Last week, approximately fifty of our Year 13 students spent two days at Bridge Valley for Leadership Camp.

The annual camp had two aims. First, to create a bond between the Year 13 cohort, and to also help the students develop their leadership skills so they can contribute to their school to leave a legacy of their last year at college.

The students did a variety of activities over the two-day camp including raft building, team building challenges, exploring what their leadership personalities were, and planning ways they could use their leadership skills around the school.

Alice Scott, one of the teachers in charge of putting the camp together, said she saw a lot of growth from the students throughout the camp.

“Everyone was willing to give everything a go,” she said. “There were lots of personal achievements for individuals new to Nayland and for those that stepped far outside their comfort zone to participate.”

Two Year 13 students who participated in the camp, Ella O’Donohue and Usha Markovic-Bowler, all agreed that the camp brought out strengths in individuals that may have previously gone unrealised.

“Anyone can do it (be a leader,)” Ella said. “There are heaps of different types. Even if you don’t have a title as a leader, you’re still a leader to the year nines.”

“Different people played to their strengths,” Usha agreed.

The girls also thought that the camp succeeded in its purpose of bringing their year group closer together.

“At night, we all talked and sat with groups we wouldn’t normally sit with,” Ella said.

Usha felt having the students all experience being out of their comfort zone together, made for a supportive environment. “I had to do things and not care about what anybody thought about how I was doing them,” Usha said. “Because everyone was together, and everyone was doing it.”

Both girls agreed that the highlight of the night was the infamous Joker’s Wild. This is a Nayland tradition, that involves the students working in groups to put on semi-rehearsed plays for their peer group.

“They were so funny,” Usha said. “You really saw everyone’s personality come out. Everyone was really positive as well. Everyone was really supportive of each other.”

“And everyone was involved,” added Ella. “Even if they were doing the music or being trees or something like that.”

The girls had only one complaint about the camp.

“It should’ve been longer!” Usha said.