Year 12 OED Lead Year 10 Reach Students on Bushwalk
The Year 12 Outdoor Education class had the opportunity to lead a two-day bushwalk for the Year 10 Reach students. Students were required to carry their equipment in a backpack and hike 10km on Thursday and 6km on Friday. They also participated in several team-building activities, also run by the Year 12s.
It was a great opportunity for the Year 12 girls to demonstrate their leadership skills, not only through their planning, but through their implementation. It was fantastic to see the experience of the Year 12s being shared with the younger girls. They facilitated an excellent camp for the Year 10s.
The Year 10 girls were able to complete this two-day expedition as part of the ‘Journey’ component of their Bronze Medallion for the Duke of Edinburgh award.
Here’s what the students had to say.
From the Year 12s –Â Stephanie Price & Paige Tiller
How did you find the challenge of leading this camp for the Year 10 students?
We found the camp a great opportunity to take on leadership roles and lead the Year 10 students on a bushwalk. The challenge of being independent and taking charge of the camp and planning the route for the class was a good experience that we can confidently say went smoothly.
What was your favourite part of the Bushwalk Expedition?
Our favourite part of the Bushwalk Expedition was the amazing views of the hills during the entire walk. It took our minds off everything, and we could just relax for the days we were on camp, showing appreciation of the nature around us. On the second day, we were fortunate to see lots of different wildlife such as emus and kangaroos, which was a highlight of the expedition.
How do you think your leadership skills changed or improved over the two days?
Our leadership skills improved as we became more familiar and confident around the Year 10 students. We took on the roles of the teachers and confidently led the group through the bush. We were able to develop our leadership skills as we don’t usually have these types of leadership opportunities in day-to-day life.Â
How do you think you can use these leadership skills in the future?
We will be able to use these skills in the future when experiencing new situations or in situations that require someone to step up and take action. Through the camp we have been able to work on developing these skills.
From the Year 10s – Sydney Lydaemore & Reeve Miseupia
What was the biggest challenge for you on this bushwalk?
Probably the hike itself, because of the weather conditions, the uphill parts were very challenging because it was slippery, and it felt like it was never-ending.
What was the best part of the Bushwalk Expedition?
The best part of the bushwalk was cooking dinner using the Trangia. I haven’t used the Trangia in a while so using it again was good. Also making food after a big bushwalk was good as we were all starving. It was good working with people I’m not so close with and getting to know them better.
How well did your group work together?
We are all a kind and caring bunch and all of us are pretty close, so we work together well and don’t have many arguments about things. We just talk through it and push each other to keep going and always make sure no one is left out.Â
How did you enjoy the camp being led by the Year 12s?
It was fun because we built a relationship with them, and it was good because they are a similar age to us, we could all get along and chat together. They also taught us how to navigate using the map and compass.
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Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.
