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Challenge Week at Chairo

15-May-2017 | Drouin

Students in Years 7 and 8 at the Drouin Campus took time out from the regular curriculum to participate in Challenge Week, a program covering a wide range of age-appropriate personal development topics.

The week commenced with a ‘colour run’ on the soccer field and finished with a walk into Drouin for a culmination event in Civic Park. The students also travelled to Phillip Island, where they enjoyed playing games on the beach and the challenges of a high ropes course.

Sessions each day addressed important issues such as relationships, conflict resolution, protective behaviours, health and hygiene, identity, drugs, cyber safety and sex education.

The day on Phillip Island was greatly appreciated by the students. Jess from Year 7 said, ‘The highlight of Challenge Week was definitely on the beach at Cowes, where we got to chill with our friends and write messages in the sand.’

Year 8 student, Damian, said, ‘I reckon the talks about health and sex were the most important as we’re growing up and changing. It showed how mature the boys were when some confronting stuff was said. It was interesting and certainly an educational week.’

Guest presenters included the local police youth resource officer, Senior Constable Kevin McLaren, as well Marc Erbsleben from Focus on the Family, Dawn Stark from Drug Free Lifestyles and Luke Martin from In The Know. A number of Chairo teachers and other staff members also ran sessions.

Head of Middle School, Annette Martin, explained: ‘Challenge Week was a lot of fun but we were also able to address many of the issues that young people are confronted with, and to provide them with coping strategies. It was good to be able to have some relationship-building times sprinkled amongst discussing some important and confronting parts of life.’