Global education

Sydney Drama Trip

Every two years the Drama department organises an optional trip for senior students to Sydney in the July holidays. This is to allow the girls to experience a wider range of dramatic performance than is normally available locally and also to learn a little of the history and culture, both general and theatrical, of Australia. In 2008 the highlight of the trip was the wonderful production of Billy Elliott. The girls also manage to make a little time for some very effective and efficient shopping. The next trip will take place in July 2010.

Chris Davidson - HOD Drama

Malaysia Geography/History Trip

July 2009 saw a group of 30 students and 5 adults embark on a 13 day excursion to West Malaysia.  This was the third such trip undertaken by the Geography/History department and it is seen as a special extension elective activity that is offered every second year.

Students are given significant responsibility to manage themselves as well as working as part of a team.  They are challenged by such things as new foods, the hot and humid equatorial climate, interaction with the Malay, Chinese and Indian cultures, as well as developing new routines and behaviour patterns.

The girls visited a Chinese Girls' High School and this gives them the chance to look at  their own values and hold them up and compare them with those of others.

This is a tremendous travel and life experience for these students and one which leaves them with many lasting memories.

John Seaman - HOD Geography/History

Noumea Trip 2009

In the first week of the school holidays, a group of Year 10 French students, accompanied by Ms Mustard and Mr Otto, went to Nouméa, New Caledonia in hope of improving their French. What we got was even better.

For most of the week we stayed with host families. We all formed really good friendships with our hosts while having the opportunity to use our French vocabulary and getting a taste of both French and Island culture all in one. The food, for example, is very different. They have a lot of bread; croissants, brioche, baguette and my favourite, pain au chocolat (bread with chocolate). The New Caledonians never snack between meals because their meals are so filling; they eat a three course meal every evening!

A highlight of the trip was a visit to Phare Amédée, a small island off the coast of Nouméa, where we snorkelled in the neon blue water, climbed up the lighthouse and had a buffet lunch while watching traditional dances. We even learnt how to tie a sarong and peel coconuts. It was very interesting (and a bit scary!) for us to see snakes around us both in the water and on land.

We spent a day at school while we were there. Most of us had to wake up at around 6 o'clock as school started at 7.30am. All the lessons were in French and they have seven lessons per day, with three intervals. In the second interval we ate a huge lunch at the canteen. After that we sang the school song, the national anthem and "Whaia e Koe" for the pupils, and then our host students performed dances and songs for us. The school day finished at 4.30pm.

Our fantastic trip ended with our group and our host students eating pizza on the beach, all singing "I'm Yours" with our ukuleles.

The trip to New Caledonia couldn't have been better for fun, friendship and French! We'd like to thank Ms Mustard and Mr Otto for making it happen.

By Liezl Söhnge - Student