On Friday 20 September, six of our Year 10 students departed for Samoa. Ashton, Dusty, Imogen, Mason, Mitchell and Nicole were joined by other students from ASC Schools in Australia, spending their two-week school break on a service trip to All Saints Anglican School in Apia, Samoa.
Service Learning trips to Samoa offer a unique opportunity for students to engage with local communities, learn about Samoan culture, and contribute to meaningful projects. Our students found this immersion enlightening and transformative, gaining a new perspective on life and the importance of community service. The experience was described as an amazing opportunity that provided the students with valuable insights and a deeper understanding of global citizenship. Expressions of interest for ASC Samoa trips in 2025 will be communicated to eligible students in Term 4.
There have been two Samoa Immersions this year, where John Wollaston students have served the Samoan community. Thank you to Alexis, Ashton, Aurora, Eva, Dusty, Imogen, Mason, Mitchell and Nicole for your contribution to the All Saints Anglican School community in 2024. Students from our recent immersion have shared some of their experiences below.
Samoa was definitely a once in a lifetime experience. It was enjoyable immersing myself into Samoan culture, tradition and lifestyle. Meeting the people from different schools in Perth and Melbourne, formed long-lasting friendships which I will cherish forever. Joining the All Saints Samoa kids was one of my highlights of the trip. Seeing their faces light up to welcome us inside and wave us goodbye each day was so encouraging for the new day ahead. I am forever grateful to the people who organised and made this happen, such as Reverend Jones and Tanu, our cultural advisor. Exploring Samoa’s most popular sceneries such as the Tu Sua Trench and Lalomanu was breathtaking. The cultural villages added an element of discovery to the experience. Overall, Samoa is an amazing destination that offers a perfect blend of tradition, nature and friendships which is an experience I would highly recommend. Nicole
After going to Samoa and visiting the school, I realised how lucky I am to be able to have the right educational equipment and help as when we were in Samoa there were just happy to get books and other resources. Mitchell
At the start I didn’t get why people called it Beautiful Samoa but once I finally got there I understood what they meant. Samoa isn’t just beautiful because of the land and oceans, its’ people are what make it shine. The people there are so nice and make you feel like family. The kids in the school are so well mannered and polite, it just makes you want to stay forever. The land makes you feel like your in a fairytale book. The environment there is just beautiful and stunning! One of my highlights was To Sua Ocean Trench. The water was crystal clear, where you could find crabs, baby fish and huge sea cucumbers! Overall Samoa was an amazing place to go and a once in a life time opportunity that can changed my perspective on things. I would encourage students to go on this trip. You meet so many people and create lots of friends. You will have a great time no matter what. Imogen
Samoa was a fun learning experience for us all, spending time with the less fortunate kids across the road, as well as getting to know each other better and creating new friendships that will last a lifetime. Ashton
It was a trip of a lifetime and an experience I will never forget. Dusty
