We hold an annual camp that is accessible to all students early in the year as this is a perfect opportunity for students to form new relationships having all come here from different schools. It also is a wonderful chance for teachers to get to know the students in their class in an environment outside the class which is valuable in building positive relationships.
We plan our camp around the school’s mission:
CHALLENGE | To work together to overcome challenges.
ENGAGE | To build relationships with peers and teachers.
INQUIRE | To think critically about the best way to achieve a goal.
INSPIRE | To inspire active learners
Our camp is split into four events, with each camp running for three days, two nights. Four classes attend each camp.
Due to the Vulnerable Children’s Act all adult helpers intending to stay over at any of our camps need to be police vetted. The vetting remains valid for 2 years – the whole of the time your child is at SWIS. The vetting forms (available on the right) need to be filled in and presented to the office along with 2 different forms of ID (one must be photographic).
The Camp Consent and Medical Form are essential as they give us information allowing us to ensure we provide the best experience for our students. These need to be completed and sent back to school. Students will all be given a hard copy of this form during the first week of school.
The Camp Gear List is provided so students have adequate equipment to enjoy a great camp.
Camp venues change from year to year, but Forest Lakes and Tatum Park are two that we have consistently gone back to because of their great facilities.
Forest Lakes – Camping and Conference Centre; 156 Forest Lakes Road, RD3 Otaki
Forest Lakes Camp is nestled on the beautiful shores of Lake Waitawa, an hour north of Wellington, New Zealand.
It offers a range of activities that are done under either Teacher or Camp instructor supervision.
- These include;
- Flying Fox
- 10 – Pin Bowling
- Confidence Course
- Mini Golf
- Archery
- Orienteering
- Gladiator
Water Based activities include
- Kayaking
- Water Slide
- Mud Slide
- Swimming Pool
Tatum Park, Levin, offers a range of activities for students of all ages as part of your school camp experience. These include:
Confidence Course: A 12-stage course built by the New Zealand Army Engineers to exacting requirements; designed to be used by people of all ages.
Flying Fox: Part of the confidence course, the flying fox requires a higher level of supervision.
Swimming Pool: The swimming pool is fairly large, with a shallow and deep end. It is fully-fenced with a self-closing gate that cannot be opened by young children.
Catapults: This activity really brings out the leadership qualities and teamwork – the idea being to build the catapult from a plan and fire the pine cone as far as possible – very competitive!
Orienteering: There are three Orienteering Courses, all designed for different age groups. Perfect during the day or as a night time activity with torches.
Fire Circles: There are three Fire Circles, all are surrounded by native bush and make the ideal place for storytelling at night with marshmallows.
