School Excursions

Stage 2 Tourism – Excursion to McLaren Vale

On Thursday 28 March, we visited McLaren Vale to collect primary evidence that would enable the students to create a hypothetical tourism event for the area and look into how Doxey’s Irridex of Irritation would apply in a real-world situation. 

Doxey theorised that the host community of any tourism destination goes through a series of increasingly hostile emotional states based on the number of tourists that arrive. He claimed that more tourists lead to a more unfriendly community. 

The students spent a few of hours taking photos of prospective locations for their events and talking to locals about what they thought of tourism in the area. Some of the student's' ideas range from a One Direction reunion concert to an aquarium hotel!

SACE Art Trip

On 5 April, the SACE Stage 1 and Creative Arts class went into the city to participate in the annual SACE Art Trip. 

Students had the opportunity to view year 12 learning examples from 2023 including practical and folio work. By viewing these samples, our students developed an improved understanding of what is required for success in their final year. 

From there the group walked to UNISA, City West campus for a practical workshop of either illustration or architecture. These workshops were led by the heads of the departments. This provided students a fantastic opportunity to ask questions about pathways and building portfolios.

Year 10 Outdoor Education Aquatics Camp

Our year 10 outdoor education class visited the Murraylands Aquatic Centre. The weather could not have been better for aquatic activities on the river. 

It was warm and sunny with light winds.  The conditions on the river were ideal for knee boarding and skiing. The gentle breeze was great to learn how to sail the catamarans. 

Understanding how to use the rudder to steer and adjust the sails to get us moving was new for all the students. However, a short time later, the catamarans were being sailed up and down the Murray and partners were working really effectively together. 

We also enjoyed kayaking and paddling a stand-up paddle (SUP).  Windsurfing was a new skill for most students who did well learning this new skill. 

Students demonstrated self-reliance, organising  and cooking their dinner on the trangia and setting up their tents to sleep for the night.

SACE Stage 1 - Outdoor Education Aquatics Camp

Our class packed the gear into the trailer on the morning of 26 March and headed off to camp and participate in aquatic activities on the Yorke Peninsula. 

We had been planning and preparing our menu, minimal impact camping skills, risk management and group dynamics, so we were ready for the experience. 

Our first afternoon was spent at Pt Vincent, where we knee boarded, snorkeled and stand up paddled boarded, before heading to Corny Point to set up camp. 

Surfing at Berry Bay on the second day, all students managed to catch waves and stand up in the white water. We were lucky enough to be visited by a pod of dolphins. The offshore wind made the waves clean and the swell had plenty of power and shoulder high out the back. 

We camped overnight and surfed in the south corner of Berry Bay the next morning and most of our class were able to extend their surfing skills to catch the “green” unbroken waves. Using our preparation and planning effectively, we had a very successful camp and all members of the group supported each other really well.

Urrbrae Wetland Learning Centre

The Urrbrae Wetlands are a relatively new region of wetlands located around Urrbrae Agricultural High School. The region is currently used for storm water collection and filtering, now hosting a diverse variety of organisms in its ponds and substrates. 

Recently the SACE Stage 1 Biology and IB ESS class took an exciting excursion to the wetlands, aiming to learn about water testing and the wide variety of flora and fauna the reservoir holds. 

The students learned about the fundamentals of water testing, such as how to test for pH, or salinity in water systems, and the processes behind water transportation and storing into and out of the reservoir. 

Students also searched for and identified various organisms in different water systems, using results to discover the levels of pollution present in the systems. Students completed a worksheet detailing their findings and new knowledge about plants and animals and improving local water systems.

Outdoor Education Mountain Biking

On Friday 3 May, our year 10 outdoor education class travelled to O’Halloran Hill, and Craigburn Farm to experience mountain biking and the environment. 

Leading up to the excursion we have been learning about mountain biking skills, environmental conditions and risk management and applying this knowledge to adventure activities. We were fortunate to have a beautiful sunny day to walk the O’Halloran Hill shared trails at Glenthorne National Park. 

Everyone applied themselves well to developing their skills in the afternoon mountain biking session at Craigburn Farm and had a great time in the environment.