40 students along with 5 teachers and supporting adults have recently returned from a 10 day trip to the Eastern States. The Year 9 & 10 students spent time in both Sydney and Canberra, and were given the opportunity to taste a range of experiences whilst they were away.
The first stop was Canberra, where students were able to participate in much of what the Nation’s capital had to offer – including Parliament House, The National Museum, the Australian War Memorial, Art Gallery and Deep Space Centre. After spending 5 full days in the ACT, including one day on the ski slopes, the group made their way to Sydney to spend time in this other iconic Australian city.
Jo Needham, one of the staff members who travelled with the group, as well as being the main organiser was thrilled with how the trip went. She said that the students were absolutely brilliant and their behaviour was without fault.
The highlights were many. The group were blessed with excellent guides at the excursions to both the new and old Parliament houses; the Australian War Memorial always surprises the students with its interactive and engaging displays; and at Questacon, they discovered that fun and science can go together. The obvious highlights of skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, Luna Park and bowling go without needing much explanation, but the Sky Walk outside the Sydney Tower was extraordinarily brilliant. A night at the Theatre was one of the evening activities, as was a night set aside for compulsory post-card writing!
The group’s return was delayed by a day, after being caught up in the Virgin Airline issues, so Miss Needham was thrilled to have an extra day in Sydney to explore Manly, and undertake more shopping! Whilst the students were ready to return home and may not have perceived this as a highlight, the experience wasn’t without benefits.
‘The kids coped exceptionally well with the delays and it gave them a taste for what can happen when travelling. I guess it is just another way we were able to prepare them for life!’, she said.
The trip was subsidised in part by the PACER rebate- an arrangement whereby the Federal Government contributes towards every Australian student being able to visit the Nation’s capital and see Parliament for themselves.
Special thanks must go to Jo Needham for her organisation, and for the other teachers and adults who made the trip possible.
