The College welcomed 25 educators from Saudi Arabia for a preliminary professional development visit on 19 July. This visit – the first of its kind in Queensland – precedes and anticipates a 10-week programme in Term 4, during which these visiting teachers will gain practicum experience at the College.

During this one-day visit, the Saudi Arabian teachers were warmly introduced to our professional and teaching staff, our robust International Programmes, and the multicultural aspects that enliven our College.

These teachers – all in-service English teachers from various secondary schools across Saudi Arabia – were interested in observing English, Humanities, and Drama classes and meeting our secondary students.

This professional development programme in Term 4 will allow the Saudi Arabian teachers to gain exposure to the Queensland English curriculum, and understand how we conduct lessons, teach content, and assess achievement in English and ESL programmes at the College. The teachers will provide in-class support as teacher aids and gain practicum experience with our multicultural student base.

The teachers will also attend professional learning sessions on select educational topics, develop their teaching skills, and establish learning improvement plans during the course of their visit.

The College hopes that this professional programme will enrich the cultural knowledge, awareness, and sensitivity of both our school community and the visiting teachers. We look forward to developing this professional relationship further during the upcoming term.

This term also commenced with two simultaneous – but very different – Study Tours from China.

On 30 July, we welcomed five students from our Sister School in China – Jiangsu Nantong High School. The students took part in English language lessons, class integration sessions, and were treated to an Australian wildlife show at the College. Our warm and hospitable host families allowed these visiting students to appreciate the Australian lifestyle and take part in leisure activities. The students also travelled to the Gold Coast and Sydney as a part of this tour.

This annual visit from our Jiangsu Sister School was complemented by the inaugural visit of Mingzhu School students to the College. On 30 July, we also welcomed 11 students from Mingzhu School in Changchun, China for the first time on a one-week study tour. The students completed English lessons at the College, and attended class integration sessions alongside a buddy student.