Over the second half of last term and the start of this term, 17 students from Years 8 and 9 took part in the ANZNET Immersion Program. As part of the program, they hosted students from our sister schools in Melbourne for a week, before being welcomed in return by students in Sydney, Brisbane or Auckland.
All students involved embraced the opportunity to share their cities and school communities, while also experiencing life in another Sacred Heart school. The program highlighted both the unique qualities of each school and the strong sense of connection across the Sacred Heart network, united by shared values and goals.
Student Reflection by Holly Gleeson, Year 8
In June I flew to Sydney, after hosting my exchange student, Tilly in Melbourne, to experience a week as a Sydneysider and attend a new school. During my time in Sydney, I had many amazing experiences and learnt a lot along the way.
Experiencing Sydney
Through the ANZNET exchange program I was able to see and experience Sydney through the perspective of someone who lived there, and I enjoyed getting to learn things that only a Sydney “local” would know. I especially loved seeing the beautiful, secluded beaches on the Hermitage walk and the old-style houses in Paddington where I stayed.
Learning Independence
Of course, it was very hard being away from home but lucky for me I had a very welcoming and kind host family. However, I still had to be very independent like when my flight coming home got delayed and cancelled and some other girls from Sacré Cœur and I had to stay at the airport by ourselves for three hours or when my exchange host and I had a whole day out navigating and exploring the Sydney by ourselves.
Challenges and Highlights
When you do something new and different there's always challenges and for me that was being in a school full of people, I didn't know which can be scary but luckily, I had my friends from Melbourne with me and I also got to know new people who were friends with my exchange student.
But to make up for this there were lots of highlights too. I loved going to Watson’s Bay - as it is such a pretty spot. Seeing a beautiful sunset at Bronte Beach is another highlight and having a nice waterfront lunch in Mossman with my host family.
Overall, I enjoyed my time in Sydney and would highly recommend this exchange experience to anyone thinking about doing it. I am proud that I gave it a go and grateful for having this opportunity.
To find out more about our Global Connections Program please click here.
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