Trinity on Tour – Travels over the Summer break

When classes finished up at the end of 2023, it was just the beginning for some of our Co-curricular and interest groups as they headed off on tours before the flurry of Christmas. 

Whether travelling near or far, students were able to have unforgettable experiences, hands-on fun and create memories that not only last a lifetime, but shape their attitudes going into this New Year. 

Read  a little bit about each tour and the sights seen along the way below:

 

Water Polo Trans-Tasman Tour | Departed for New Zealand, 7 December 2023

No strangers to the water, students involved in Trinity’s Water Polo Program were able to get a taste of the game across the ditch as they headed to Auckland. 

The trip gave the students great exposure to high quality Water Polo as a variety of teams from Australia and New Zealand came together to compete against one another and grow in their own skills. 

“Our team had a mix of younger players in comparison to the other teams who were much older,” Mr Seamus Rodden says. “But this allowed many of our boys to grow as players and as a team.” 

 

Students were also able to engage in plenty of team-building activities as they spent time together both in the boarding house and as they explored the city of Auckland together.

 

Track and Field National Championships | Departed for Perth, 9 December 2023

Trinity’s Junior Boys, Intermediate Boys and Senior Boys teams all qualified through to the Australian Schools Challenge final in Perth through the high-quality performances at the NSW event earlier in the year. 

The Trinity Grammar School Track & Field squad was the only school across all of Australia to have teams in all three of these age categories at the event, with a strong squad of 23 athletes competing hard for both Trinity and for NSW. 

Perth’s weather was the team’s biggest challenge, with sprinters greeted by swirling headwinds, Middle Distance runners competing in scorching heat, and the jumpers and throwers hit with inconsistent winds that made finding any rhythm within an event a challenge. 

Despite this, the trip to Perth was one of the highlights of the 2023 Track & Field Calendar. The boys were outstanding, both in terms of behaviour and performance. Trinity’s medallists at this event were as follows: 

Gold Medals      

• Junior Boys – A Caridi (8Sc), M Chapman (8Du), J Karamanlidis (8St), C MacDonald (8WJ), P McMahon (7Du), D Simpson (8Du)

Silver Medals

• Senior Boys – L Gillard (11St), M King (12Ta), W Mansfield (11Ke), B Moloney (11Yo), I Murphy (11Ta), J O’Connell (10Ar), L Ratnavadivel (12Du), C Savoca (11Ta), B Stevens (12We)

 

Junior and Senior Space School | Departed for the USA, 10 December 2023

Off to explore intergalactic realms, students in Years 7 to 11 had a real treat as they headed off to the USA for a ‘Space Tour’ in collaboration with the Californian Association for Science Educators (CASE). 

Splitting into two different strands,the tours visited the Space and Rocket Centre in Huntsville, Alabama, Silicon Valley, and the Space Centre in Houston, Texas. 

After presentations from astronauts and NASA engineers, as well as STEM workshops – on topics that included building a heat shield and starting a business – the students were also able to get a taste of American life as they visited a university campus, the National History Museum, dined in restaurants, and cheered loudly at a NBA game. 

Not long after the boy’s departure, Trinity’s Headmaster was delighted to hear feedback from an employee of Air New Zealand on the behaviour of the students on the NZ-San Francisco leg of their journey. An excerpt from the email is below: 

“I just wanted to say that your students who were on board our flight were FANTASTIC! They were all lovely young men who showed all the crew, other passengers and their peers respect with lovely manners and attitude … I wish them all the best on their exciting trip.” 

 

 

Year 12 Visual Arts | Departed for Bundanon, 12 December 2023

Nestled near Nowra, Bundanon is the former property of the iconic Australian artist Arthur Boyd. Generously bequeathed to the people of Australia, Bundanon is now available for groups to visit as they learn more about various artistic techniques, develop their skills and immerse themselves in the rich landscape that New South Wales has to offer. 

Eleven intrepid students and the entire Visual Arts faculty headed to the property where they were able to engage in many different sessions, including: 

• En Plein Air Charcoal Drawing 
• Experimental Printmaking 
• Night Photography and Time Lapse 
• Artist Books 

Guided by the Bundanon staff and their teachers, they explored various methods and techniques, developing their own artmaking skills as they expanded on their skill sets, deepened their understanding of artistic processes, and gained confidence in their creative abilities. 

Through a diverse range of activities, participants honed their skills, generated new ideas, and forged lasting connections, laying the foundation for a fruitful and fulfilling year of artistic exploration and growth. Bundanon’s legacy as a beacon of creativity and inspiration continues to enrich the lives of aspiring artists, fostering a legacy of artistic excellence for generations to come.