We use the facilities in our local environment for our lessons. Our “City Experience” program is every day.
Simonds' close proximity to the inner city means we are able to take advantage of the many excellent cultural and sporting facilities to support and enhance our students' learning. We are fortunate that many activities are only minutes away.
Read about some of the learning experiences that take place in the city and beyond.
Year 7
Activity Week
In the last week of Term 3, the Year 7 students enjoy a week out of the classroom as they participate in Activity Week. They begin by taking a tour of the Melbourne CBD where they complete a research task and discover some of the hidden treasures in Melbourne. The week also includes a trip to IMAX, an excursion to the zoo, a team building day at Princess Park, and a para-liturgy at school to complete the week. Activity Week is an enjoyable and memorable part of the year for our Year 7’s at Simonds.
Melbourne Zoo (Parkville)
All Year 7 students visit Melbourne Zoo. We have designed a number of foreign language-based activities which are linked to Science. These allow the students to work on their Italian / Japanese vocabulary and science subjects in one of Melbourne’s most beautiful and inspiring settings.
Year 8
Queen Victoria Market
Year 8 Italian students visit Queen Victoria Market as part of a unit of work on “Food”. The produce is then prepared using the food technology kitchen facilities at St Mary's campus
Indigenous unit | Sketching in Flagstaff Gardens
Coinciding with junior years Arts curriculum, students further enhance their understanding of artists practice through an artist site visit and exploration through the Flagstaff gardens, less than 1km from the school premises. Students explore their understanding of native botanicals in relation to specific Australian artists, in a respected and connected part of the Koorie Heritage Trust, involved with government initiative, Yarra Healing.
1000 Steps Track
The year 8 cohort attends an excursion out to the Dandenong Mountains to take on the 1000 Steps track. This is a series of hiking trails to commemorate the Kokoda track that was travelled by ANZACS in the Australian Territory of Papua. The boys get a small taste of what a hike like that during World War 2 would be like and to imagine how it would be with heavy gear to carry, more mosquitoes and bugs and hotter weather to endure. After the hike, an ANZAC memorial service is held by the Park Ranger.
Year 9
Community Service
Immigration Museum
Italian and Japanese classes visit the Immigration Museum to gain a better understanding of Melbourne’s unique, multicultural history.
Year 10
Work Experience
During the last week of Term 3, Year 10 students complete work experience. This program allows our boys to fully participate in the adult world. They are required to complete occupational health and safety training, applicable to the industry placement. This is built into the careers course undertaken by the boys throughout Year 10.
The work experience places, situated throughout Melbourne and surrounding townships, vary greatly. The boys find placements in both small and large businesses in retail, hospitality, teaching, law and engineering. Excellent examples include a student shadowing a local member in state parliament, while another worked with the stats people at the AFL. Regardless of the work they undertake all students learn invaluable skills and have many memorable experiences.
Art Centre - Bell Shakespeare Company
Year 10 English students attend the Art Centre to view a production of Macbeth by the Bell Shakespeare Company. It is a great opportunity to use this fantastic resource at our door step which a just a few tram stops away. Students experience a professional production by a renowned company that brings to stage the words of Shakespeare. After studying the written text for weeks the students become immersed in the visual and aural aspects of live drama to gain a sense of what Shakespeare intended for his original audience.
Other
National Gallery of Victoria
With the National Gallery of Victoria only a free tram ride away, students regularly visit the gallery within their Arts units, enabling students to really gain a grasp for the subject, and the gravitas of the works created in a setting outside of a classroom.
Why imagine from a printout when the real work can further enrich their thinking?
COASIT (Carlton)
COASIT or Committee for the Assistance of Italians is located in Carlton only a short walk from our College. Coasit provides services for Italian migrants to Australia and their descendants. This includes a resource centre, an extensive cultural program of events, and Italian language programs support for VCE students enrolled in Italian classes.
Italian Institute of Culture (South Yarra)
This includes a resource centre, an extensive cultural program of events, and Italian language programs support for VCE students enrolled in Italian classes.
Palace Cinemas
Italian film Festival – (CBD, South Yarra)
HPE
Year 7 HPE | In Year 7 Health & Physical Education, the students use a range of local, community sporting facilities. Across the year, students use the football ovals and soccer pitch at JJ Holland Park, Kensington, and the Kensington Community Recreation Centre for Swimming and their indoor Basketball court (multiple sports). Both venues are within a 10 minute drive, making them easily accessible for a 90 minute HPE lesson.
Year 8 HPE | In Year 8 Health & Physical Education, the students use a range of local, community sporting facilities. Across the year, students use JJ Holland Park, Kensington for Soccer and Softball, Kensington Community Recreation Centre for Swimming and use of the indoor Basketball court (multiple sports). Both venues are within a 10 minute drive, making them easily accessible for a 90 minute HPE lesson.
Year 9 HPE | In Year 9 Health & Physical Education, the students use a range of local, community sporting facilities. Across the year, students use JJ Holland Park, Kensington for AFL Football and Body Conditioning, Kensington Community Recreation Centre for the use of the indoor Basketball court – Netball, Handball and other sports, and North Melbourne Recreation Centre, for Body Conditioning and Fencing (coaching through Fencing Victoria). All three venues are within a 10 minute drive, making them easily accessible for a 90 minute HPE lesson.