City Experience

From Mon 26th to Fri 30th May, our Year 9 students took part in the much-anticipated City Experience, spending five busy days, braving the cold weather to explore Melbourne’s CBD. 

City Experience is an integral part of our Year 9 program, designed to build independence, deepen students' understanding of the community around them, and connect their classroom learning to real-world experiences.

Throughout the week, students visited a range of iconic Melbourne landmarks, participated in various activities. Highlights included the Shrine of Remembrance, the Eureka Skydeck, the MCG and Sports Museum, as well as the Queen Victoria Market. Students were also given the chance to explore the artistic and cultural side of Melbourne through visits to The Ian Potter Centre (NGV), the Australian Music Vault, and ACMI, where they engaged with creative exhibitions that brought Australia’s diverse cultural stories to life.

Activities such as the Amazing Race and Flash Forward tested their teamwork, problem-solving, and navigation skills through the city’s laneways and public spaces. Students also visited the Police Museum and learnt about homelessness, helping them to see Melbourne from new perspectives.

As part of the program, students moved through the city in small groups, with teachers rotating between them, promoting responsible decision-making and encouraging students to engage thoughtfully with their surroundings. It was a fantastic opportunity for students to practice key life skills like time management, group collaboration, and travelling on their own.

Highlights:

“My favourite thing about city experience was how we got a lot of freedom, and we could do a lot of fun things.” – Kira G

“My favourite thing about city experience was the MCG tour because we got to have a look around the entire ground, and got to use the museum which was cool” – Jordan P

“My favourite thing about city experience was the freedom that my friends and I got to travel around the city and try new things.” – Winnie M

“My favourite bit of city experience was going around in-between or after activities exploring the city and doing new things. I also enjoyed the activities because I would learn new things and find out more about the city, like the MCG tour because we learned about its history.” – Nathan H

“My favourite thing about city experience was doing the MCG tour and getting to go look at all the stuff in the museum and see things like the corporate boxes and the commentator’s box.” – Riley P

“My favourite thing from City experience was spending time with my friends and learning how to independently move my way around the city.” – Max P

The City Experience is always a highlight for Year 9, and this year was no exception. We are proud of how students embraced the independence, represented our school in the community, and grew in confidence as they navigated the bustling streets of Melbourne. We were incredibly proud of the growth we saw across the week.

A big thank you to all the staff who supported the program and to the students for their enthusiasm and engagement throughout it all!

Erin Robinson, Charlie Wakeham, 

Hervaye Lobriza-Kalt & Stuart Horner

Year 9 Team