Excursions

Year 9 Japanese Big Day Out

On Monday 26 November, the Year 9 Japanese and Literacy students went on an excursion to Adelaide. The day began with a tour of the Japanese Himeji garden, led by an Adelaide park ranger. It was really interesting as we were taught about how important the use of imagination is in Japanese gardens. Each plant, rock and pond is designed and located in specific positions to best allow you to use your imagination. Afterwards we participated in a scavenger hunt within the area before going to the Nagomi Japanese Restaurant for lunch. The Japanese fried chicken that was served was absolutely delicious! Once we had eaten lunch, we walked to The Voice Karaoke near the Adelaide Central Markets. We spilt into groups of ten and each group had a karaoke room. It was great fun singing to the different songs with the other students. The excursion was an amazing experience and showed us a different side to the Japanese culture. A big thanks to all the teachers who helped it to run so smoothly and made it such an enjoyable excursion.

Ashleigh Hollitt

Year 9 Student

Year 10 Outdoor Ed

On Wednesday 21 November, 22 eager Outdoor Education students to the UniSA Magill pool facility for a Kayaking experience. Despite the gale force winds, continuous rainfall and hail throughout the day, the Magill pool was a great opportunity for the students to practice their kayaking skills and have some fun in the water. With the guidance of experienced instructors, students had the opportunity to develop different kayaking techniques, learn how to perform an Eskimo roll in the kayak and were able to demonstrate their leadership and group dynamic skills. Overall, the day was a positive experience for all students, putting most out of their comfort zones and surprising themselves with what they were able to achieve.  Thank you to Mr Otto-Williams for assisting on the day.

Rachael Facchin

Outdoor Education Teacher

Year 9 Geography

On Friday 23 November, the Year 9 Geography cohort visited the Main Street of Hahndorf to investigate different elements of tourism. This excursion related to the topic of Interconnections and how we are globally connected through tourism. Hahndorf is a unique tourism site and is known as a ‘Honeypot’ destination – an area that attracts a large number of tourists which places a strain on the environment and local residents.

Before leaving, students were given background data on the demography of the local residents. They used this to create a hypothesis which they would assess using data collected in the field.

Throughout the day, students were required to collect two types of information. The first dataset looked at how land was used in the area, with students recording which areas were used for retail, commercial and industrial purposes. The second dataset required students to interview tourists in order to find out where they were from, how long they were staying and whether they would visit again. Students discovered from this data that tourists were travelling from places like United Kingdom and China.

With all of the data collected students used Google Maps to create graphical representations and to look for any spatial patterns. It was clear to students the influence tourism had on the main street with over 60% of properties being used for retail purposes. Within their reports students analysed all of the data and provided predictions on what could happen in the future if tourism decreases. Fortunately, as many pointed out, the data shows that tourism is strong in Hahndorf and shows no signs of slowing down. Well done to all students involved for their outstanding behaviour and positive interactions with the Hahndorf community.

Liam Sloan

Geography Learning Leader

Lutheran Schools Year 8 Public Speaking Competition

This year Endeavour College was ably represented by Eshaan Anand and Alicia Botten in the annual Lutheran Schools Year 8 Public Speaking Competition. They travelled to Concordia College to compete and were supported by Jasmine Dalzell and Ryan Mattner. All four students made contributions to the writing of the speeches that were presented. Eshaan’s topic was “A Most Memorable Moment” and he engaged the audience with his sense of humour and appealing anecdotes. Alicia’s topic was “A Glimmer of Hope” and captured the audience with her insight into mental health issues and the impact friends can have on those who suffer. The competition was very close, with the winning team being from St. Martin’s College, Mount Gambier. Both students represented the College admirably and are to be congratulated on their performances.

Sally Sandford-Morgan

Teacher