Trips&Expeditions
By: Ang-Ang and JL This year for Week Without Walls, we went to Khaoyai. These are some of the very memorable activities we did there. Firstly, we stopped at Pete’s Maze and participated in some team building activities, including games. We went into the maze in teams. It was a lot of fun. After that, we went to the Khaoyai national park. The guide introduced us to the amazing parts of this national park. We learnt that it was one of the biggest national parks in Thailand, and it is a home to many interesting species of animals and plants. Lastly, one of the most interesting activities we did in Khaoyai was going to the organic farm and cooking our own dinner in our teams. Each teams were assigned a main ingredient that had to be used in our dish. Even though some of us could not cook, all of the dishes turned out great, and we had loads of fun! After eating, most of the students joined the owner of the farm and sang songs together. It was one of the most memorable parts of this Week Without Walls trip. The part that we both liked from this trip was when we planned a surprise birthday party for Ms. Alex. All of us gathered together to sing happy birthday for her. After the surprise, we all had cake.
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During this trip, we learnt many things also because of the staff and teachers of Go Genius Learning Center and our school. We learnt that the different types of energy bars could produce different amounts of energy based on how much of each kind of carbohydrates are added in the energy bar. We also learnt that to make a successful team, we need to work together and collaborate with each other. We also learnt more about science while participating in different activities including topics, sound waves, states of matter and more. Lastly, this trip taught us how to take care of ourselves when exercising by consuming different types of carbohydrates. Overall, this trip was really enjoyable because we were able to work with different people in interesting and different situations which made this trip memorable and a trip where we learnt a lot of things.
Trips&Expeditions
By: Zander (G7J) This Week Without Walls trip had more unexpected events that occurred than any other week without walls I’ve gone to. There were both negative and positive outcomes such as the sudden canceling of the Talent show and the fact that our rooms and living conditions weren’t that bad. The first unexpected surprise was negative and happened on Day Two when we were out hiking. We thought it would be a cake walk since most hikes are just walking up a hill or mountain with minor obstacles such as rocks. However, during our hike we encountered spiders and long branches protruding from trees and vines that blocked our path. It was also a very far trek from where we started to our lunch spot. The hot sun was also scorching us. The difficulty of the hike was unexpected indeed. The second unexpected surprise was very exuberant and completely unanticipated. It was the fact that our living quarters were actually quite comfortable. Most of us had expected a cramped room with dirty beds and a creepy toilet infested with insects (it still was) like last year, but our rooms this year were actually quite good. It was a white room with a good air conditioner and a moderate-looking toilet. The camp is very cool too since it’s based on scientists and Harry Potter which gives it a good look. There’s also a field of artificial grass for us to play on which is sloped down to look like a hill in the girls side of the dorms. So yes, we did not see this coming at all. Next up was the birthday celebration for Ms. Alex (one of our teachers). None of us knew until Day 3, when they told us what to do when she got back from eating. The lights were off and we were all hiding and waiting for the “baiters” (2 girls) to lure Ms. Alex into the auditorium. Then we sprang out from different areas of the room and the birthday sign holders walked out onto the stage. This was more of a surprise to her than to us. Lastly, was the unexpected cancellation of the team talent show that was transformed into an individual performance that I did with a couple of my friends. Usually, every Week Without Walls we are required to perform something at the end with your teammates. This year we were too busy for a performance. Overall, I think that this week without walls was good and filled with surprises for everyone.
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Trips&Expeditions
By: BamBam During Week Without Wall, we went to many places and did a lot of activities. Out of all the places we went to, I liked Burgbanburi Farm the most. At the farm, I experienced a lot of new things such as making pottery. Even though my pottery didn’t look very nice, I still liked it because I made it myself. Another fun activity at Burgbanburi Farm was we got to cook our own dinner. We also compiled all the ingredients by ourselves. After the dinner, we had so much fun singing and dancing it felt like we were having a mini concert.
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Another place I really liked was the Pete Maze. Here we did team building activities, which helped us get closer to our friends. My favorite team building activity was the one where every group needed to go into the maze together and complete a mission, which was to take pictures of some statue in the maze and find the way out in 1 hour. This activity really required teamwork because if we were not working together, we might have gotten lost in the maze and couldn’t have completed the mission. I liked the maze so much that if I go to Khao Yai again, I would definitely ask my parents to take me there.
One of the most important lessons I received from the trip was that I can still work well outside of my comfort zone. There was a day that we went trekking for about 2-3 hours. It was very hot and the path we walked was not comfortable at all. This got me out of my comfort zone because normally, I would not do something like this. When I was walking I felt very tired, but I still needed to walk. When I reached the destination, I felt very good. I was so glad that I could do this and it was actually pretty fun. I learned that we would find lots more fun activities and experiences if we get out of our comfort zone. Because everyone has different perspectives and different experiences, we all got different lessons, values, and responses from this Week Without Wall. Not all part of Week Without Wall is fun, but I can say that every part of this trip taught us some valuable lessons.
CONCORDIAN
Trips&Expeditions
By: Khun Tang On the 21st to 25th of November, Concordian International school had a chance to go on a trip with the G7 students to Khao Yai for the Week Without Wall trips. The objective was to learn about science, food science, and physical health education. However, there were also some implied objectives that were hidden. All students also had a chance to learn about leadership, team-work, and self-responsibility. We went to the Pete Maze on the first day and had some ice-breaking activities. All of us were having fun in the maze and other mini games. These activities let us see that they are harmonized, and they also have problem solving skills. Some students even showed great leadership in which helped them arrive quickly to the finish line. Another activity that let us see the creativity was pottery on Wednesday. The students had a chance to make their own clay work. The work showed that they had many creative ideas stirring inside them. Beside their endless ideas, they also showed their physical strength. Everyone finished the trekking at Khao Yai National Park strongly! Overall, it was a great bonding and educational trip for all of grade 7s and their chaperones!
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