Three Rochester Secondary College Year 10 students had the opportunity to attended JMSS (John Monash Science School) in Melbourne from 3rd May until 21st May.

“The JMSS exchange program is a once in a lifetime opportunity for regional kids to experience the city life, as well as getting a great education in areas of science. Whether you're into science or not, I think the program is suitable for everyone.” – Neha Gosai

“My experience at John Monash was really great. The family I stayed with was really nice and took me out into the city and around Melbourne on the weekends. The subjects at the school were really informative and fun to be in.’ – Dana Mussared

It was a really great experience being a JMSS exchange student and being in Melbourne for three weeks. The teachers, students and even the other exchange students were very welcoming at the science school. I learnt a few things at the school and it was really great being able to come back to Rochester with new knowledge and experiences.

Some of the activities we did included dissecting organisms to further explore how they survive and their structure. We got to choose two science subjects out of a list, mine were Aquatic Fieldwork Studies and Astrophysics. We also joined in other classes like English, Maths and I continued my Year 11 Biology subject.

The weekends were definitely memorable. We got to explore the city of Melbourne with our buddies and planned a few days with the friends we made at the school. The homestay family I had were beautiful people, it felt very welcoming and it was overall a pleasure to stay at their home. The whole exchange was a great experience, and to other students who are thinking about it next year worrying about catching up with work when they get back to school, don't stress because this experience was definitely worth it. –

Jemima Gill

Acting Principal

Mr Chris Sanders