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For TGS students, preparing to live in Beijing for three months means more than learning a few basic phrases in Mandarin. Under the guidance of teacher Sherry Zhang, these world travelers are learning as much vocabulary as possible, and are practicing their conversational skills and pronunciation on a regular basis. In addition to their language skills, they will travel to China armed with an understanding of the history and culture...

At TGS, education doesn’t end on Friday afternoon, take a few days off, and pick up again on Monday morning. Weekends provide even more time for learning, adventure - and fun. Of course, students spend weekends relaxing, studying, and preparing for classes, but they also spend their Saturdays and Sundays playing football (soccer), rock climbing, taking in a film, and exploring our host city. A weekend visit to the Taronga...

This term, students are learning about the history of the Australian people: the accomplishments and the challenges, the positives and the “uncomfortable truths.” To continue their studies in this area, TGS students visited the Museum of Sydney. During their visit to the museum, they were exposed to a time when not all residents of Australia had the same rights. The Museum of Sydney exhibit, "From Little Things Big Things Grow,"...

One of the most important aspects of TGS's approach to education is providing students the opportunity to be immersed in a diverse array of international cultures. The modern aspects of people’s daily lives, their beliefs, customs, arts, and government are all give students a more complete picture of how people live all over the world. Another very important piece of this puzzle is understanding the history of a culture: where...

Traveling the globe and stepping into new and different the cultures is one of the ways that TGS students gain a true understanding of how people all over the world live, play, work and learn. In a way, theater arts gives people a similar opportunity to learn about someone else’s life by stepping into their shoes, even if only for an hour or two. While in Sydney, TGS students have...

TGS students are exploring Australia from all angles: standing at the foot of the great trees of the Illawarra Rainforest, descending into the depths of the Kelly Hill Caves, and even clambering over the Remarkable Rocks. And now, they are taking a look at the Australia’s sea floor. This underwater excursion is part of a hands-on scientific research experiment investigating the biology and environment of Australia, where the students themselves...

“Xin Nian Kuai Le!” Happy New Year! Sydney boasts a vibrant and active Chinese-Australian community, and every year the city hosts a days-long celebration of the Lunar New Year. Having spent the last several months studying Mandarin language and Chinese culture with teacher Sherry Zhang, TGS students were excited to be a part of the celebration. They were also fortunate enough to take part in one of Sydney’s biggest Lunar...

TGS Teacher Marta Guevara recounts the climbing and rappelling trip to the Blue Mountains with Nick Sagar. JUMP, JUMP, COME ON you can do it! My body is frozen. My legs are feeling weak. I am paralyzed with fear. I need to jump on my back into a pool inside the canyon. I'm standing on a rock only 2 meters up, but it might as well be 50. I look...

TGS students recently left Sydney for an outdoor adventure: visiting the Blue Mountains. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Blue Mountains are renowned for their breathtaking views, fascinating geology and majestic scenery. The mountains are in close proximity to Sydney, and are often a popular destination for weekend getaways for locals interested in an outdoor retreat. The tour guide, Craig, provided great information to the students about the ecology and...

Nick Sagar, rock climbing expert, recently visited TGS to work with students and train them in climbing. As Nick describes below, he was teaching the students, but the students were also teaching him. Halfway around the world to visit 15 kids and show them climbing? Why? Not just any kids. These are TGS kids. All have stepped up to the challenge of another road, a different path. One less taken,...