Camp Toolangi
Recently, our Year 3 and Year 4 students set off on an exciting adventure to Camp Toolangi, a beautiful outdoor setting designed to inspire, challenge, and educate through nature. The camp’s mission aligns closely with our own at The Knox School (TKS): to nurture curious, resilient learners who embrace teamwork, problem-solving, and a spirit of discovery.
Camps like this offer students opportunities to push beyond their comfort zones in a safe, supported environment. Whether through physical challenges, teamwork exercises, or creative problem-solving, every activity helped build confidence and strengthen the values we live by at TKS.
Year 3 Adventures
From 11 to 13 August, our Year 3 students immersed themselves in group initiatives designed to spark collaboration and outside-the-box thinking. Some tasks tested their senses, others their confidence, and many required both.
Highlights included:
- Raft Building – Students learned knot-tying skills, then worked together with barrels, planks, and rope to build a vessel capable of floating. This challenge built cooperation, creativity, leadership, and teamwork.
- Pipe Marble Maze – A STEM favourite, where groups designed a maze as long as a volleyball court to guide a marble to its destination. Success demanded communication, problem-solving, and innovation.
- Flying Fox – A thrilling 140m solo zipline ride that tested resilience and perseverance as students bravely stepped off the platform and soared at speed before a soft bungee stop.
Evenings were filled with fun through trivia and movie nights, while the dining hall was another highlight – with plenty of seconds eagerly enjoyed!
Year 4 Adventures
From 13 to 15 August, Year 4 students embraced three days of outdoor exploration and teamwork, beginning with bushwalking through the Toolangi State Forest. Equipped with maps, groups navigated the trail while learning about local flora and fauna, building communication and perseverance.
Other highlights included:
- Climbing Tower – The 13m wall challenged students’ resilience and determination. Each climber was supported by peers working together on belaying and encouragement, turning the climb into a whole-team achievement.
- Billy Cart Building – Groups were tasked with constructing their own billy carts, testing problem-solving and teamwork before racing their creations in spirited competition.
- Canoeing and Orienteering – Hands-on activities that built resilience, independence, and a love of adventure.
- Damper Making – Around the campfire, students learned fire safety and patience as they prepared and cooked their own camp treat – a simple yet rewarding experience.
Similarly, the Year 4 students were quick to declare the meals “awesome” and left with both full stomachs and full hearts.
A Shared Experience
Across both year levels, students gained more than just happy memories. They developed resilience, problem-solving skills, and an appreciation for the natural world. The camp’s philosophy of inspiring, challenging, and educating in nature echoed our own mission at TKS: to equip students with the skills, empathy, and confidence to thrive in life.
It was an action-packed week with cold, crisp mornings without a drop of rain, plenty of laughter, and memories that will stay with our students for years to come.
