Lakeside College Blog

On the 26th of April, The Summit team was lucky enough to welcome 49 Year 8 students from Lakeside College.

Once the students unpacked and got settled in it was time to get into it. To get the ball rolling all the students made their way down to the Stadium where we shared our 5 Keys. We share these keys with every group that joins us at The Summit. We believe in order to unleash inner greatness you must do at least one or more of our Five Keys.

1. HAVE FUN.

2. PLAY ALL IN.

3. MAKE LOTS OF MISTAKES.

4. GET COMFORTABLE BEING UNCOMFORTABLE.

5. DON’T GO HOME WONDERING WHAT IF.

We also shared a goal-setting technique called Target, Stretch, and Super Stretch. It’s important to be clear with your goals, so you get the most out of what you want to achieve. This is a way the kids could break down activities or things they found challenging into three manageable steps. Now that all of the talking was out of the way, it was time to make our way out into the park and have all the fun. To kick start the afternoon we got our bodies moving by playing a game called 50 Up. The idea was as a team keeping a big exercise ball up and off the ground for 50 touches. The team managed to get to 49, not bad for a third attempt. Once everybody had warmed up their bodies it was time to get into it. We started by partaking in two lots of initiatives - these are also known as Icebreaker Challenges. It is a great way to get all the students playing all in and stepping outside their comfort zones. The initiatives got the student thinking on their toes. Remembering Patton’s, balancing a small ball through pipes, and brainstorming a way to get across a wide space just by using our tiles. Well done to all the teams who played all in from the get-go and had fun at the same time.

Thought that time the groups created team names. So they were now known as the following:

1. Champions

2. Scruff Daddies

3. Muddies

4. Spicy Hippos

After we had afternoon tea it was time to keep unleashing our greatness.

The students had one rotation before bringing the day to a close. These activities were: Inflatable World, Scavenger Hunt, High Wire - climbing a tree with a partner, walking over a tight wire and handshaking each other before getting lowered to the ground safely, navigating through our dark man-made cave with just the right hand on the wall, and the EPIC Leap of Faith, the students climbed 15 meters in the air onto a small platform where they then jumped for a bar. If they were successful in grabbing the bar they can hang upside down. From there they let go of the bar and were lowered onto a safety mat. Talk about pushing, pushing themselves outside their comfort zones. Well done everyone. As the day came to a close The Summit crew shared a little something called Great Moments In Camp (GMIC’S). Throughout the year 8’s time at The Summit we got them to write down all the great things they saw someone else do, then we shared them over meal times and free time. Great way to support and get around each other especially as it was a five-day camp. ‘People don’t remember what you say, people remember how you make them feel’. Some of the GMIC’S were;

• Desa - for ALWAYS being supportive and encouraging to everyone around her, and always doing her best.

• Jacob - for giving everything a go, and being super BRAVE!

• Kira - even though heights made her nervous she still gave things a go that made her feel uncomfortable.

• Oscar - always being extremely supportive towards his team and treating everyone around him with respect.

• Thomas - overcoming his fear of heights and trying his best at all the activities.

• George - incredible presence, a joy to be around, and great support to everyone in her team.

• Steven - for always doing everything to the best of his abilities.

These are just a few. There were so many more… The teachers took all the GMIC’S back to school so the students could reflect on them in their own time.

On the first morning, the students joined us in setting a morning Intention. As the saying goes - win the morning win the day. We believe if you set your morning up with clear goals and direction you are more likely to get the most out of your day. The year 8’s took a moment to reflect on their own intention before sharing a few within the room. Some examples where;

• To give everything a go

• Embrace every opportunity

• To always do my best

• Push myself to my highest limits

• Have LOADS of FUN

• Don’t have any regrets

• Be a supportive friend

Now that we had considered and set our intentions for the day, it was time to go make it real out in the park. The students continued with their activities from the day before. It was great to see many students push themselves beyond their limits, and achieve things they didn’t think they could would or should. Thank you to all the students who got comfortable being uncomfortable and for playing all in. It was incredible to see all of the year 8’s expand their comfort zones over the five days. We had so many students do things and activities they would have never even considered on the first day of camp. To see many of you unleashed your greatness was truly remarkable. We hope that you keep being brave and pushing yourselves out after camp because it was so cool to see you all overcome things you didn’t think were possible. Whilst the year 8’s were with us they were lucky enough to be a part of one of our Board Break sessions. This activity is a mindset belief exercise we use for all ages ran by two of our best Coaches. Matt our impact Director and Maddi our Program Coordinator. The students and teachers are given a piece of pinewood where they can write down a limiting belief (something that may be holding them back) and an empowering belief (a strategy to help them achieve their limiting belief) Once the students have that written down they get to break the board with their hands. The atmosphere in the room is off the chain as they all support each other. The aim of this exercise is to leave the students believing more within and about themselves.

DAY 2

At The Summit we also like to set our morning up by thinking of all the things we have to be grateful for. We got the kids to think about all the things and people they were grateful for in their lives. And how the presence of our actions can have a positive effect on those around us. A few things to be grateful for where;

• Family and Friends

• Mum and Dad

• Grateful for opportunities

• Education

• Connecting with others

• School camps

• Sunshine

• Opportunities

• Music

• Best Friends

• Health

• Living in such a lucky country

With gratitude on the radar, we hit the park running.

As the days went on the students were allocated some new activities to help push them beyond their limits. Before we started our new activities to get our bodies moving we played a game called Huckle Buckle. Once we had warmed up it was time to hit the park running. The new activities consisted of. Tash’s Ladder, climbing a 12-meter ladder leaning over it and letting go with both hands and one leg too. Our awesome Bush Challenge, Orienteering, Flying Fox, and the tallest swing in Victoria at 26 metes. What a way to get the blood pumping. As the teams got to know each other it was incredible to see them be so supportive towards one another, at the end of every activity we had what’s called a debrief. Simply a conversation around how are we going as a team? What could we improve on? Who showed any of our 5 Keys and why. It was a great way for the students to reflect and see how far each and everyone had come.

Before we knew it the day was coming to a close.

DAY 3

Again we set ourselves a morning intention, as the saying goes win the morning win the day. It was great to hear the goals the students were setting for themselves. Thanks for playing all in year 8’s. once we were mentally ready it was time to be physically ready too. To make that happen we made our way out into the park where we played a game called Pirates- where Captain Steph lead the way. This was an elimination game. Only the best got to join the crew. From this space, it was then time to complete more activities. These activities included; the Snowy River Challenge, well done to all the people who sacrificed dry shoes for their team, and for all the strong individuals who lifted every teammate over the wall without hesitating. Walking over a bed of nails and holding our pet python Mitch the Snake, sliding around on the Laser field and tackling our Rock Wall. The students had a range of activities that allowed them to get comfortable being uncomfortable in many ways. It may have been lifting the team, swinging 26 meters in the air, balancing on a log over water, holding Mitch, escaping our Foam Pit, or serving Laser Skirmish without being tagged. It was great to watch all the year 8’s have all the fun.

DAY 4

Now that the students were familiar with gratitude and intentions, we mixed them both together. We gave the students time to close their eyes whilst playing music in the background, in order for them to truly think about all the people and things in their worlds they are grateful for. I am sure we can all agree music is a magical tool that always brings us back to the things we love. After sharing a few amongst us it was time yet again to head out in the park. It was GREAT to have the sunshine join us. The beautiful weather was just in time for our Monster Course. Thank you to all the students who got comfortable being uncomfortable and for playing all in, especially when it came to partaking in our EPIC Monster Course in the afternoon. Where they completed the course not once but twice. This is a timed event. The first time to see how fast they can run the course, and the second to see their team’s improvement time. The reason why - we like the students to have a reference of them thinking they having nothing left to give and then doing better than what they thought they could. It shows a lot about a team that shows up when it’s challenging. ‘Anyone can show up on a good day, it’s how you show up on the hard days that matters the most.' Every team had a great improvement time on their second laps. GO TEAM! Great to see you all giving it your very best.

The students were very grateful to wash off all the mud and get a good night's rest. Ready for their final day with us.

DAY 5

Our final day started with one of our coaches, Steph taking us on an incredible journey of gratitude. The whole room felt very recharged and ready to win the day. To keep the vibes high we played a game called Construction Crane - another elimination game. The students had two more activities to add to the final day they were; The Summit Window and the Sky Bridge. Both activities challenging in their own ways. It was marvelous to see the students tackle both activates with a go-get-'em attitude. The Bridge taught the students a lot of resilience and the theory if you fall, you get back up again. And The Summit Window involves leaning back and trusting a rope with a 23-meter drop below. The students had the chance to lean back from the platform letting go with both hands and also 1 leg. What a great way to finish an EPIC week. To bring this awesome week to a close the year 8’s in their last debrief voted for a person from their group who lived by our 5 Keys over the week.

These lucky values winners were:

Dylan

Jamie

Thomas

Oscar

Jacob

Congratulations to all! You should be very proud of yourselves.

To all the year 8 students of Lakeside College, we wish you all the very best for the year ahead. The Summit crew loved being a part of everyone's journey Thank you on behalf of our team.

Ash, Steph, Ella, Shy, Centauri, Liam, Timmay, Maddi, Matt

Just remember; "If you think you can, Or you think you can't, you are right. "

RESULTS

Snowy River Challenge

1. 31.58 3rd PLACE

2. 20.00 1St PLACE

3. 24.00 2nd PLACE

4. 48.34 4th PLACE

Bush Challenge

1. 30.21 4th PLACE

2. 2500 2nd PLACE

3. 26.10 3rd PLACE

4. 1955 1st PLACE

Scavenger Hunt

1. 740 1st PLACE

2. 500 4th PLACE

3. 540 3rd PLACE

4. 674 2nd PLACE

Monster improvement times

1. 6.30 3rd PLACE

2. 9.58 1st PLACE

3. 5.30 4th PLACE

4. 9.15 2nd PLACE