A Lesson in Teambuilding

Last week on September 8-10, the Year 12 and 13 International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme students embarked on a bonding trip to the Berkshires at Camp Beckett. The trip consisted of multiple team building activities, challenges and community service, which the students- including myself- had to overcome.

Day One: From the very beginning we were put into assigned groups for the bus ride. Mixing the genders and year groups provided each of us a chance to get to know and talk with one another. These groups changed half way through the journey so everybody got the chance to communicate with someone they might not have known before. The bonding continued when we got to the camp as we did team building activities for the rest of the evening. Among the activities, canoeing was especially nice because we had to work as a team to maneuver the boats, which seemed like a new experience to all of us. Another upside was the view we got from the lake as the sun set, shimmering and reflecting off of the water. We then had dinner followed by a walk and campfire.

Day Two: All of the students got the chance to pick a college they wanted to visit, with choices including, Smith College, Amherst College and Hampshire College. I went to Smith, which is an all-girls college. We had a tour and an information session. It was an interesting experience for me because I haven’t looked into colleges that much, so this gave me a perspective of what I can look forward to.

We also got to have lunch with a BISB alumnus, Athanasia, who currently goes to school at Smith. It was nice to see her and hear her opinion of the school. Still, the best part was the view: the campus was beautiful! After our visit we went back to the camp site and worked on some community service, building mini sheds for Camp Beckett. Lastly, we ended our long day with a relaxing walk along the lake to a different campfire than the previous night, where we ate well deserved s’mores. This campfire, along with its beautiful view of the lake, is my fondest memory of the entire trip.

Day Three: On the last day we all packed our belongings and it seemed as if nobody wanted to leave. But we had one more activity: the high ropes and zip line. This provided each of us with a challenge that we had to overcome. Even though each of the students were stepping out of their comfort zone, everyone participated and it turned out to be an extremely fun experience.

I enjoyed the trip a lot, and will look forward to it next year when I’m a senior and get to mentor the younger year.          

-- Victoria Wu

Year 12 student