From the Head of Middle School

The Year 7 Outdoor Education Programme is in full swing at the moment. Pairs of Year 7 classes are on their 4 day retreat to Moray, the College's Outdoor Education bush campus on the Murray River near Dwellingup. The Year 7's will work their way through a number of activities that includes conquering the climbing wall and abseiling back down and belaying each other on the low and some high ropes activities. On the water, boys will be building rafts with the challenge of getting their team across the river and at night they will be sleeping out in the bush under self-constructed hutchies.

The Year 7 programme follows the open water activity of surfing and camping at Lancelin in Year 6, and is in turn followed in Year 8 with another week at Moray that incudes orienteering, canoeing and extended camping out plus. The Year 7 programme also includes two days of sailing lessons in Spring term, whilst the Year 8 programme also includes a snorkeling programme in Spring term as well. The big goals of our Outdoor Education programme are to have boys enjoying being outdoors, appreciating the bush or open water environments, recognising and managing the risk that comes with outdoor activity and developing friendships and building relationships through collaborative activity.

Moray and the Outdoor Education Programme has proven time and time again to be watershed moments for boys as they achieve things previously felt out of reach or beyond their ability. The Year 7's will return from Moray a bit disheveled and tired but the leap in maturity and self confidence in just 4 days is almost as obvious as the red dirt on their shoes and in their hair.

Mr Richard Ledger
Head of Middle School