School Camps
School camps are an exciting time for children and something they look forward to as they enter the upper years of their primary education. Camps are a great way for students to spend time with friends learning new skills, outside the constraints of the formal classroom and away from their parents - some for the first time. These camps generally take place late in Term 3.
QCCC Mapleton
The Year 4 children spend a night at QCCC Mapleton in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. Opening in 1983, QCCC is one of Queensland's most desired Outdoor Education camps on the Sunshine Coast'. Set on 35 acres, the children sleep in dorm or cabin style accommodation and participate in a variety of activities, including archery, canoeing, a low ropes course, giant swings and raft building to name a few, led by highly qualified instructors. All meals and transport to and from the Mapleton is included in the cost of the camp.
Luther Heights Youth Camp
The Year 5 and 6 students experience all that Luther Heights Youth Camp has to offer. Set on 37 private acres at Coolum Beach on the Sunshine Coast, Luther Heights' programs 'stretch the imagination, build teamwork, confidence and trust through activities ranging from high, low and medium ropes, the giant twin-line flying fox, raft building...' The Year 6 children also have the opportunity to try surfing. All activities are supervised by highly qualified instructors.
The children sleep in dorm or cabin style accommodation, with the Year 5 students staying for two nights and the Year 6 children having an extra day of fun and staying for three nights, building leadership skills ready for secondary school.
A fee for these camps is charged in addition to the school fee schedule. This is added to the school fees in the term in which the children travel to camp.
Excursions and Incursions
Students participate in a wide variety of excursions and incursions throughout the year. These range from trips to Ngutana-Lui, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Studies Centre at Inala, and Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre at the Enoggera Reservoir located just up the road from the school, to visits from Geckoes Wildlife, and their family of animals for the younger children , and staff from Podshape, who teach the Year 5 and 6 students how to produce and host a podcast.
All incursions and excursions are linked to aspects of the curriculum which the children are studying at the time of the event. The cost of all these are included in the school fee schedule.
Parent Slips
Prior to incursions, excursions or camps, information is provided to, and permission sought from, parents and carers. St Peter Chanel, like many other Brisbane Catholic Education Schools uses Parent Slips, a paperless permission-form system that allows schools to electronically create, send and collect responses from parents and carers. Using this system allows parents the ability to view the slip again via the Parent Portal (accessible on mobile devices), giving them the important information about the event at their fingertips, where in the past, paper versions may have been lost or destroyed.
At times, parent volunteers are also asked for; however, all attending parents must have completed the 'Student Protection and Code of Conduct Training for Volunteers and Other Personnel' prior to the day.
With thanks to QCCC and Luther Heights Youth Camp for the use of their logos.