Studying at St Francis Xavier College takes students beyond the classroom and into different areas of the world around them. Students are taught important life skills that will aid them as they get older, and challenged to solve problems, work collaboratively, and be open to new experiences.
Camp is a unique program designed to help Year 7 students enter into the St Francis Xavier College community in a fun and exciting environment. Occurring early in the year, students attend camp and are able to develop positive relationships with their new peers and with College staff.
The program includes a variety of hands-on activities including raft building, a flying fox, giant swing, orienteering, abseiling and canoeing. Students attend a Year 7 Mass, and also take part in house-based activities to establish a production for the Camp talent show.
Students are encouraged to develop bonds with other people, with their houses, and with the College community. Camp provides an environment for students to be engaged and supported as they push themselves and try new activities.
City Experience is a five-day program in which Year 8 students travel to Melbourne each day and learn about the city. Students participate in a number of activities, visit famous sites and landmarks, and collect data and information for a group-based inquiry project. This project is later shared with teachers and parents during a presentation evening.
The City Experience program is designed to help students get to know Melbourne and how to navigate it, learning about landscape, public transport and culture. Working in groups, students will develop communication and collaboration skills through problem solving and critical thinking.
We aim to develop our students into confident, independent young adults that are resilient in meeting the challenges of the program. Through this program they will develop a number of important skills: Creative and Critical Thinking; Personal and Social Skills; Intercultural Thinking; and Ethical Thinking.
Outward Bound is a five-day expedition where Year 9 students undertake activities in the wilderness within a safe and controlled environment. The expedition allows students to experience unfamiliar environments, face challenges and develop personal skills such as resilience, leadership and independence.
We feel that Catholic school retreats like these are important as they help students familiarise themselves with the Catholic high school environment and provide an opportunity to make friends in a fun, interactive and approachable way.
The Outward Bound program involves activities such as hiking, rafting, abseiling and hard skills throughout the duration of the camp. Students are encouraged to set high expectations of themselves in response to the challenges, and emboldened to achieve their goals. The program is a compulsory component of the Year 9 Curriculum at St Francis Xavier College.