You are the light of the world.

A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. 

No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket,

but on the lampstand,

and it gives light to all in the house.

Matthew 5:14-15

The passage above from Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew comes after the beatitudes, where Jesus tells his followers all that they should do to be blessed in the eyes of God. As we know, almost everything that Jesus tells his followers to do it the opposite of what they (and we) would expect. In many ways this encapsulates the role of a teacher: to challenge students to do things that they would not otherwise choose to do, and to provide the boundaries to make sure they do them safely.

The need to balance challenge and safety is brought into sharp relief at the Year 8 Camp. This is one of the biggest experiences for Year 8 students in 2026 and takes place during Triple E Week: the first week of August.

The Year 8s will travel in two groups:

Camp	Dates	Homerooms
1	Monday 3 August – Wednesday 5 August	8-45, 8-46, 8-47 and 8-48
2	Wednesday 5 August – Friday 7 August	8-49, 8-51 and 8-52

The 2026 Year 8 camp is held at Golden Valleys Adventure Camp in Flinders, and aims to build resilience, deepen relationships at the same time as having lots of fun! More information about Golden Valleys

Adventure Camp can be found at: https://goldenvalleys.com.au/.

We have already had two assemblies to discuss the practicalities of the camp – choosing cabins, the departure arrangements and the need to pack enough warm clothes.

We hope that all Year 8 students will embrace the opportunities that their camp provides, especially the difficulties and the challenges. We especially invite your prayers for nice weather!

Bill Fitzsimons

Level Leader: Year 8