Our Week Without Walls program continues to grow and this year, approximately 400 students took part in eight different trips around China and abroad. Students faced new challenges, made new friends, developed new skills and had a week of unique learning experiences and adventures outside the classroom.
Year 6: Yaolin
Year 6 students travelled to Yaolin in Zhejiang Province and had a terrific week of adventure and team building. Activity highlights involved a night camping, building a raft, starting a fire, rock climbing, archery, and dragon boating. Despite some rainy days, students and staff were in very high spirits and it was a very positive and meaningful experience for everyone.
Year 7: Yangshuo
Through grit and determination, students and teachers battled the elements to experience abseiling, rock climbing, archery, orienteering, biking, cooking, fan painting, tai chi, the famous Yangshuo Light Show and the infamous rain. Students took away valuable life lessons, such as resilience and the importance of a good waterproof jacket!
Year 8: Sanya
Year 8's were blessed with sublime, sunny weather, perfect for enjoying the water-based activities. The highlight was unquestionably surfing. All students managed to stand up and surf a wave, with some becoming very proficient in a very short time. Special mention goes to the water park, which pushed students to climb countless flights of stairs and challenged us to achieve new levels of bravery on the 'Cobra!'
Senior Secondary
Thailand
Thailand trip was very fun and fulfilling for students. The mix of hands-on work (feeding and bathing elephants at a rescue park, picking up their droppings, planting trees) and action (river rafting, hiking through the Chiang Mai jungle, learning about the city on a scavenger hunt) meant that our students were able to achieve their primary goals. The true highlight and the most impressive and notable aspects of the trip was witnessing students come together as a group, dissolving the border between the different year levels. Getting to know and value the contributions of all the year groups expanded students' knowledge and awareness of their classmates and helped them move beyond their comfort zones. Students deserve a lot of praise for their hard work and willingness to challenge themselves.
Cambodia
Students' work ethic during the building and painting of the local school was fantastic. They thoroughly enjoyed helping others and many of them donated clothes and stationary to the school. Other days were spent viewing temples, kayaking, playing team building games, attending a cooking course and visiting a market.
Yingde
Senior secondary students experienced the beautiful countryside in rural Guangdong province in all its luscious, wild and wet glory. Hiking over mountains, between paddy fields and through caves, students encountered water buffaloes and extreme weather conditions, while having their endurance and survival skills tested to the limit. The students' positivity, determination and team spirit guided them safely through the mud to the peaks of tea plantations.
Yunnan
In Yunnan, students tried activities for the first time, like rock climbing and mountain biking. They engaged well with students at a local school, and filled two classrooms with colourful murals that made the school feel much warmer.
Singapore and Malaysia
The trip to Singapore and Malaysia had an IGCSE Geography focus. In Singapore, students performed experiments to delimit the central business district as well as exploring the city, shopping and a trip to the night safari. Learning continued in Malaysia with fieldwork on beaches, rivers and waterfalls as well as snorkelling, birdwatching and a cultural dinner and show.
What we learned from Week Without Walls
We made some mistakes today in our navigation, and then we tried to involve everyone in order to find the correct path. It's definitely more useful to work as a team instead of just following one person. This is something I'll never forget.
John Chiba, Year 9
Being on a raft, you only have your clothes, a helmet, and a life jacket. No phones, no WiFi. The idea of not having anything artificial with you, having to keep yourselves safe and be aware of what's around you and just being able to bond with nature and enjoy the scenery.
Jonas Vogt, Year 11
Due to urbanisation or the increasing amount of crime, most children are now very alert and aware of strangers, and refuse toget in touch or engage in conversation, but in Siem Reap, you can truly feel their sincerity and honesty. I saw an original, genuine friendliness that I feel should remain a part of our society.
Sammy Lu,Year 9
I learned a bit after two days of painting the walls. It was difficult to work under the sun for so many hours. Now, I understand how difficult it is for workers to do this for days and even weeks. Going through these difficult moments is one of the best ways to appreciate others' work and learn new things.
Catherine Lyu, Year 9
During the mountain activity, I had an unforgettable moment, walking in the muddy water. I used to love cleanliness, and the idea of staining my clothes never appealed to me, but after stepping into the muddy water, I no longer cared about getting dirty. I felt relaxed at that moment, because I felt a real connection to my feelings of facing life's challenges. The first step is the hardest, but everything after that comes easy and smooth afterwards. It really was a pivotal moment for me.
Anja Liu, Year 11
This trip helped us to understand that whenever we do anything, we must always focus on the techniques and the details – they make your work much more efficient. Rock climbing helped me to understand that if you don't push yourself to the limit, you'll never know what you're truly capable of.
Gina Xia, Year 11
