YEAR 10 IMMERSION

The Year 10s had been long awaiting their turn for Immersion in 2021, ranging from spending a week in the Daintree Rainforest to working with children at the Queensland Children’s Hospital.

However, due to COVID-19 restrictions early in Term 3, an alternative on-site Immersion program at the College was put into place. While it was still not the Immersion we had anticipated, it was an extremely enjoyable and worthwhile experience.

On the first day, we engaged in basic First Aid with Mr Sedour where we learnt invaluable lifesaving skills, such as CPR and treating snakebites. Art with a Difference with Ms Ellis involved painting facemasks in the context of Coronavirus. Next, Red Frogs discussed masculinity and how they assist young people during Schoolies Week. Australian Olympic Swimmer and Red Frogs member Mr Daniel Smith, shared his struggle with substance abuse and how he overcame his addictions to achieve great success in the pool.

To conclude day one, we split into House groups and placed items into a time capsule to be opened in 20 years’ time, on the 150th anniversary of the College’s establishment.

Day two of Immersion started with the founder of the Emmanuel City Mission Mr Roby Curtis speaking about what this organisation does to help the homeless. This got us all thinking about what we could do to help the less fortunate. In our next session, Mr Toohey and Mr Cross led us in traditional Indigenous games and Mr Gale gave us the opportunity to use a boomerang, spear and woomera. Ms Nicola Bone then led us through meditation activities and yoga while we listened to music through personal headphones. The range of yoga abilities among us proved extreme! After lunch, we took part in separate activities, ranging from Tuchekoi Rules, burgercooking classes and bushwalking.

On our final day of this amazing Immersion program, we participated in Physical Education activities with Mr Toohey and Mr Cross, involving each House running an hour-long relay. The winning Houses received a donation to their House charity. We then were met by Br Damien Price who introduced us to three incredible people with muscular dystrophy, one of whom was a Nudgee College Old Boy. Thanks to Br Price for organising this memorable and thought-provoking experience.

Our third session for the day was cultural singing with Mr Mohenoa and Mr Stewart where we learnt a traditional Fijian song. Our final activity was the pinnacle of our Immersion experience – challenging us to set an Australian world record of a one-hour aqua aerobics session with 150 people. Unfortunately, we did not have enough students to set this record, but it was still a wonderful way to end our Immersion experience.

On behalf of the Year 10 cohort, I would like to give Ms Kennedy a massive thank you for making this Immersion program possible. The activities we participated in gave us all plenty to think about in regards to helping others and seeing the bigger picture. A further thank you to the Identity team and the countless other teachers who gave their time behind the scenes to make these incredible three days happen. While it was not what we were expecting Immersion to be, all of us had a remarkable time – an experience that we will treasure for many years to come.

WRITTEN BY YEAR 10 STUDENT JACOB GILLAM