Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting the staff and students from our sister city, Taiji, in Japan. The special relationship with our sister city resumed last year in 2023 after being impacted by COVID for several years. We were delighted to once again welcome our visitors and see the relationship continuing.
In April of this year, staff and students from St Mary’s College and representatives of the Brome Shire Council visited Japan. Everyone involved in the Taiji immersion program was eagerly looking forward to spending time together once again. Those students interested in joining the immersion in 2025 were also keen to participate in several of the planned activities.
The program for the week included:
- Cable Beach swim and sunset on the first day, complete with a round of mini-golf and pizza with our students and staff.
- Whale watching tour and a BBQ dinner. A big thank you to Broome Whale Watching and the Broome Shire for a magnificent cruise and we saw so many whales!
- Official welcome assembly on the Secondary Campus followed by a moving ceremony at the Japanese Cemetery attended by selected St Mary’s College staff and students, Broome Shire and Broome family representatives with Taiji connections.
- Camel rides on Cable Beach and fish and chips watching another beautiful sunset.
- Primary Assembly and class visits, thank you Miss Sarah for a Japanese themed art activity
- A tour of Marine Biomedical, a big thank you to Pat Moase and team (Shinju Pearl)
- Broome Shire Civic Reception at the Civic Centre- beautiful performances by St Mary’s College students and a Taiji Junior High student
- Secondary Classes including cooking classes, Dungeons and Dragons session, art class, physical education classes, and a Japanese language class. Thank you to our Teachers for including the visitors in your classes.
- Fishing and fish and chips at the Town Beach Jetty sponsored by Shire of Broome
- Farewell dinner catered by Broome families
The Habitat Resort deserves a big thank you for their ongoing support in providing an amazing location for our visitors to feel at home. We also appreciate the collaboration and assistance from the Shire of Broome. And it was such a privilege to witness the mutual respect between the local Broome families and the Japanese community guiding and engaging with us during this time, as they shared their combined history and culture.
We take this opportunity to remind parents and students that student applications for the 2025 Taiji Immersion are now open. Please contact Ms Anthea Demin for more information.
