The Year 7 cohort recently enjoyed their Transition into Aquinas Camp at Woodman Point. It was slightly different this year due to Covid restrictions and students were bused to and from camp each day - and what action-packed days they were! Bike riding, water sports, beach activities, high ropes and navigation challenges kept the Year 7's extremely busy. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet new friends, enjoy some down time from a busy start to the academic year and refresh their minds before tackling the second part of Term 1. For our Year 10 mentors, they were able to experience what it was like on the other side of the fence in the role of a responsible adult supporting our new students. They did an incredible job too! Read below some comments from both students in Year 7 and Year 10.

Reflections from the Year 7 Students

My favourite part of the Year 7 camp was vertical climbing because I made it to the top. I also liked team building and getting to know my new friends. It was funny when my Year 10 mentor was trying to go to sleep on our raft while we were in the water.
Jonty Peterson Year 7 Glowrey

Year 7 camp was great because I got to meet many new people who I hadn’t met before who I am now friends with. You also got so many opportunities to face fears like going on the zip line if you were afraid of heights or doing surf lifesaving if you’re not confident in the water.
Eli Hickman Year 7 Glowrey

My favourite activities on camp were, rock climbing, beach activities and last but not least, ZIP LINING! I like zip lining the most because it was really fun and fast but also produced a lot of adrenaline which was challenging at first but once I jumped it was great.
Tyson Monie Year 7 Edmund

My favourite part about camp getting to know all my friends better and the zip lining upside down.
Finn Gunton Year 7 Treacy

Reflections from the Year 10 Mentors

Year 7 camp was a great leadership opportunity and hopefully the Year 7’s learned lots from me because I certainly learnt a lot about them. I was given independence and treated like an adult by the staff and instructors which was an effective way for me to stand up and set a good example for the Year 7’s. The team building exercises on the beach also helped me understand the skills of communication and collaboration, but also taught me to be enthusiastic and competitive to make sure everyone is having an amazing time. I enjoyed the zip-line, watching the Year 7’s get out of their comfort zone and facing their fears by showing determination and resilience. Overall, I enjoyed being a mentor on this camp because it gave me an important leadership experience and help younger kids get out of their comfort zone whilst learning life-long skills with their friends.
Cooper Allen Year 10 Cullity

I really enjoyed the opportunity to take on some responsibility and supervise the Year 7’s on camp. One of the highlights for me was being able to give a Year 7 a chance to learn how to ride a bike. It was an awesome feeling once he got it! I really enjoyed the water activities such as kayaking. The boys and I had a lot of fun, and it was great to see boys support a student who struggles with his vision, bonding with each other and creating strong friendships.
Ben Flesher Year 10 Cullity