Year 7 Residential Update from Zhejiang October 2023

To succeed in the world, our students first explore it! Our residential programme is an integral part of our curriculum here. It broadens our students’ horizons and help them form lifelong friendships. We have worked closely with our service providers to ensure that the students will experience a wide range of engaging and educational activities that include elements of cultural immersion, challenge, and community building.

Date: Monday 23^rd October to Friday 27^th October, 2023

Please see daily updates from Mr. Simandan, Head of Year 7

Day 1

See photos of our Year 7 students. They've arrived safely at their accommodation and just finished checking in. After settling into their rooms they headed for dinner.

Day 2

The groups started early in the morning with their first activity. This involved hiking on a mountain trail, kayaking on a lake, as well as wall climbing. The second activity of the day got the students to work in teams to compete a challenge, such as making an F1 car, reading maps, testing the water for impurities, and navigating a spider web. Great Teamwork everyone!

Day 3

Today the students had a great time building their own F1 car. Apart from the fun of racing the card they built, the students also used their creativity and STEAM skills to actually design and assemble the car. They had to work as a team to out the car together and troubleshoot when the car lost a wheel and had to be quicky reattached.

Also "driving" the car raised a few challenges as there was no actual engine and teammates had to pull the car with the driver or send it down a slope and hope it arrived intact at the finish line. A great activity that challenged the students to design, assemble and race a car.

Day 4

On the fourth day of the Residential I heard so many students say: "I can't do this." They were in front of a 30-metre tall climbing wall, all geared up, helmets on, getting ready to start their wall climbing activity. And, again and again, as the students approached the wall, they kept saying "I can't do this". But what they learned today will remain with them for the rest of their lives. When faced with a challenge, gather your strength and put all you've got into accomplishing your goal.

Two hours later, all students climbed the wall. Some reached the top, others reached halfway, but all gave their best and now walk proudly knowing that they actually CAN do it.