Newsletter 5th December

We the staff of St Patrick’s acknowledge the traditional owners, the Kulin nations, of the land on which we learn and play.

We pay respects to the Aboriginal Elders, past and present, who are our teachers.

We thank them for taking care of children and country for countless generations.

Year 6 Camp

On Tuesday the 26th of November the Year six’s went on camp and had an absolute blast. The Year six’s did a lot of activities and we are going to explain our adventure to you!

Food

The food at the Coonawarra camp was amazing. On the first day for dinner we had Bangers and mash, and for dessert we had apple crumble and custard. For breakfast the next day we had Pancakes and cereal. We had a choice on what to eat. For lunch that day we had chicken wraps, Then for dinner we had pasta bake which was really good and for dessert we had chocolate pudding. For breakfast on Thursday we had toast, baked beans and hash browns, and of course cereal. For lunch we had baked spuds and then for dinner we had a taco bowl which was very good. On the last day for breakfast we had bacon and scrambled eggs which was what everyone was wanting for breakfast and it was amazing. And of course we had morning tea and afternoon tea so therefore no one could possibly say that they were hungry.

Hut Building

For Hut building we split up in our activity groups and there was wood that we used to build with so we started placing long pieces of wood to the other piece of wood that holds it up. Once we were done building we had to check if we all fit into our huts. Then we took a break, after our break was done we had to get inside of our huts and the staff at Coonawarra threw water on us from the outside of the huts. We had to make sure we had our gaps filled in with small pieces of wood or else we would get soaked. A bunch of people got wet and some didn’t but it was really fun and group 1 won the best hut.

Damper Making

For damper making we had to find a long stick that was firm enough. Then we got damper from Coonawarra staff and rolled the damper up into a long snake then wrapped it around our sticks. Then the Coonawarra staff members made fires to let us use to make our damper. They told us to make it golden brown, and once we were done we had the choice to put strawberry and raspberry jam to eat with the damper.

Night Hike

On the first night of camp at Coonawarra Farm Resort, we went on a night hike that was 3 kilometres up and 3 kilometres down, but it was all worth the pretty landscapes. While on our way down we had a visit from a few kangaroos and wallabies, which we could all agree made it arguably more interesting. The views were amazing, including the beautiful sunset we saw on the walk, and when we were done we all agreed we would have some lasting memories. We came back late at night and we were all extremely tired, meaning we were basically all asleep within an hour.

Trivia Night

On the 2nd night at Coonawarra Farm Resort at around 8:30 pm, we sat outside on the deck and split into groups and began doing a few trivias including footy teams, Disney princesses, and many more. After a while, we went inside the rec room where it was brighter, comfier and warmer and did the last trivia, as it was too dark outside. At the end of each trivia the teachers read out the winners, which was basically which team got the most correct. You could also get bonus points for grammar and spelling. The team with the most overall points won and got lollipops. We finished trivia really late, near 10pm and we all went back to our cabins to go to bed.

Talent Show

On the last night at Coonawarra Farm Resort we went into the rec room for the talent show. We had many performances, including the teachers doing the ‘5, 6, 7, 8’ dance. Some of the performances were silly and funny, like the stand up comedy done by Nathan, Owen and Lachie, or the ‘Who Let the Dogs Out’ dance and performance done by Lucas,Owen,Mason and Riley Britt. Almost everyone stood up, went to the front of the room with the actual performers and sang ‘Want it That Way’, ‘Die With a Smile’ and ‘Single Ladies’.  There were some last minute people wanting to perform, but other than that it was a blast. People quickly did a song or dance at the end of some talents. At the end we had an amazing performance from Andre who breakdanced, and he won the talent show with a score of 20/20.

Giant Swing

For the giant swing we had to get into a harness that went around our bodies which then hooked onto the swing. Next the rest of our group then had to pull us to the top or wherever you were comfortable before you then had to pull a short string so that we could release ourselves and swing across the area. If you were to go to the top you were around about 16 meters high in the air. 

Flying Fox

Then for the flying fox we had a choice to partner up so if we wanted to we could race with the other person. All the kids got fully geared up with helmets and over the shoulders harnesses. Once everyone was fully harnessed in, including the teachers we all lined up ready to go down. The teachers went first so they could help us unclip and tell us when to stop. When we went down the flying fox took us across a big lake. Then we had to get a good landing so that we wouldn’t get hurt. After that we had to walk back up to get another turn. It was very annoying having to walk up and back.

Climbing Wall

Next we did the climbing wall and we had to do a lot of teamwork. While the person was climbing up, four other people had to get harnesses so they could get hooked up to the string so we could help the person climbing to climb faster by pulling back. If the person got to the top they had to ring a bell, then they had to smack the wall 3 times to signal the four people on the bottom so they could walk forward so that the person up the top makes an “L” with their legs and walks down safely.

High Ropes

Then for the high ropes we once again had to listen to safety precautions before  putting a helmet and harness on. After listening to all the precautions and what to do if you are stuck. Finally we were then allowed to then go on the ropes. The High Ropes had a limit of one person per section and four people on the ropes overall. We had to balance a lot and it was very hard. Everyone was cheering each other on and we all had a lot of fun.