Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School is a global member of the Round Square organisation. Round Square is an international organisation run on six pillars: Internationalism, Democracy, Environment, Adventure, Leadership and Service. There are many opportunities for Primary and Secondary students to get involved and benefit from the many experiences available. To learn more about Round Square please visit the Round Square Website.
Students and parents can log in and discover more about exchange opportunities, service trips and follow reports from conferences and Big Build projects. Please log in using the following details:
Password: ExploreMore
Round Square in Primary
Students in Year 6 have the opportunity to exchange with students from Radford College. It is hoped this opportunity may be offered again in 2023 in conjunction with the Canberra tour.
Student Exchange
Students in Year 6 have the opportunity to exchange with students from Radford College. It is hoped this opportunity maybe offered again in 2023. The School is investigating options for local exchanges for later in 2022.
Conferences
Students and teachers in Round Square schools have the chance to take part in age-appropriate local, regional and global conferences that bring them together with peers from different countries within our region to share perspectives, discuss topical issues, forge friendships, support local communities, and develop international understanding. Our School will be joining travel-based conferences in 2023 once host schools have been nominated.
Round Square in Secondary
Student Exchange
A Round Square exchange represents a unique opportunity for Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School students to become active members of the global village. To discover what they are truly capable of achieving, by embarking on an adventure to experience the life and traditions of another school and family. The students who participate in the exchange program would do so at a time that exposes them to as many of the ideals as possible. Being on exchange encourages students to:
• Step out of their comfort zone
• Live and learn in a setting that is different from their own
• Experience and develop a deeper understanding of different schools, environments or cultures
• Gain important life skills like empathy, independence, flexibility and cultural responsibility
• Be a positive ambassador for our School.
National Exchanges
Year 8 students take part in national exchanges. This type of exchange occurs with schools within the Australasian region and usually only within Australia. The exchanges are of a reciprocal nature in that students would go to another school for two weeks and then be expected to host their exchange partner for two weeks, or vice versa.
Your child would attend an exchange as an individual, although many exchanges usually involve two students from BCGS travelling to another school at the same time.
International Exchanges
Students attend an exchange as an individual, not as part of a group of friends and the length of the exchange can be between 6 – 10 weeks. Students learn to adapt to new situations and new circumstances plus learn through experience and a sense of adventure. All exchanges are conducted through Round Square Schools with a similar ethos to our School. In most cases, students would be exchanging with another student from the host school, ideally spending time with that student in their school before hosting them in ours, or vice versa. The other alternative is a direct swap of students, it depends upon circumstances.
Students learn what they are truly capable of achieving by embarking on an adventure to sample the culture and experiences of another school and country. The exchange program can offer them the experience of a lifetime if they are studying a LOTE – what better way to learn than being immersed in the culture of the language being studied!
Conferences
Students and teachers in Round Square schools have the chance to take part in age-appropriate local, regional, and global conferences that bring them together with peers from different countries to share perspectives, debate topical issues, forge friendships, support local communities, and develop international understanding. Host schools are still being organised for the regional conferences. The Round Square International Conference (RSIC) for students 16 years of age and over is being hosted by Brookhouse School in Kenya with the theme of The New Africa. Conference dates are: 1 October to 14 October 2023 this includes the pre-conference tour. Applications are now being taken.
Service Projects
Students and teachers in RS schools can take part in a Round Square International Service (RSIS) Project. Run to the highest standards of quality and safety, and BS8848 accredited, these bring together participants from Member Schools all over the world to work together in mixed international teams in support of communities in need. During the Pandemic, traditional RSIS projects have been paused for a while, but we look forward to seeing what’s ahead for 2023.
