The little kids at Yass Public School had the whole school to themselves as years 3, 4, 5, and 6 had a great time at camp.
Year 3-4 students went to a sport and recreation camp at Borambola near Wagga, while the year 5-6 students went to Jindabyne to another sport and rec camp. Both went at the same time, over Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and there were about 90 children at each camp.
Principal Michelle Fahey said that this was the first time in three years Yass Public School has been able to take the children on a camp.
“For a lot of the kids it was a first time away from home, first time ever to experience a camping program.”
Years 5-6 did several fun activities, including survival skills and riding gliders (low bikes). They also took part in orienteering and games.
Years 3-4 enjoyed a mud run and kayaking and did initiatives, which is teamwork where you have to solve a problem together. They also did some indigenous games and bush walks.
“It was really good fun. Years 5 and 6 really enjoyed the survival skills section where they had to build shelter and start a fire to cook some damper. 3 and 4 definitely loved the kayaking and the mud run the best,” said Mrs Fahey.
“I think the camp experience gives students some independent living skills, seeing how they can cope without mum and dad. It’s also a bit of resilience training, and living and being social with other kids. It’s fun and social, and it’s a lovely way to build relationships for teachers and students being not necessarily in the classroom and just having a bit of fun with the kids,” she explained.
Yass Public School has visited these camps at Borambola and Jindabyne in the past. Mrs Fahey explained the school tries alternate years, as they have a camping program every year. One year, years 3-4 go to Borambola, then the next year go to a different camp. For years 5-6, students go to Jindabyne one year and then make up their own camp the next year, which might be to Dubbo, to the zoo or to the gaol.
“I just think it’s a great thing, we were so excited and the kids were so excited. When the Queen died and they announced the public holiday on Thursday, that was the first thing the kids said to us when they got to school on Monday— ‘we can’t go to camp!’” said Mrs Fahey.
Luckily, the school organised around the public holiday and had a great time.
“The teachers were all really good, they said ‘no, we’ve put too much planning in, let’s go!’ And we had a ball, it was so worth doing,” she said.
