Secondary School
Country Week
This week, we have over 120 of our senior students away at Country Week. We have teams competing in basketball, netball, soccer, volleyball, football, hockey and debating. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to test themselves against tough competition. A huge thank you to the staff who have helped make this happen, including those back on campus covering classes for colleagues who are away. Country Week is a big undertaking, and, in addition to giving our students the chance to compete for their school, it creates lifelong memories.
Years Eleven and Twelve
For Years Eleven and Twelve students who have stayed in Albany, we created a bespoke timetable that combined academic workshops with fun electives. For example, yesterday the students received an 80-minute self-defence lesson. They have also had the chance to take cooking lessons and have spent time working with younger students down in the Primary School alongside Mrs Ranger. These activities have gone alongside more traditional academic workshops in subjects such as Maths, Science, English and Humanities. Students have had the chance to choose which workshops to sign up for, and each student has had an individual timetable.
Canberra Tour
Some of our Year Nine students are away on the Canberra Tour this week, which I think is a great way to finish off the term. It has been wonderful seeing the photos coming in of the students visiting the sites and learning valuable lessons about civic life in the nation’s capital. In a week that has been a bit disrupted by Country Week absences and with no assessments, it is a fantastic opportunity for these students to extend their learning beyond the classroom and have a lot of fun along the way.
See the bottom of the page for a full account of the Canberra Tour and photographs.
The Arts
Congratulations to Year Twelve student, Rachel Turner. Her artwork, Sonata, is on display in the St George's Youth Art Award at St George's Terrace, Perth. It is a beautiful painting celebrating memories of her father playing Beethoven on the piano.
Year Eight Art Focus Day
Our Year Eight students were treated to a range of exciting Arts workshops on Wednesday. A very enjoyable way to finish the term! There was a wide range of offerings, including shibori fabric dyeing methods with Rachel Falls Williams, Tunisian crochet with Amber Launay from Winter Wilding, Contemporary Dance with Tash Rolfe, Improvisation and Drama with Simon Woodward, Ceramic Cups with Nathan Bray, Street Acrobatics with Zak Launay, special effects make-up with Julianne Dwyer-Adams and cartooning & Illustration with Colin Montefiore. We are incredibly lucky to have such an array of experienced artists able to offer their skills to our students.
Not for the faint-hearted - photographs of the Special Effects Make-up. View if you DARE.
Ms Rachel Mordy | Head of the Arts
Year Nine Students Explore the Nation’s Capital
Our Year Nine students have enjoyed an enriching and action-packed start to their Canberra Tour, immersing themselves in Australia’s history, culture, government and sporting excellence.
The tour began with a memorable visit to the Australian War Memorial, where students explored the Roll of Honour and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. For some, the experience was particularly personal, with students discovering the names of family members commemorated there. A highlight of the day was a special visit to the Research Centre, where students viewed an artefact connected to one of our own families. Josh's great-great-grandfather, a Prisoner of War during World War II, secretly hid a Japanese Army map while working on the Thai-Burma Railway. Preserved in the War Memorial archives alongside an accompanying letter, the artefact provided a powerful reminder of the connections between local families and significant moments in Australia’s history.
Day two was a whirlwind of activities, beginning with a visit to Government House before students explored the Royal Australian Mint, the National Capital Exhibition, the National Portrait Gallery and the Australian Institute of Sport. The busy day concluded with some friendly competition at the ten-pin bowling alley.
The learning continued on day three with a mix of Canberra’s iconic institutions and hidden gems. Students stepped into the roles of lawmakers at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, unleashed their creativity at Canberra Glassworks, and admired works at the National Gallery of Australia. They also gained insight into Australia’s legal system during a visit to the High Court before finishing the day with a unique wildlife experience, spotting eastern quolls under the stars at Wildbark.
Today, proud GSG alumni Katie McAllister (2013, Camfield) went out of her way to offer our Canberra Tour group an extraordinary opportunity at Parliament House this morning.
We were given access to the Press Gallery and a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of government in action.
Photos below of the group on the set at ABC Studios, where some of the nation's biggest breaking stories unfold. What an incredible experience! (Photos taken by ABC photographer Callum Flinn)
With so many diverse experiences already packed into the itinerary, the Canberra Tour has provided students with valuable opportunities to learn, connect and create lasting memories. And with more adventures still to come, the excitement is far from over.
Mr Tone Ritchie | Head of Humanities
L and P Plate Program from 1 July
This program provides individuals with their L or P plates the opportunity to complete a one-day First Aid course and receive a First Aid kit for their vehicle. All for free.
To book or find out more, call 08 9841 4212 or email albany.subcentre@stjohnwa.com.au
