Our HPS 2022 Year 6 cohort (and presumably the following years) is being denied the experience of a school camp.

Year 6 school camp is a rite of passage, particularly when there has not been a single school camp throughout our children's whole primary school experience.

Research indicates that school camps have been shown to reduce anxiety, increase connection to school, increase connection to peers and increase efficacy, all strong markers of good mental health. Camps and outdoor education programs involve physical activity, working in small facilitated groups and connection with the natural world – a combination that is highly effective in improving physical and mental wellbeing (Outdoor Youth Programs Research Alliance www.oypra.org.au ).

Over 75% of schools in Australia have integrated school camps into their yearly curriculum activities and recent research has revealed that student’s psychological wellbeing and emotional balance is greater due to their participation and involvement in the school camps.

One of the many benefits of school camps is stimulating students’ creative wild side. They are often forced into nature, away from their digital devices and the overwhelming amount of social media. It’s important to encourage their creative minds to run free.

School camp should be a part of every Australian student’s educational journey. The benefits are endless and the rewards are life changing for students (http://www.outdooradventurecamps.com.au/blogs/item/16-the-benefits-of-school-camps.html

Please sign so as a united community we can present this petition to our school to reinstate Year 6 school camps from 2022 onwards.