A Year 5 Rite of Passage

Moray Camp

Year 5 is the final year of the Junior School at Scotch. To help mark the importance of this final stage, the boys experience their first camp at Moray, Scotch's Outdoor Education Centre in Dwellingup.

The camp is a wonderful way for students to spend time together as a Year 5 group, getting to know each other and their teachers in a completely different setting. For some boys, this event is their first time staying away from parents, or it may even be their first experience of sleeping in a tent! Whether an experienced camper or not, each boy gains several important skills ranging from building independence to challenging their physical fitness, to fostering and strengthening friendships. As part of relationship building, the boys are grouped into three teams and work together to solve problems and play games throughout the camp. They are partly responsible for running the camp, including setting up for meals, cleaning up shared spaces and setting and packing up tents.

The experience begins with a symbolic entry, walking along the Bibbulmun Track into Moray. Not only is this a great physical activity, but it also enables a rich experience of the bush, seeing nature up close with stops along the way to appreciate the local wildlife and flora. The boys go rafting on Lane Poole Reserve and complete an Amazing Race. For the latter, they work in small groups to complete activities at different checkpoints; climbing a rock wall, carting water, crawling through mud and fitness stations, and finally, orienteering with an introduction to using compasses to find clues and solve puzzles.

Woven throughout the camp are opportunities for mindfulness, reflections on overcoming obstacles, practising gratitude, stargazing and quiet time to think in nature. One of the best parts of camp is seeing boys away from their devices, connecting face-to-face and engaging with the natural world. Boys delight in pushing through their perceived limits, whether conquering a bout of homesickness, completing push-ups, getting dirty in the mud or completing the long walk.

Finally, the camp allows the boys to just be kids! There is time to play, socialise, let out all the energy, be outside, and time for fun!

Andrew Wells and Renae Cirillo 
Year 5 Teachers