On Monday 10 May to Friday 14 May, our intrepid Year 8 students set off for an exciting Exodus, guided by the theme ‘Action and Reflection’.
St Michael’s Exodus programs are aimed at developing respect and responsibility for oneself, others, and the natural world. With this focus in mind, students travelled to the Murray River to undertake a journey based in canoeing and bushwalking. Each day, the students would walk or canoe from one campsite to their next destination.
Our Year 8 Exodus focused on skill-building, group problem solving, leadership and environmental action. During the program, students extended their skills in camping and bush craft, challenged their comfort zones through cycling and bushwalking, developed an appreciation of collaborative problem solving, utilised navigation skills, and prepared all the food for their meals.
Students were encouraged to reflect on the environments they encountered, discuss and explore their differences and similarities, and reflect on how connected they felt to each location. In exploring and understanding their experiences, and practising ‘Leave No Trace’ principles, students were enabled to develop deeper connections with the natural environment.
After the fascinating week away, students participated in a range of activities once back at school, such as writing reflective Haiku poetry in their English classes.
Our Year 8 cohort can now look forward to the next step in our Outdoor Education sequence, our Year 9 Exodus, themed ‘Real Responsibility’.
