06 December 2024
Earlier this term, six boys from St Peters College had the opportunity to experience a student exchange with three different schools – Hale School in Perth, Brighton Grammar in Melbourne and Knox Grammar in Sydney. I was lucky to partnered with a boy from Hale School. When I found out I had been selected, I had mixed feelings. I was really excited about all the fun stuff I’d be able to do and the chance to see another school, but I was also nervous about heading to the other side of the country and living with a family I had never met before.
It helped that Lachie, my exchange student came to Adelaide first. I got to know him while he stayed with us, and hosting him was heaps of fun. I loved showing him around Saints and introducing him to my friends and our school life. His two weeks went really quickly because we had lots on – Young House Dinner, Athletics Carnival, the Music Festival, and our Football presentation night. Outside of school, it was good showing Lachie the sights of Adelaide. He’s a massive cricket fan, so he loved the Adelaide Oval tour. We also went to the Power vs Hawks semi-final and did the Roof Climb. On the weekend, we took him to Goolwa.
A few weeks later it was my turn to head over to Perth and it was an unforgettable experience. It was really interesting to experience a different school. Hale School is huge – even bigger than Saints, but the buildings are not as old. Our uniforms are similar but they don’t have to wear ties in summer or pull up their socks. They have seven lessons a day instead of six, but don’t have mentor time like we do.
My host family was really friendly and made me feel at home. They showed me some amazing spots in Perth. One of the highlights was climbing across the iconic Yarra Bridge. The views were amazing and I got to zipline line from the top of the bridge. My favourite day was spent on Rottnest Island, where we explored the beautiful beaches, spotted quokkas, and biked around the island’s trails. Coming home was a bit chaotic. I only just made my flight, but my luggage didn’t!
I really enjoyed the exchange program and would highly recommend it to any boys thinking about it. I had the chance to explore a new city, go to a different school, live with a new family, and make new friends and memories I’ll never forget.
Charlie Johnson
Year 8 Student
