Like Candlebark, Alice Miller has a busy camp, excursion, sleepover and outdoor program. This is a vital part of the school’s culture and is valued as highly as academic subjects.
Experiences include paddle and bike camps in Year 7, travelling to MONA Gallery in Hobart and multi-day hiking in Year 8, WOMAD Festival in Adelaide in Year 9, and six weeks of travel, usually to an international destination, for the ‘Big Trip’ in Year 10. In addition to these core trips, there are countless opportunities throughout the year for all age groups.
Sleepovers have involved students running ‘a mile an hour’ over the course of 24 hours (culminating in a marathon), starting the day with a winter ocean swim, and recording an entire music album overnight.
We travel across Australia and have ventured to Greece, Japan, France, Tanzania, China, Mongolia, Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic. Sometimes Alice Miller feels more like a travel agency than a school! Our students grow increasingly comfortable and confident in the world, and develop an informed perspective that they carry through to adulthood.
The Big Trip
Rites of passage are increasingly scarce for today’s young people. Bucking this trend, Alice Miller offers an experience to our Year 10s that allows them to develop the resilience, self-reliance, cooperation skills, and assurance to move into the adult world with grace. The trip is intentionally long – six weeks – and is conducted without phones or devices. The Big Trip generally includes exploration of both city and rural environments, cultural exchange (such as a home stay), and an extended physical challenge (such as cycling from Poland to Prague).
The Big Trip is usually the longest the students have spent away from home, and is an opportunity for them to develop an identity as independent actors in the world, while supported by wise, experienced staff.
The Candlebark and Alice Miller program is designed to gradually prepare students for the challenge of the Big Trip.
Outdoor education
Love and exploration of the outdoors is at the heart of what we do. Our outdoor education program takes full advantage of our bush campus and the bountiful opportunities of the Macedon Ranges, along with special locations further afield. The program includes hiking, skiing, camping, canoeing, and rock climbing. Outdoor education is part of the core program for most year levels, with students able to specialise in this area through electives and VCE study.
Excursions and sleepovers
Like Candlebark, Alice Miller School offers a vast array of excursions and sleepovers (we suspect more than any other school in the country). We regularly travel to theatres, galleries, research sites, conferences, talks, and sporting events. Our sleepover program supports evening adventures, while also offering the chance for students to delve further into their studies, rehearse plays or musical performances, or simply build stronger connections within a group.
