Junior School Report – March 1, 2018

Year 7 Camps

With nine Year 7 classes enrolled in 2018, a revamped camp program kicked off in the middle of week two. 7ABC were the first classes to head off to Log Cabin Camp, Creswick, on Wednesday, February 7^th, participating in the first of three camps over two weeks. The camps are designed to help the boys get to know each other and their teachers, as well as introduce the traditions of the College.

The facilities at Log Cabin Camp provided ample opportunities for the boys to push themselves out of their comfort zone and take on challenges that they may not otherwise undertake. Activities included the giant swing, a new twin zip line, archery, trampolines, obstacle course, milk crate stacking, initiative course, canoeing and raft building. The Leap of Faith proved a popular activity for the boys and really got hearts racing.

Mrs Ryan and members of the Student Congress visited the camps and provided the opportunity for the boys to be introduced to the College Song and War Cry. While the words of the War Cry may still be a bit of a mystery to some of the boys, the enthusiasm they displayed in chanting the War Cry certainly showed they are well on their way to becoming true Paddy Boys.

A highlight of the camps was the involvement of Year 12 students from 2017. It is a credit to these young men that they give up their free time to give back to the St Patrick’s community and assist the next group of Year Sevens as they begin their journey through the College. Wisdom and advice abounded throughout the camps, with one constant message being prevalent; St Pat’s is a place of great opportunity, so take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. We would like to thank Mitch Tuddenham, Richie Dell, Jack Bannister, Josh Duggan, Sam Cashin and Tiernan Somers for their generous involvement in the camps.

A big thank you to the dedicated staff who accompanied the classes to our camps; Pastoral Tutors: Mr Tom Ferguson, Mr Jarrod Ryan, Ms Jacinta Reidy, Mrs Robyn Cocomazzo, Mrs Kerryn Parkinson, Mrs Jenny Willis, Mrs Margaret Dodd, Ms Shannon Thompson and Mr Brett Earl. Teaching Assistants: Mrs Julie Johns, Mrs Jacqui Twaits and Mrs Glenys Jarvis. It was great for one of our counsellors, Mr Jay Ketrak to generously attend two camps in order to get to know the boys. It was also a pleasure to have the assistance of Mr Joe Baxter, an old boy of the College, for each of the camps. His enthusiasm and knowledge of the traditions of our College made for an invaluable contribution to our camp program. We would like to acknowledge the wonderful support of our hosts, Grant and Christine Laidlaw and their staff, whose amazing hospitality and support allowed the boys to have such an enjoyable time.

–

Mr Gerry Willis and Mrs Jacinta Burge

Year 7 Co-ordinators