This
included surf camps at Anglesea
and participation in a range of
competitions. In April, the
St Leonard’s surf team competed
in the Southern Metropolitan Surf
Competition at Philip Island and
finished in fifth place overall.
The school kayak and canoe
team completed regular training
sessions in the pool and river
in preparation for the Victorian
schools whitewater canoe and
kayak championships. The following
students won gold medals in the
2010 Victorian Whitewater Kayaking
Championships: Ellen Burgin (year
12), Jonathon Egan (year 12), Emma
Eichhorn (year 12), Chris Martin (year
6) and Jack Slykhuis (year 8).
Senior students also participated
in the challenging but spectacular
hiking and camping trips to
Tasmania in December. A group of
year 11 students ventured into the
Walls of Jerusalem National Park,
while the year 12 group tackled the
renowned South Coast Track.
Students from years 9 – 12 can
also participate in the Duke of
Edinburgh’s Award, a voluntary
leadership-in-action program
and hikes along the Surfcoast
and Wilson’s Promontory were
conducted as part of the program.
From left to right:
The year 10 hike challenges students in a
variety of ways.
Chris Gurr, year 10, Cornish Campus during a
rockclimbing activity.