Updates from Year 9
There’s something about getting students off site early in the year that shifts the tone. There’s a sense that something new is beginning.
Year 9 Vision Day – Japara House
Our first excursion for the Year 9 Journey program took us to Japara House for a day focused on vision setting, team building and values conversations. It was a deliberate pause at the start of the year. Before assessments. Before the rush. Before habits settle in.
The aim was simple: Who do you want to be this year?
Throughout the day students rotated through team challenges that required communication, patience and a surprising amount of strategic thinking. Some groups discovered quickly that enthusiasm without listening doesn’t get you very far. Others learned that quiet voices often carry the best ideas. There were moments of laughter, moments of mild frustration, and then those satisfying breakthroughs when a team suddenly clicked.
Between activities we created space for deeper conversations. What do we value? What does success actually look like? What kind of culture do we want to build together? Students reflected individually, shared in small groups, and began articulating goals that go beyond marks on a page. The tone of the day was intentional and honest.
It set a strong foundation. Not just for learning, but for who we are becoming as a cohort.
City Excursion 1 – Navigating Melbourne
In Week 3 we shifted gears entirely and headed into the city for our first Melbourne immersion experience.
Students were in small groups and given a structured scavenger hunt across the CBD. The task required planning routes, managing time, reading maps, and making good decisions together. For many, it was their first time leading the logistics themselves rather than following an adult step by step. One highlight of the day was visiting the Eureka Skydeck. Standing 88 floors above the city provides perspective in more ways than one. Students were able to see the very streets they had been navigating below, tracing the Yarra, spotting Flinders Street Station, and identifying the grid pattern of the CBD. It was a practical geography/orientation time, a confidence builder, and a moment of shared awe.
From there, groups moved through various city locations as part of their challenge, working collaboratively, and mostly staying accountable to their timeframes. Students encouraged one another, problem solved under pressure, and demonstrated growing maturity as the day progressed.
Most importantly, they returned having learned something real. How to catch a train, how to recover when you get on the wrong platform/train/run late. How to make decisions as a team. These are life skills that don’t fit neatly into a worksheet but matter deeply.
A Big Thank You
None of this happens without a committed team.
A sincere thank you to our Year 9 teaching and pastoral care team who continue to invest energy, thought and care into this cohort. The preparation behind the scenes, the calm guidance in busy city spaces, the relational work during values discussions, it all adds up. They are doing a fantastic job setting the tone for the year. It has been a strong and positive start overall.
Tim Eddy
Year 9 Coordinator & Deputy Head of Secondary
