Each Year 8 Rural experience has its own flavour and is designed to give our Year 8 ‘city dwellers’ an insight into the lives of farmers and those living rurally. I visited the Gippsland Camp Coonawarra last week and it was experiential learning at its best!
Ellinbank Smart Farm helped students understand the innovations and challenges of dairy farming, and the seasonal nature of apple farming was clear as students studied the bare trees through the sleeting rain! And, without a doubt, patting the calves and feeding them hay (from the safety of the tractor) was an absolute highlight. But it was at Caldermeade Farm where the students engaged the CEO with a range of insightful questions about product development, farm to Woolworths transportation, profit margins and issues around excess milk.
For a change of pace, the Sale Art Gallery challenged students to contrast Frank Mesaric’s Gippsland Gothics with Annemieke Mein’s textile wall sculptures. Upstairs they then went hands-on, using their learnings from the Year 7 Transformative Repair Art project, to create sculptures of their own. The afternoon was spent at Sale Botanical Gardens where students worked with passionate volunteers, learning about their vision for a renaissance of the gardens. Our Year 8s became tree planting experts, learning about water-saving crystals, fertiliser, cardboard plant guards and root teasing. The visit to the Bairnsdale thrift shop saw students purchasing items for the bush dancing event and learning about the way in which the shop supports locals with food and clothing.
The learning continued with a cruise past basking seals at Lakes Entrance, a round of minigolf with new friends and embracing the challenge of the flying fox. The night-time bush dance was definitely fun, with a wonderful presenter highlighting shared traditions, Scottish instruments and a strong message that the most important thing students can ever pack for camp is ‘a positive attitude’!
Rural Camp 2026
The Rural camps, combined with Hattah Outdoor Education and the Human Rights Convention, are crafted opportunities for students to see and do, to listen and experience, to learn and gain knowledge, to think and question, to ponder and decide, and to be challenged and grow. The personal development of the students is profound and perhaps best summed up by a Year 8 parent.
‘It is a privilege to be able to experience Carey from a student’s perspective and I certainly did this through my children during this amazing immersion program. The opportunities that the kids have had over these three weeks are quite remarkable, from learning about different cultures and histories, hearing the stories of those who live different lives to them, to navigating the bush and meeting new people within their cohort. Did they love every activity, no BUT could they see how every opportunity was valuable – absolutely!
‘Both my kids have built resilience, humility, accountability and flexibility throughout the three weeks as they plan and manage the packing lists, hear some challenging stories, push beyond their comfort zone and navigate simple things like the possibility of not being in a group with their “besties”. It has been great, so thank you for all of the hard work you put in to making it happen. It is very valuable.’
Meredith Plaisted
Head of Middle School
