Our High School students from Years 7 to 10 immersed themselves in inspiring, hands-on learning experiences during SAGE Week 2025. SAGE is a project in limitless learning – a unique curriculum offering that takes students beyond traditional classroom boundaries for a full week of real-world, interdisciplinary exploration.
SAGE encourages students to move beyond their age and stage of learning. Through creative, reflective and collaborative projects, each Year group took on a different challenge designed to build critical thinking, creativity and confidence.
Students participated in Shakespeare Bootcamp, The Rocks Quest, Opera on Kelly Street and Writing the Island in Tasmania.
Shakespeare Bootcamp
Year 7 students spent the week working with professional actors from the Sport for Jove Theatre Company. Students explored key moments from Shakespeare’s plays and learnt more about dramatic construction, rhythm, movement and performance.
Throughout the week, they unpacked Shakespeare’s language, themes and big ideas – discovering how his works continue to speak to questions of humanity, ambition and relationships. Their learning culminated in a performance on Friday afternoon where they celebrated their creativity and courage on stage in front of parents, carers and friends.
The Rocks Quest
Year 8 students explored the rich history and cultural layers of The Rocks, working in groups on a major research and curation project. Throughout the week, students took part in a range of activities including:
- an archaeological workshop at the Big Dig
- a guided walking tour of The Rocks
- an Aboriginal-led harbour cruise aboard the Tribal Warrior, learning Gadigal stories
- activities at the State Library of NSW
- a self-guided visit to the Sydney Modern Project at the Art Gallery of NSW
Students brought their learning together in a Night at the Museum showcase, where families explored displays, models and creative interpretations inspired by their inquiry question.
Opera on Kelly
Year 9 students took part in a challenging and rewarding week with Opera Express, working with professional singers, directors and composers to create original short operas from scratch.
Students were responsible for every element of their production – writing the libretto, composing music, directing scenes, designing sets, painting backdrops and performing. The process required teamwork and imagination as they turned their ideas into fully realised performance pieces.
Writing the Island – Tasmania
Year 10 students travelled to Tasmania and immersed themselves in a wide range of creative, historical, scientific and outdoor learning experiences. Split into specialist groups, they explored the island through hiking, writing, art, music, science and drama.
The Outdoor Education group followed some of Tasmania’s most striking landscapes, while Creative Writing students shaped their observations into reflective pieces and poetry. Visual Arts students sketched and painted in response to their surroundings, Music students developed original compositions and Drama and Film students created scenes informed by the island’s cultural and historical spaces. The Science group examined the island’s biodiversity and geology, investigating native species, coastal formations and the forces that have shaped Tasmania’s unique environment.
Across the week, students explored working farmlands, Port Arthur, Richmond Village, MONA and the Salamanca markets, as well as breathtaking vistas and local sanctuaries, viewing each place through Tasmanian history, local stories and creative practice. Living and travelling together also gave students the chance to build responsibility and teamwork as they cooked meals, shared daily tasks and supported one another on their way towards life in the Senior School.
Students will share their reflections and creative responses, including essays, poems, compositions and film pieces at a formal Showcase later in the Term.
SAGE Week remains one of the most valued parts of learning at IGS, encouraging students to think with purpose and work with confidence.
Since its launch in 2016, SAGE has offered students the chance to explore, create and collaborate beyond the classroom, gaining experiences that shape their transition into Senior School.
At its core, the program reflects IGS’s commitment to curiosity, creativity and community, celebrating connections to history, culture and one another. It reminds us that places such as Sydney’s Rocks and Tasmania’s trails are living stories, inviting students to explore, learn and leave their own mark on the world around them.
Thank you to all staff and students for making SAGE Week 2025 a memorable experience.
