Year 8 China Trip

We had a blast!!!

We had the absolute privilege of escorting 15 of our year 8 students to China on the inaugural visit to our sister school the International Bilingual Academy of Huizhou No 1 Middle School. For five days we lived the life of students and staff at a Chinese boarding school.

The days were long, beginning with a wake up call at 5.45 am for morning exercise at 6.30am. Classes went from 7.30am to 9.30pm with substantial breaks for lunch and dinner before lights out at 10.30pm. As teachers we were astounded with the commitment to learning of students and the impact of no digital technology on this.

The hospitality of the staff and students was amazing and we were all treated like rock stars wherever we went. Many students had never seen someone who is not Chinese in real life so they were all wanting to talk with and get to know us. At times it was overwhelming.

We also spent 4 days in Beijing visiting popular tourist and historical sites including:

The Olympic Precinct
Tienanmen Square
The Forbidden City
The Temple of Peace
The Great Wall of China
The Market

You could not have asked for a better group of students to travel with or a better school to visit.

We are now excitedly looking forward to the sister school visit to us. Each of the students who attended the Chinese school will be welcoming a Chinese buddy into their home for a home stay experience. The Chinese students will be attending classes at Wantirna College for a week with the intention of learning as much about our culture and practice as possible.

Catherine Ford and Dina Mingos

My China trip experience was amazing due to the fact that I had great sister school buddies and they made me enjoy my time in China. I am glad we have a great sister school and that we chose that particular school. In the end, it was a fantastic trip and I hope the connection between both schools stays strong.

Tameka Lewis

My highlight for the China trip would be the visit to the kindergarten because I really enjoyed doing all of the fun activities with the younger children and learning about what they learn. All of the teachers and kids were really nice and welcoming from the moment we got there. My favorite part of the trip to the kinder was when they did a performance with them and we had to join in even when we didn't know the steps. it was so much fun and I loved spending time with China's younger generation.

Jordan Brooke

My highlight of the trip was experiencing a different lifestyle, the way they live, eat, and work. It was very different compared to our lifestyle as they start school at 6:00 am and finish around 9:00. The foods they eat are also very different compared to ours. It was also a great experience going to Beijing, and going to different cultural places.

Jaryd Hammant

One of my highlights of the trip was making new friends not only with each other but with all the other kids at the school. I didn't think that being at the school would be much fun, but it was a lot of fun. I loved being in class with my buddies, even though I didn't understand what the teachers were saying half the time it was so much fun and we all really want to go back to the school. I didn't expect everyone to be so nice. The last day at the school was really fun, but really sad because it meant we had to leave all our friends and fly to Beijing. it was sad because when I had to say goodbye to my buddy Rocky because he had to go home, I ask if I could hug him and he said yes, but when he had to leave he started crying and that made me cry and I made my teacher and Mind cry. I am so excited for our buddies to come to Australia and stay with us.

Faith Pike

During my trip to China I really enjoyed the experience of going to school and seeing how different school in China is to school in Australia. I also really liked the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and the Flea market. It was really nice getting to know people that I go to school with and developing knew friendships.

Madison Broder

The highlight of the trip for me would’ve been getting to walk along the Great Wall. I’d seen pictures and been told about how long it was, but seeing it in person was completely different. The size of it was beyond imagine.

Shelby Nation Bates

My best memories in China are going to the Great Wall Of of China and meeting the people in the sister school. The Wall was not how I thought it would look and the school was very different to our school, I would love to go back.

Isabella Doughty

The highlight for me on this amazing cultural experience was The Great Wall of China because the views were priceless and the climb wasn't too bad.

Emily Peters

Footage of our Students in China

Check out some of the videos of out students. Look out for their appearance on the local TV news.

https://www.facebook.com/wantirnacollege/videos/601836260298201/?t=7

https://www.facebook.com/wantirnacollege/videos/649444395495346/?t=28

https://www.facebook.com/wantirnacollege/videos/271234890471400/?t=19