OUTDOOR EDUCATION
The Mazenod Outdoor Education program involves all students in Years 7 - 10. The main aims of the program are:
- To allow students to experience a wide range of outdoor activities that they might not normally do and to teach them skills associated with these activities.
- To make students aware of the safety precautions required to undertake any outdoor activity
- To build self-confidence and self-reliance amongst students
- To build a sense of community within small groups, classes and year levels
- To foster a supportive and positive attitude to other students, staff, school and themselves
- To allow ALL students a chance to attempt, succeed and receive positive feed back on the activities undertaken.
The structure of the Outdoor Education program is :
Year 7
A five-day class based camp (Sun-Thurs) in Term One. We use the Joseph Harris Scout camp in Mt Martha where students undertake a range of introductory activities which introduce them to the basic skills of outdoor education and enable them to get to know each other and their class teacher.
Activities include compass course, orienteering, bushwalking, ferry trip to Queenscliff and marine biology.
Year 8
The students do 4 activities throughout the year.
Term 1: Snorkelling at Portsea pier and Indoor Rock Climbing at Nunawading.
Term 4: Horse riding at Cape Schanck and Bushwalking at Greens Bush, Cape Schanck.
These activities look to build on the skills learnt in Year 7 as well as in the case of rock climbing, giving them some further skills ready for Year 9.
Year 9
Year 9 is a particular target for Outdoor Education when many students find the rigorous of school life and maturation difficult. We particularly try to develop responsibility and self-discipline. Students have three Outdoor Education experiences.
Term 1: A two day, one night camp at Phillip Island where they do two surfing sessions, see the penguins and have some pastoral activities
Term 3: City Experience. Students move around the city in small groups, each responsible for their own movement patterns, doing a range of structured activities.
Term 4: A five day activity-based camp in the Grampians National Park. Students will be involved in activities like rock climbing and overnight hiking
Year 10
Students do two activity days. As the students are now older and we want to get the most out of our activities, each day will begin earlier than normal school time and finish later.
Term 1: Mountain bike & Surf kayaking at Phillip Island
Term 3: Cross country skiing - Lake Mountain