Stage 6 Excursion 

This week our Stage 6 students enjoyed a highly educational excursion to Newcastle and surrounds. Mr Kiely and Ms Blewitt ensured students enjoyed an expertly curated program, ably supported by Mrs O’Neill.

Travelling down on Sunday, students stayed at Newcastle Beach YHA. Being in the heart of Newcastle meant students got to stretch their legs soon after arrival with a beach walk. With energy still to burn, they continued on and completed the ANZAC Memorial walk before enjoying dinner at Charlestown Square, followed by 10 pin bowling and some fun at Timezone. 

Monday saw students up early to take part in a guided tour of the University of Newcastle. They were shown lecture halls, classrooms, and other amenities around the campus to give them a sense of what to expect from studying at university. The University of Newcastle, like many universities, has Olympic standard sporting facilities and students excited to be able to experience them by playing a game of indoor soccer and badminton. 

The afternoon saw students navigating the high ropes and an obstacle course 15 metres off the ground at the Treetops Adventure Park before relaxing with a movie at Westfield Kotara. 

Tuesday offered an incredible immersive experience with a tour of Newcastle Museum. Students learnt about the history of the steel works that modern Newcastle was founded on and Newcastle through war time. They also learnt about the traditional custodians of the land and water, the Awabakal and Worimi people. 

From here it was on to the Department of Education’s Hunter Wetlands Centre where activities planned for the students had a biology focus. Catching fish from the wetlands, students then looked at them under microscopes and tested the water quality. A geography exercise was embedded in the afternoon’s activities that required students to use both a GPS and a compass to navigate their way through the wetlands area. A bird identification exercise also gave students the opportunity to explore native flora and its traditional uses. 

Everyone knows Mr Kiely loves trivia. With a captive audience he delivered a fun and educational trivia night that students enjoyed. Perhaps a highlight of the evening was a surprise visit by former WWHS teacher, Mr Stawski. 

Wednesday offered an incredible whale and dolphin cruise at Nelsons Bay. Students were treated to following a pod of whales 20 kms north along the coastline (at a safe distance) while marine experts on board taught students about the whales’ migration and breeding habits. 

To wrap up what was a great few days of learning and exploring, students got to enjoy some free time at Charlestown Square to explore the myriad of shops. After dinner, it was on to laser tag for a team building activity that proved very popular with everyone.

Mr Kiely and Ms Blewitt returned with high praise for all the students saying their behaviour was absolutely perfect. ‘We received multiple comments from people our students came into contact with about their maturity, behaviour and how friendly they were. Ms Blewitt, Mrs O’Neill and I are incredibly proud of everyone. They were an absolute pleasure to take away and were so engaged with each of the activities we planned for them. They really made sure they gained maximum benefit from each experience they had on the trip’.