The Zoom meeting allowed the students to engage directly with educators and curators, and provided activities linked to history, literacy, and creative arts.

The students examined convict love tokens with curator Mel Flyte and found out the stories of the convicts who made them. One made by a female convict was very rare.

Convict love tokens provide a personal perspective. They were hand-made, and passed from one person to another during a time of sadness. Love tokens represent the heartbreak of being separated from family and friends.

The St Joseph’s Year 4 students made their own love tokens and sent images of them to The Living Museum in Sydney. The students described the virtual excursion as an amazing experience.

Year 4 teacher Donna McMillan said the students embraced the opportunity of the virtual visit to the Hyde Park Barracks, which is suitable for students in Stages 2 and 3.

Some of the student responses included: “We are so happy to have these experiences and feel like we have still had a wonderful learning experience even though we couldn't visit in person during these uncertain times.”

And: “During the virtual excursion we could ask questions via the Zoom Q&A chat function at the bottom of our screen. We were excited that our questions were answered, and thrilled to join 8000 students around the state to share this excursion.” 

St Joseph’s has now booked in for another experience to further develop students’ understanding of convict life.

To find out more about St Joseph's Primary School, Merewether, head to our website.

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