New Opportunity for Joiners!

As the new year continues, we are excited to invite Year 9 students to join the Duke of Edinburgh program! The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a program designed to help young people build skills, confidence, and resilience through activities like volunteering, physical challenges, and adventurous hikes—including the chance to travel to Tasmania or even Cambodia. The program has three levels—Bronze, Silver, and Gold—and is all about personal growth and stepping outside your comfort zone. Please follow the link for more information about the award https://dukeofed.com.au/

Gold Residential Experience - Cambodia December 2024

Reflection on Cambodia: Olivia S

As part of the Duke of Ed Gold Award, 16 girls had the incredible opportunity to travel to Cambodia. This experience allowed them to immerse themselves in a completely new environment and gain insight into the culture and daily lives of young children and adults living in poverty. Accompanied by Ms. Silburn, Ms. Bradstreet, and two ex-students, they learned about Cambodia’s rich, yet deeply tragic history while connecting with hundreds of students across three different schools, including the Happy Days School which provides underprivileged children in Cambodia with essential English education—an opportunity they might not otherwise have.

Thanks to the generosity of our Stella community, we were able to raise $17,000 through our auction site and take over hundreds of donations, including bikes, clothes, stationery, LEGO, and other toys. The excitement and gratitude from the students was truly heartwarming, and it was amazing for the girls to see first-hand how these contributions made a real difference.

During their three days visiting the schools, they spent time talking, playing, and sharing moments with the children. Their joy and gratitude were unlike anything they had ever experienced. One of the highlights was providing 40 new bikes and handing out fresh uniforms to every student at one of the schools. They also had the chance to meet ex-students that Stella Maris has sponsored to attend university, seeing the long-term impact of our support.

Beyond their school visits, they explored Cambodia’s stunning landmarks, including the famous Angkor Wat and the temple where Tomb Raider was filmed. They also visited an elephant sanctuary, where they had the unforgettable experience of walking, feeding, hugging, and washing the elephants. Another highlight was visiting the APOPO Rat Centre, where they learned about the incredible rats trained to detect landmines, helping to clear Cambodia’s land safely and effectively. Throughout the trip, they enjoyed authentic Cambodian cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner—and even took part in a cooking class one day!

This trip was truly life changing. It gave me a new sense of appreciation and gratitude for everything I have. Seeing the resilience and happiness of those with so little was inspiring, and I will carry these lessons with me forever.

Myall Lakes Silver Canoe Adventure November 2024

Reflection: Ruby C, Year 11

Last year, 22 Year 10 girls were lucky enough to experience a five-day canoe trip around Myall Lakes. It was an extremely challenging and tiring trip but made us closer to one another and created a lot of funny memories. We learnt how to work as a team and push against our limits to succeed. We paddled over 80km in the canoe in five days where we faced some extreme weather conditions including lightning, thunder and white cap waves. Some days were made even more challenging by the extreme heat, but we were able to jump in the water and cool ourselves down to feel a bit better. By the end of the trip, we learnt how to navigate as a team and lead the group in the direction of our campsite using only a map and a compass. 

One of our favourite highlights was when we sat in our canoes absolutely exhausted and not able to keep paddling and tell randoms stories to each other which created a lot of laughter. Ms Silburn and Mr Ford were lucky enough to hear about it and by the end they knew everything about each of us. One of the girls also brought a speaker which was very exciting as we could blast our music all throughout the day to help us keep paddling. Moana songs were very popular as we sang the whole soundtrack on repeat.  Thank you to the teachers who made it all possible.

Glenworth Valley Horse riding Silver Adventurous Journey 2024

Congratulations to the five very capable Year 10 girls who completed their silver adventurous journey on horseback in the beautiful Glenworth Valley. The girls completed lessons in horsemanship, cross-country riding, and trail riding whilst camping and remaining self-sufficient for the five days. The girls thoroughly enjoyed their experience and were praised by the staff for their maturity and enthusiasm.

Dates for the diary:

• Bronze Introductory Training Afternoon (new award participants): 11 March, 3.30pm - 6.00pm
• Silver Snowy Mountain Adventurous Journey: 4 –9 April
• Gold Tasmania Three Capes Adventurous Journey: 25 – 30 April
• Bronze Pack and Paddle Adventurous Journey: 12 –14 June