Outdoor Education

Outdoor Education is an integral component within the College curriculum. The base for this program is the College’s own camp at Flowerdale named Silver Creek. Set on 55 acres in the foothills of Mount Disappointment State Forest, 70 kilometres north of Melbourne, a well appointed residential facility is provided for students and staff.

Students from Years 3 to 11 participate in a range of activities such as: 

• Moutain Bike Riding & Cycle touring 
• Absailing & rock climbing 
• Aquatic activities such as canoeing / river sledding / rafting / surfing 
• Low / High ropes courses 
• Orienteering & Bushwalking 
• Horse Riding

An extensive and challenging sequential program develops according to the age and abilities and past experiences of the students. With each year level comes not only more challenging experiences, but also more time away from home and distance away from Silver Creek.

Through the context of their camp, junior classes learn about themselves, their peers, the wider community and the natural environment via the outdoor setting.

Secondary classes then build upon these experiences by venturing further a field, travelling throughout Victoria, Australia and Overseas with increased lengths of time extended beyond 9 days.

Outdoor Education programs involve a process of evaluation and debriefing whether through group discussion or the use of Journals for reflection during and at the conclusion of an Outdoor Education program.

This year a group of senior boys participated in a College first, an 18 day expedition for Year 11 boys to Borneo, Malaysia. This expedition had been carefully planned and designed with World Challenge to meet the learning needs of our boys and to challenge them, both physically and mentally. Kurt Hahn, a key figure in the development of experiential education, claimed that outdoor expeditions can greatly contribute towards building strength of character. Joseph Conrad in Lord Jim tells us that it is necessary for a youth to experience events which 'reveal the inner worth of the man; the edge of his temper; the fibre of his stuff; the quality of his resistance; the secret truth of his pretences, not only to himself but others.’ (www.kurthahn.org)

Please read the following account to gain an insight into this most wonderful experience.

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Below are some photos from the 2008 Year 8 camp, please see the College Photo Album for more current photos.