In Week 5, Mr. Joel, Mrs. T, and the Gimmel class headed off on their 10 hour journey to Canberra. Safely guided by the immensely overqualified Dr. Brodie, the long journey went smoothly, and everyone arrived ready for a big week of learning, adventure, and plenty of fun.

After checking into our accommodation on Monday night, we headed out to the botanical gardens for a night tour. It was a great way to begin the trip and set the scene for what was to be a very busy few days.

Tuesday was our formal day and was packed with opportunities to learn about Australian democracy and government. We started at Old Parliament House with an electoral education session before making the short walk to Parliament House for a tour. We were lucky enough to see a packed House of Representatives before heading into the Senate for what turned out to be a particularly exciting session.

The Senate was definitely a highlight. We watched two very impassioned senators going hard at each other, and the students were so captivated that they did not want to leave! We also had the chance to catch up with Anne Webster once again, which is always a highlight of our Canberra trips.

After a busy morning of politics and history, it was time for something a little more energetic, with a stop at the Arboretum for some play before we headed back to our accommodation.

Wednesday was a more relaxed day, although there was still plenty to see and do. We started with an exciting visit to Questacon, followed by a trip to the National Zoo and then the Dinosaur Museum. It was a full day of exploring, discovering, and learning, with plenty of opportunities for the students to enjoy themselves along the way.

Thursday was our big fun day. We trekked out to Corin Forest for some snow play, tobogganing, and the alpine slide. There were plenty of smiles, plenty of snow, and no shortage of enthusiasm from the students. After that, we visited the Australian Institute of Sport before heading into an evening of adrenaline, with the students competing in go kart racing and laser tag.

It was an incredible week and one that the students will hopefully remember for a long time. A huge thank you to Dr. Brodie for giving up a week of his time to join us on camp.

He has officially overtaken Mr. Joel as everyone's favourite Thomas!

We are also very grateful to Mrs. T and Mr. Joel for all their help throughout the week.

Most importantly, a big congratulations to all of the students. They behaved wonderfully throughout the trip, embraced every activity, and represented the school exceptionally well.

It was a fantastic week in Canberra and a wonderful experience shared by everyone.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing funding to our school in the amount of $112.50 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.

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