Recent events

School Camp at Donnelly River

During the last week of Term 3, we came together for our whole school camp at Donnelly River Village. This was a time to build new friendships and connect with each other and the environment around us.

Day One

Our camp began with an Acknowledgement of Country of the Bibbulmun Land we met on. This was written by our Deputy, Taylah in conjunction with Bibbulmun elder, Sandra Hill. We joined together for collaborative games and went on a bushwalk to see the King Karri tree. We shared our first meal together lovingly prepared by our parents. We met the native wildlife, who are very friendly, and spent the evening chatting around fireplaces.

Day Two

Our day two focus was on classes extending their learning beyond the classroom. We started the day with class activities.

Bindi-bindi Mia created nature collages with natural elements collected in the area.

Moorditj Yonga Mia went on a nature hunt and then examined some of their findings using our new I-scope stands.

Yokine Mia investigated the history of the area and explored the museum.

Finally, Kaarla Mia visited the old timber mill, explored the history and the foraged for materials to build birds nests.

The afternoon was relaxed. Staff and parents ran well-being activities including art and yoga. This was followed by a crafternoon allowing students to create mementos they could take home with them.

We finished the day with a Mexican feast, marshmallows by the campfire and of course our talent night. What a beautiful way to celebrate and support each other!

Day Three

Our third and final day at camp was all about working together. Students came together in mixed buddy groups to complete a Wild Quest. Children were inspired by a tale of an emu, kangaroo and ringneck parrot who worked together to survive a bushfire.

Students took part in a range of activities focused on building collaboration, communication and teamwork to achieve a shared goal. Students participated in archery, cubby building, flag design, foraging and much more. These activities provided opportunities for collaboration, resilience, leadership and guidance, role modelling and turn-taking.

“At first I really didn’t want to work in my group, I wanted to be with my friends, but then we started to do activities and work together and it ended up being really fun.”

Year 3 Student

“I couldn’t hold the bow and shoot the arrow, so one of my buddies helped me and I ended up scoring 10!”

Year 1 Student

After a delicious lunch students and families took part in optional activities – felting, a bike ride and exploring music in nature. We finished our final day with a shared meal of curries followed by watching a movie by the fire. Our camp was a huge success! We would like to thank our staff and families for all their support in creating an experience that will be remembered fondly for years to come.

A huge thank you to the local businesses that donated goods, as a small school our camp would not be possible without their support: