In Week 3, Year 8 students went on a 1 1/2 hour bus ride to Cooby Dam for our camp. This camp was focused on our College Learning Dispositions, specifically resilience and persistence. The activities had a HASS aspect and made us consider our mates, similar to what the ANZACs may have thought of. One of our main goals was to work on our teamwork as a grade, trying to include everybody, and that no-one is left behind.

Now, there is no way anybody can be a team without a mascot! So, each team was assigned a mascot that they were able to name themselves. The mascots included a lion, zebra, and tiger with the names of Emmanuel, Shezza, and Zooper Zebro. As you can tell, the disposition for ‘creativity’ had been ticked off quite early into the camp.

In groups, we had to trudge through a muddy 10k walk, build a bridge only using planks of wood with no ropes or anything else to secure it, build a catapult, attempt a rock climbing wall, archery, ninja-like obstacle courses, and even cross a bridge with no rails and a raging river underneath ... blindfolded. Luckily, we had our teammates to guide us across. Yet of course, we loved the thrill of adventure, and not one student regretted experiencing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

We came home tired and with sore muscles from all the walking up and down the hills. Who knew that Dalby was so flat? We had a great time at Camp Cooby and can’t wait for our next camp in Year 9.

Written and edited by Penelope Cartwright and Fiona Brown – Students of the Year 8 cohort.