Global Learning
It has been a busy year for Global Learning. Our Round Square International Exchange Program sent nine students to host schools in Japan, Canada, USA, and the UK, and our girls hosted five students from Japan, the USA and South Africa. A group of four Year 8 girls also spent five days at Rockhampton Grammar School on a regional conference where they participated in a range of adventurous activities, while making friends from around the world.

2024 also saw the return of the Nepal trip with over 30 students accompanying teachers trekking in Nepal and visiting the Bhadure School.

2025 also promises to be a busy year for our girls, with students participating in the Model United Nations being held in South Korea in February, travelling to China on the Chinese Language Tour in April, and a small group travelling to Oxford in April as well to participate in the Round Square Inspiring Voices Big Baraza debating conference.

We are also planning to invite students in Years 10 – 12 who will be at least 16 years old in 2025, to attend the Round Square International Conference being held in Dubai in September. More information about this opportunity will be available next year.

Exchanges
This term we have welcomed back Sophie and Lainie from their exchanges in the UK. Both girls had amazing, life-changing experiences. We are grateful to their host schools, Westfield School in Newcastle and Cobham Hall in Kent, for their care and support of our girls while on exchange. We are also looking forward to hosting Sophie’s host sister India from the start of next year.

Please read Sophie and Lainie’s reflections below:

Sophie Wheeler
In September and October of this year, I was lucky enough visit Newcastle, England while on exchange. This time that I spent was definitely one of the best and most enjoyable things I have ever done in my life. The family that I was staying with were some of the kindest and most friendly people I have ever met, and I couldn’t have asked for any better. The relationships and memories that I have formed not only with my host family but with girls from both in school and out are now lifelong connections which I am so grateful for.

Being able to experience life in another country has changed my perspective on life and opportunities for the future, as it was amazing to visit part of the world so far away from what I’m used to. My time on exchange has taught me how to put myself out there when meeting new people and to not hold myself back. I was able to make so many friends while I was away who I someday want to visit again.

I honestly could not pick only one highlight from the trip; however, a main highlight of the experience would have to be all the different locations I was able to visit. Being able to travel to places outside of Newcastle such as, Edinburg, Glasgow, Leeds, the Lake District, and London were incredible. The difference in accents as you travel around the UK is something else. A few times I really had to focus to try and understand what some people were saying! I was also fortunate enough to see the Northern Lights from the front yard which was spectacular and is something I will never forget.

The time that we were at school was so much fun; it was actually very similar to Wildy. They also have house on a Wednesday and do similar work to what we do. However, the school that I was at was much smaller than Wildy, there were only 30 girls in the year level! Also, the school uniform was pink!

The experience that I had was amazing, and it wouldn’t have been the same without my host family and their efforts to make me feel as at home as possible. I cannot wait for a chance when I can go back to visit. Spending time hanging around, going to the shops, driving the quadbike, or playing pool are just some of the things that made everyday life so enjoyable. I will be having my host sister India come to stay at the beginning of next year and I really hope she has as much of a good time as I did. I honestly couldn’t recommend going on exchange more, it has taught me so much and has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

Lainie Reu
During September and October in 2024, I had the opportunity to go to England for a Round Square boarding exchange. Round Square is an internationally diverse network of 250+ like-minded schools in 50 countries on six continents that connect and collaborate to offer world-class programmes and experiences, developing global competence, character and confidence in their students. The Round Square ideals include internationalism, democracy, environmentalism, adventure, leadership, and service. They also believe that to equip their students for positive, active and engaged global citizenship they must offer them more than academic knowledge and qualifications, which includes exchange experiences.

I was fortunate to attend Cobham Hall, in Kent, an independent school for girls which is also co-educational in the sixth form (years 12 and 13). It truly was a ‘once in a lifetime experience’ and I thoroughly enjoyed my 6-weeks there. I am forever grateful to Wilderness School and Round Square for providing me this wonderful experience.

During my time at Cobham Hall, I participated in various boarding activities and trips where I developed strong relationships with my peers. Some more highlights from my trip include going into London to watch ‘An Inspector Calls’ at Alexandra Palace - it was an amazing experience watching a play in such an old theatre, spending some time in London and seeing the sights including Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, Notting Hill, Buckingham Palace, Houses of Parliament, etc, and I even watched an Arsenal vs Chelsea match, which was an awesome atmosphere. I also had the opportunity to explore the region of Kent, where I visited Rochester, Canterbury, Dover, and more. Kent has beautiful scenery, luscious landscapes and is a very historic region. I was enriched in thousands of years of history, much older than I have previously experienced. Cobham was the typical English countryside town with vast greenery and at certain times of the day, the sun lights up the surroundings in the most magical way.

My time away highlighted the importance of respectful relationships, community and everlasting friendships. An experience that emphasised this was when I attended a Rotary International meeting with the Gravesend and Meopham Rotary Club. I felt very proud to be following in the footsteps of my family legacy, with their long-time involvement in Rotary International. I was invited by a fellow Rotarian from the Rotary Club of Greenwich to attend. I had the honour of ringing the bell to commence the meeting and had the pleasure of wearing the presidential neck ribbon with all the past presidents’ badges. In addition, I was able to gain further insight into the history of Cobham Hall and its connection to Rotary, as the club holds their annual ball in the Gilt Hall. Overall, it was a very entertaining evening, and I absolutely enjoyed the experience.

Above all, I am extremely grateful for the friendships I developed and the many memories I made that will always have a special place in my heart. I am also grateful for the family friendships that allowed me to connect with some wonderful friends living in the UK, who looked out for me and were great hosts during my time at Cobham Hall, be it around the Kent region, in London and beyond.

From this trip, I gained independence in various ways, by travelling halfway across the world alone, and living in a different country alone. This experience has made me stronger and given me the confidence to take risks in the future. I said ‘yes’ to every opportunity that arose which enabled me to maximise the time I had and live out the experience to the fullest. I became more adventurous, developed resilience and had the time of my life! I have made lifelong friendships and gained a deeper understanding of what it means to be a global citizen. It’s safe to say I have caught the travel bug and have become friends with other international borders, so I now have people to visit around the world including Germany, the Netherlands, Japan and Thailand. In saying this, I was prepared to have a great adventure, make friendships and memories, but I was not prepared with how hard it was to say goodbye.

Stephanie Andrews
Head of Global Learning