Discovering the spirit of adventure
W
hen it comes to adventure, nothing quite compares to setting sails, climbing rigging and standing watch into the night. For young first-time sailors, being out on the water in a dynamic and challenging environment is the ultimate adventure – where important life lessons in awareness, patience and respect are learned. Earlier this year, a group of courageous Penrhosians in Years 9 - 12 participated in a week-long voyage during their school holidays, pushing themselves and broadening their outlook onboard Sail Training Ship Leeuwin II. The unique and memorable experience was offered to students as part of the Round Square program, an initiative which is proudly supported by the Penrhos College Foundation. In securing membership of the Round Square program, Penrhos joined an international network of 200 like-minded schools in 50 countries that share a commitment to character education and experiential learning around six themes known as IDEALS - International Understanding, Democracy, Environmental Stewardship, Adventure, Leadership and Service.
For Round Square, the spirit of adventure is characterised by those who push themselves beyond their perceived limits, cross boundaries and discover they are capable of more than they thought.
Leeuwin II is Australia’s largest sail-training tall ship and one of only a handful of tall ships in the country, dedicated to the development of young people. Sailing on a working ship involves participation in hands-on activities during the voyage - from taking the helm and navigating the ship, setting and furling the sails, climbing the rigging and standing watch, to setting up for meals and washing up! During this incredible experience, our participating girls were joined by students from Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School, another member of the Round Square global network – students from both schools also therefore had the opportunity to build new friendships while testing their personal limits. Sailing along some of Western Australia’s most spectacular coastline, they were encouraged to consider, capture and share what adventure meant to them, all in the midst of exploring their personal comfort zones, developing their courage and confidence, and evolving their skills in communication, leadership and collaboration. Adventure is a very personal experience – read what some of our students had to say: ‘I never thought I would be given the opportunity to embark on such an amazing adventure. I will always remember climbing up the mast and holding on for my life. I was so proud of what I had achieved and the support from everyone was incredible. I am so grateful to have had this experience with such kind and encouraging people.’ Ella Richardson (Year 10)
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THE PENRHOSIAN
