Waiting to board in Cairns prior to departure.

Our Japan Group had an early start at 4.30am today.  They are on the way!

2015 Sei Urusura Visit to St Ursula’s College

For ten days from late July to early August we hosted 16 Japanese students, the Principal Mr Satomura and English teacher Miss Shoko Takahashi from Sei Urusura Junior High School in Hachinohe. This is the 4^th year we have hosted groups from Sei Urusura who share our Ursuline heritage.

The group enjoyed a busy program of excursions, including joining in our Japanese classes, having English lessons, listening to a talk by our Indigenous Liaison Officer, Veronica Pegler, as well as going to a range of other classes. Our visitors found the animals at the Darling Downs Zoo very interesting and experienced their first sausage sizzle ever (they loved our sausages)! They also enjoyed making damper, learning about the olden days in Australia and trying to throw a boomerang at the Highfields Pioneer Park.

Thank you to our 16 host families who looked after our visitors so well. The long and tearful goodbye on Saturday 8^th August proved that strong bonds had been forged during the homestay. I would also like to thank the host students who were responsible for their guests every day at school.

The Sayoonara Party on Thursday 6^th August was a festive event. Our visitors expressed their thanks to their host families by writing and reading heartfelt letters, presenting performances from ballet, Odori (traditional dance), musical items and a comedy skit. Thanks to our chefs and kitchen staff we all enjoyed a delicious buffet meal.

It was clear that this homestay was a great opportunity for both our visitors and our students of Japanese here at school really benefited from the interaction and learn so much about each other. In our Year 7 classes we learnt how to use chopsticks (properly), were dressed in yukata (the summer kimono) and found out a lot about our visitors’ lives. The older classes had fun using their Japanese to learn more about our visitors as well as doing origami, and having fun with singing and clapping games.

2015 Sydney Eisteddfod Dance Tour

On Friday 24th July, the College Senior Dance Troupe, along with Mrs Whiting and Mrs Searston, travelled down to Sydney for the largest Eisteddfod competition in Australia, the Sydney Eisteddfod.

Whilst down there, the girls enjoyed two masterclasses with well-known Sydney choreographers, plus managed to squeeze in some sight-seeing and shopping around Darling Harbour and the food markets at Moore Park. For some girls, it was the first time on a plane, and the first time visiting Sydney. The girls were excited when, during their walk around Darling Harbour, they recognised areas where the Australian dance show 'Dance Academy' is filmed.

The girls at Darling Harbour

The girls outside the Sydney Dance Company, ready for their masterclass.

Attending a workshop with choreographer Shelly Moore, who taught the troupe a dance to the Piano Guys’ cover of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony.

The girls after their Commercial Jazz workshop at 'Brent Street', a prestigious dance studio,
with choreographer, Cassie Bartho.

Filled with adrenaline and the odd bout of nerves, the girls rose bright and early to prepare for their Eisteddfod performance. They performed superbly, alongside 37 of the best dance groups in the country, and were excited to receive second place for their efforts, with 97 points out of a possible 100 (only one point off first place!). Mrs Pawsey even flew down to see the performance, surprising them all! 

The girls ready to perform at the Sydney Eisteddfod.

A very excited Dance Troupe with Mrs Pawsey, Mrs Whiting and Mrs Searston after being
awarded second place! 

The girls had a wonderful experience on their dance tour, learning many new skills during their workshops, and gaining valuable performance experience. 

To view more photos from the tour, click here.

Exchange Students from Hachinohe Visit Highfields Pioneer Village

For the last 10 days, we have hosted 16 girls from Sei Urusura Junior High in Hachinohe. We have developed strong ties with Sei Urusura over the past few years, with them homestaying here in 2012 and 2013 and a day visit in 2014. Last year our first group of students (graduands) spent six weeks at Sei Urusura in the inaugural  immersion program. Erika Chumpia, Holly Vaughan, Rachael Wilson and Emily Banks had an amazing (and very cold) time in Hachinohe. This immersion program will continue into the future. Our connection with this Ursuline school opens up wonderful opportunities for our girls and we are happy to reciprocate by hosting them with our students who are studying Japanese.

During their stay, the girls travelled to Highfields Pioneer Village to learn some more about Australia's history and traditions.

Learning to make Aussie damper. 

Ready to put on the coals!

Learning the art of spinning Alpaca fibre into yarn.

Meeting a sixty year old cockatoo

Outside an old school building

Writing on slates (the first ever iPad!)

Viewing a traditional Aboriginal performance

Throwing a boomerang!

To view more photos of the visit, click here.

Thailand Group at Lone Pine

Comments from New Rochelle Tour

It is wonderful when Ursuline connections extend beyond that of our students.  On this tour we had two families who joined their daughter in New York at the end of the exchange for a family holiday. The Murphy family and the Lynch family met up in New York and celebrated the Christmas season.

Mater Dei [Thailand] Group visit 2015

On the 4th March a group of students and staff from Mater Dei Thailand arrived for a month long stay at the College.

They had a wonderful time staying in our Boarding House with the other boarding students, and visited classes each day.

The group also enjoyed visits to local attractions including a Pioneer Village, Cobb and Co museum and a visit with The Mayor of Toowoomba Paul Antonio at City Hall.  

Day trips were taken to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Dreamworld and Brisbane City.

The highlight of the visit for the Group was Lone Pine where they were able to get up close to our kangaroos and koalas!

Comments from New Rochelle Tour

"I would like to thank you so much for your organisation of the New Rochelle tour last year. It was such a wonderful experience and I am so glad Erin was a part of it. She had a fantastic trip, her host family was beautiful and she is still telling us stories of the things she did while over there.  It was very reassuring for us, as parents, to know that the trip was well organised with each part of the journey planned out before they left. We now hope that our other daughter, Laura, has the same opportunity to participate in the next tour.

Thank you again,
Kim and Danny McCosker "

Comments from New Rochelle Tour

Our New York Exchange Tour was very successful with the girls having a wonderful stay in New Rochelle.  Some of the comments from the girls...

"I was actually lucky enough to go and see 'Wicked' on Broadway and we were able to get a backstage tour! I am a drama student at school and this was really exciting for me to see the performance space of one of the most famous broadway shows and meet performers who are working professionally in New York City (a dream that many of my friends have). This was one of the highlights of the tour for me and an experience I'll never forget! - Louise Ryan"