Canberra Study Tour

At long last, St Andrew’s School was able to reinstate the wonderful Canberra Study Tour, and what an amazing week we had in beautiful sunshine.

The tour involved visits to many attractions and gave students an insight into Australia’s history, culture, heritage, and system of government.

The itinerary included a visit to Parliament House, where we were joined by Mr Ritchie and were lucky enough to see both the House of Representatives and the Senate in action. Our students enjoyed meeting Mr Steve Georganas MP and participating in an education session at the Parliamentary Education Office, where they role-played passing a bill with amendments.

Other highlights included:

• Sportex at the Australian Institute of Sport, testing stamina and flexibility.
• Learning how to vote at the National Electoral Centre.
• Moments of reflection on Anzac Parade and the Australian War Memorial.
• Questacon and the ever-popular ‘free-fall’.
• Discovering the origins of Canberra at the National Capital Exhibition.

The week was highly enjoyable and fast-paced. Our Year 6 students are to be commended on how they engaged with all activities, showing curiosity, respect, and a thirst for learning. Thank you to the other staff accompanying the tour, Cerys Phillips, Donna Longden, Jack Yang, and David Hodges, who looked after the students while they were away from home.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of 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 study tour, the Australian Government contributed funding of $90 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate Programme. This rebate is paid to the School and is used to partly fund the tour.

Heather Wood
Year 6 Teacher & Canberra Study Tour Coordinator

South Australia's State Parliament and Government House Tour

To round out their study tour, Year 6 students from St Andrew's School visited South Australia's State Parliament and Government House. They were hosted by the Hon Justin Hanson, MP, and the Hon Heidi Girolamo, MLC, who guided them through the halls and grounds. The students were able to learn about the workings of our state government and ask questions of their knowledgeable hosts. This visit complemented their recent trip to Canberra and gave them a great opportunity to learn more about how our democracy works.