Camps and Tours are important learning
opportunities and experiences for students at Xavier. Whole cohorts of
students from Year Four through to Year Eleven participate in one to
three day camps at venues all over Queensland. In the senior school,
subject-based camps and tours are also popular. For example, Marine Science students partipate in a house-boat trip, Drama and Visual Art
students travel to Brisbane for exhibitions and performances, Physics
students investigate the construction of rollercoasters at Dreamworld on
the Gold Coast, and Senior French students participate in an
exchange program to France.
Every two years, staff are also given the
opportunity to participate in an Ignatian Pilgrimage to Europe where
they immerse themselves in understanding and experiencing Ignatian
Spirituality and following in the footsteps of Saint Francis Xavier and
Saint Ignatius Loyola.
YEAR 4 CAMP
It is in Year Four that students experience their
first camp. The two-day, one night camp includes an overnight stay at the
College and an excursion the following day exploring the Sandy Straits and
Fraser Island.
The purpose of this camp is for students to develop
their independence and social skills in a variety of settings. It also
has strong links to the Science curriculum as students are exposed to the many
species of plants and marine animals found in the Sandy Straits Marine Park.
YEAR 5 CAMP
Year Five camp is held at Maranatha Adventure
Campground on the Sunshine Coast.
This adventure based two night/three-day camp is
designed to allow students to face challenges, while working together and
building teams, in a safe environment. Students participate in a range of group
and individual activities that cover creative, physical and intellectual
challenges.
YEAR
6 CAMP
Our
Year Six students travel to Brisbane for their Leadership camp. As
Leaders of the Primary school they are spend time discussing and considering
the concept of leadership and discuss the importance of their role in the
College. During this time, they also visit Aussie Adventure World, Queensland
Parliament, the Spark Lab and the Queensland Museum. When sporting
fixtures allow they also have the opportunity to explore Suncorp stadium
through a guided tour of this magnificent venue before returning home to
Xavier.
This
two night/three-day camp is a wonderful experience for our students with strong
links to both the Australian Curriculum and the mission of our College.
YEAR 7 CAMP
What a great start to the year for our Year 7 students. This year we headed off to Garapine in Week 3. Garapine is an outdoor adventure camp south of Gympie situated on 180 acres of bush. The lodge and accommodation was high on top of a hill with spectacular views over the Mary Valley and most of the events involved walking trails down the hills, through the bush or on the Mary River.
The focus of the camp was ‘Getting To Know You”. Students worked in various groups. They had their main day working group, House groups, sharing meals in mixed groups and coming together for Mass. The activities included: raft building, kayaking, orienteering, bushwalking, archery and group initiative challenges. The group initiatives included shelter building, fire building and damper making plus challenges that focused attention on the group process, decision-making, communication and innovation.
One of the highlights of the Camp was the second night of minute to win it activities where students competed in House groups. Events included “Stack Attack”, “Suck it Up” “Ninja Cards” but the best was “Carrot in a can”. Throughout the event there was some great house spirit but the winner for the evening was Buthu.
YEAR 8 CAMP
Year Eight Camp is at Maroochy Waterfront on the Sunshine Coast. This camp is designed as an opportunity for students and teachers to get to know each other on a more personal level. The camp goals are for students to appreciate each other from new perspectives and see individuals in a different light that does not usually appear at school. As well as learning about themselves and what they can do, about others and what others can do, and what they can achieve as a group together.
Activities include dragon boating, kite making, stand up paddle boarding and an Amazing Race. Activities involve cooperation, teamwork, imagination, tolerance, trust and confronting fears. The food is excellent and caters for a large range of tastes. Accommodation is extremely comfortable with 2 students per cabin with air conditioning and ensuite, with separate boys and girls cabins.
YEAR 9 CAMP
Year Nine
camp is held at the beautiful Noosa North Shore Retreat. How many school
students can say that their camp accommodation consisted of two bedrooms,
ensuite cabins, with kitchen and living room facilities? At least 125
Xaverians can! With meals prepared by qualified chefs, activities
provided by Total Adventures and great friends to spend time with, there’s
everything to love about camp – except coming home on Friday.
Highlights of
the week included surfing at Noosa North Shore, indoor rock climbing at the
Noosa Recreation Centre and Minute to Win It activities on the first
night. Students participate in valuable team building exercises.
The height activities are always challenging but fun for everyone.
Students are asked to work as a team to build towers out of milk crates and see
how high they could get before collapsing, to fling themselves off the “pamper”
pole, and to swing to great heights on the giant swing. On the final night
students compete in our famous Year Nine’s Got Talent Quest which is always a
lot of fun.
Year Nine
camp is considered a stepping stone between the relative comfort of Year Eight
camp, and students are well prepared and ready to face the wilderness
experience of the Year Ten camp.
YEAR 10 CAMP
Year Ten students are required to step
outside their comfort zone and rough it at Glastonbury Creek, situated outside Gympie,
in an outdoor wilderness camp. The camp begins with students erecting their own
tent accommodation, a brief on how to use the bush camp showers and details on
washing-up duty. Once the house keeping is done, students complete a variety of
activities over the three days of camp, including mountain biking, canoeing,
rock climbing, bush navigation and raft building. While the activities are
challenging and tiring, you are left with a real satisfaction at having
mastered something you otherwise may never have even attempted. If the
activities don’t leave you a bit sore, you will no doubt be sore from laughing
as you watch other students slide through mud.
The serious side of the camp requires the students to
show high levels of responsibility and leadership; to work with other students,
college staff and instructors to make the most of each activity; to include and
encourage others and to create memories that will last for years.
YEAR 11 CAMP
The Year 11 Camp is held at Sunshine Coast Recreation Centre at Currimundi. The camp explores the theme of Leadership with students undertaking a rotation of activities that are designed to develop communication, team building skills, promote safe and responsible behaviour, challenge their ability to work together and make good choices. Guest presenters from 'Unleashing Personal Potential', deliver a night session on Leadership is Influence and this is followed by group challenges the following day. Liturgies and night activities affirm the value of the students and encourage them to step up as Seniors.
YEAR 12 RETREAT
The ‘Manresa’ Retreat is a 3 day 2 night experience for the whole cohort to enhance their understanding of their role within the College community and beyond. Ignatius gained most of his spiritual insights in the small village of Manresa in northern Spain where he lived for a time after his conversion. To make a Manresa, means to go on retreat. This experience draws the students towards the goal that all are asked to be the best they can be for the college, becoming aware of what gives us strength, through taking time to be with one self and with the group. It will tap into the spirituality of the individual and the group as a whole. The experience will allow all to see this as part of their ongoing life, a journey in which we are walking with each other and with God. “Experience, reflect, act…. in the service of our Lord seeking the Magis.”