Year 10 Canberra/Snow Trip has come and gone for another year and it was another fantastic experience for all. There was enough snow for everyone to have fun and Canberra even showed some sunshine. While the corridors and chambers of Parliament were much quieter this year - we witnessed the demise of Malcolm Turnbull as Prime Minister last year - we still experienced a few exciting encounters along the way. While at the War Memorial, we were unexpectedly able to participate in a Last Post ceremony alongside Dr Brendan Nelson, director of the Memorial. Then on our Saturday excursion to Tidbinbilla Reserve, we saw platypus up close in the wild. Some years they are shyer than others, so we were fortunate this year.

There are lots of happy memories that the Year 10s take from this trip, quite apart from how cold snow is when it gets inside your jacket! Whether it is Mr Cooney’s interminable playlist of country music, Mr Hedges alter-ego, Lachlan’s t-bar dramas, Claire’s numerous misadventures trying to get off the chairlift (and knocking Grace R off every time!), or a hundred other things we laughed about, we are thankful we all returned safely and in one piece. Special thanks to supervising teachers – Mrs Hansen, who coordinated the trip, Mr Hedges, Mrs Rinsma and Mr Cooney.

We would also like to thankfully recognize the contribution that the Australian Federal Government made to our trip. The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion, the Australian Government contributes funding of $60 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.