Case Study: St Mary’s Anglican Girls School Year 7 Camp

Executive Summary

St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School aimed to unite a new cohort of over 200 Year 7 students at their annual camp in Metricup, Western Australia. The primary challenge was to quickly build a sense of community, foster new friendships, and develop foundational teamwork skills among students transitioning into secondary school. Total Team Building Perth was engaged to design and deliver a program that would accelerate relationship-building in a fun and engaging way. Over three days, we facilitated a series of Survivor and Drumming sessions that successfully broke down social barriers, encouraged collaboration, and created a memorable, unifying experience for the entire year group.

The Challenge: Uniting a New Cohort

Starting secondary school is a significant milestone, and for the incoming Year 7 class at St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School, it meant navigating a new environment with many unfamiliar faces. The school’s leadership team recognized the importance of establishing strong peer connections early to create a supportive and positive learning atmosphere for the years to come.

The goal for their camp was to move beyond simple icebreakers and immerse the students in activities that would:

• Encourage interaction between different social groups.
• Develop core teamwork and communication skills.
• Build a sense of belonging and shared identity within the year group.
• Provide a fun, positive, and inclusive experience for all 200+ students.

The Solution: A Dynamic Program of Rhythm and Resilience

Total Team Building crafted a multi-day program tailored to the camp’s objectives and the large group size. We split the 200+ students into eight smaller, more intimate groups, allowing for greater individual participation. We then delivered eight sessions of two distinct, high-energy activities: Survivor and African Drumming.

• Survivor Sessions: These sessions were designed to promote strategic thinking, problem-solving, and resilience. Students were placed into “tribes” and competed in a series of collaborative challenges that required them to communicate effectively, trust one another, and work towards a common goal. The competitive yet friendly nature of the activities quickly dismantled social cliques and encouraged students to rely on the unique strengths of their new teammates.
• Drumming Sessions: To complement the high-energy competition of Survivor, the drumming sessions provided a powerful, unifying experience. Led by an expert facilitator, students learned basic rhythms and worked together to create a single, harmonious sound. This activity served as a potent metaphor for teamwork, demonstrating how individual contributions, when synchronized, can create something truly impressive. It fostered listening skills, group focus, and a profound sense of shared achievement without the need for words.

The Results: A Cohesive and Connected Year Group

The combination of Survivor and Drumming proved to be a powerful formula for success. The camp was a fantastic experience that achieved all of the school’s primary objectives.

• Accelerated Relationship Building: The structured, activity-based nature of the program provided a natural platform for friendships to form. Students who started the camp as strangers were observed cheering for each other, strategizing together, and celebrating shared victories.
• Enhanced Teamwork Skills: Students learned practical teamwork skills in a low-stakes, high-fun environment. They experienced firsthand the importance of clear communication, mutual respect, and collaborative effort in achieving success.
• Increased Student Confidence: By succeeding in new and varied challenges, students built confidence not only in their own abilities but also in their capacity to work effectively with others.
• A Lasting Positive Memory: The energy and excitement of the activities created a memorable highlight of the camp, giving the Year 7 cohort a positive shared experience to bond over as they began their secondary school journey together. The feedback from both staff and students confirmed that the sessions were instrumental in bringing the girls closer together.

Conclusion

The St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School Year 7 camp demonstrates the effectiveness of experiential learning in building a strong community foundation. By moving students out of their comfort zones and into dynamic, collaborative challenges, Total Team Building helped transform a large group of individuals into a more connected and cohesive year group. The success of the Survivor and Drumming sessions provided St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School with a powerful launchpad for a positive and collaborative school culture that will benefit these students for years to come.

Ready to Engage Your Students?

Let us help you create a tailored team-building experience that builds connections. Contact our friendly team today to explore dynamic and flexible activities that will leave your students feeling united.