30 Years of Round Square at St Philip's

30 Years of Round Square in 5 minutes!

This week students captured what 30 years at St Philip's has looked like. Our Round Square Captains, Eunice Tabbada and Sophia Goodman, with the help of Ella Schwer, Noah McAuliffe and Elvis Du Vanage did a wonderful job delivering their sections. Please read them below.

Thank you to Mrs Sarah Pollitt for her help in collating information. She was the Round Square Representative for 23 years, and she and our College Life-Governor, Chris Tudor worked tirelessly to make Round Square what it is today.

Eunice:

This year marks 30 years of being part of Round Square. In 1996 we received our membership in Nairobi when there were less than 30 schools in the organisation. Since then we have focused on making St Philip’s a Round Square School, learning about the IDEALS and helping these ideas shape our culture. As a school, we have embraced Kurt Hahn’s belief that ‘there is more in us than we think’. We have done some extraordinary things but more importantly we have become an extraordinary place - where you and I have opportunities and experiences that can change our lives.

It isn’t just exchanges, service projects or conference but it’s the adventure program, it’s the service opportunities, the chance to be leaders and make a difference in our community and beyond. It’s the events that have made us think, brought us together, created fun and given people a chance to ‘do’, have a voice, care for the environment and learn what it takes to be global citizens- ready to take on the world beyond our school gates. We didn’t just join an organisation, we found an extended family that connected us to people and places across the world.

Noah:

Over 30 years we’ve had:

- 702 Year 8s go on national exchange across Australia.

- 726 students from schools all over the world have joined our community

- 734 of our students have travelled to 27 schools in 6 continents.

- we have hosted a King, two princesses and a prince from India.

- we are known and loved across the world, BECAUSE of Round Square.

- 78 staff and students have attended 16 different international service projects – helping communities here and across world.

- we have attended more than 45 Senior and Junior International Conferences. We have hosted 3.

Elvis

We have run countless fundraisers- bake sales, food drives, cups of happiness, food festivals, dance-a-thons, movie nights and raised over a quarter of a million dollars for charities and different Round Square projects.

In 1996 we began Year 9 Community Service, so more than 2550 Year 9 students have contributed across Alice Springs. The school community built the chapel, peace garden, silent walk and created other spaces around the school.

RS Square Cup began as 12 Hour Sports in 2004 and now we have a Friday night of intense rivalry, community building, challenge and fundraising. Hundreds of staff and student have been part of this event.

Ella Round Square Week has been happening for 26 years- celebrating Round Square, creating fun and raising awareness about the IDEALS. We’ve had 18 dance-a-thons, and run more than 80 environmental working bees such as Upper Todd Landcare, Round Square Committees for both Seniors and Juniors have been running since 1996 and 1997. Over 600 students and staff have worked together to run amazing events, carry culture and build our amazing community.

None of this fully conveys what Round Square has been at St Philip’s but Round Square is CENTRAL to WHO and WHAT we are in 2026.