Camp Week

Camp Week at Kristin is one of the biggest student experiences on the calendar and is looked forward to by the 1600 students who simultaneously head out into the mountains, the beaches, the islands or the wilderness. From Year 7 to 13, students are challenged to leave the comforts of home behind, engage with their classmates in challenging activities and to push their own limits in the unique environment of Camp Week.

The myriad of situations and challenges faced during this experience help students to gain new knowledge and understanding, skills, abilities and attitudes, while building on those they already have. With age-appropriate activities carefully selected and experienced staff and facilitators guiding them, students have a remarkable opportunity to explore the superb outdoor environment that New Zealand is so blessed with while concurrently developing positive relationships with their peers and teachers.Key outcomes from Camp Week include:

• To provide students with opportunities for enjoyment, adventure and challenge, both close to home and far away.
• To develop students' skills so they can move with confidence and safety in urban, rural and wilderness settings.To help students develop a respect for themselves and others by providing them with opportunities for personal and social development.
• To develop independence and interdependence, and to provide opportunities to strengthen links between students and staff.

Camp Week constitutes one of the most formative aspects of a Kristin education; and it is an extraordinary logistical feat providing over 1,000 students with a memorable outdoor experience all at the same time. There is not another school in New Zealand that sends that many students on a variety of challenging, adventurous outdoor activities across the country simultaneously. 

At Kristin, we believe outdoor experiences are critical in developing teamwork, independence, resilience and an appreciation of our unique environment. The research evidence on such experiences is overwhelming. Some of the most critical qualities of character can best be developed through meaningful engagement with the challenges of the outdoors – resilience, self-awareness, perseverance, teamwork and self-discipline, to name but a few. These experiences are a deliberate and carefully thought-out part of our educational programme – certainly not ‘time out’ or an optional-extra. The learning which comes from this approach is not just about acquiring new knowledge, skills and information but gaining a deeper level of personal development and understanding as well.