Year 12 Study Camp
The Year 12 Study Camp in Inverloch during the recent mid-year break, was underpinned by Prof Martin Seligman’s research on Positive Psychology and his PERMA model for wellbeing:
Positive emotion
Engagement
Relationships
Meaning and purpose
Achievement and accomplishment
The Camp included many crazy activities and fun opportunities to experience positive emotion, such as the Amazing Race and Master Chef. These activities were some of the highlights, as they provided a balanced contrast to academic study. It was wonderful to share these experiences with like-minded students.
We were engaged by the opportunity to complete a large amount of our holiday work in a positive and productive environment, and with the academic support from a number of enthusiastic senior teachers. We were introduced to juggling as a new challenge to promote a growth mindset. Students and staff embraced this challenge with varying degrees of success, but all were reminded how capable we are of learning new skills. Some study sessions also commenced with brief mindfulness exercises to help us focus and increase our productivity.
Throughout the Camp we challenged and supported each other; we learnt about one another and we learnt from one another. Working together in this environment was a powerful way of strengthening existing friendships and establishing positive relationships with peers and teachers.
The most engaging and meaningful experience for some, was going to Inverloch Primary School. We were all assigned to different classes to play with the kids and help them with their learning. We stayed throughout lunchtime and reminisced about our primary school days. We were also fortunate enough to have Joseph, a passionate local farmer and small business owner, share with us his journey upon leaving his high school. He reassured us that there are endless opportunities beyond Year 12. At the end of the Camp we visited his farm, where we had a chance to see first-hand the product of his dedication and hard work.
Many students who attended the Camp accomplished impressive amounts of study and revision, which otherwise would have taken forever to complete at home. Other students felt a sense of achievement through learning the new skill of juggling, or the one-on-one and small study group sessions with teachers. Some of us came back having mastered back titrations in Chemistry, while others grasped the concepts of our English book King Henry IV. Study Camp was worth every moment, and each and every one of us recommend it for all students. Anyone with a willingness to learn and better themselves, even half way through Year 12, can benefit from this experience.
Written by: Taylah Cooper, Ashleigh May and Mia Haravitsidis
,,
