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LIFE&FAMILY
152
November14
Leaders in the Making
Student:
Felicity Bertram, Year 6
School:
Avondale Grammar School
Destination:
Kota Kinabalu, Borneo
Duration:
One week
Our school camp was part of the leadership skills
programme and included students from Years 6, 7 and 8.
Borneo was by far the most amazing trip I have ever been
on. I learnt so many interesting things about the tribes and
cultures and did so many fun leadership activities. It was
an amazing experience and it was especially nice to be
outdoors and in touch with nature, instead of connected
with technology.
We went white-water rafting, which was exciting but
very tiring; we trekked up a mountain and learnt about
different plants and the numerous things you can make
with bamboo. After the high ropes courses and thrilling
zip-lines across rivers, we visited a rehabilitation centre
and saw two baby orang-utans who had recently been
rescued from trappers. One of my favourite things was
going to the Mari Mari Cultural Village, where we learnt
about the different tribes in Borneo and how they live.
This camp truly helped us be the leaders we are
today. It was about teamwork, responsibility, helping and
motivating each other, and never giving up.
318 Tanglin Road, Phoenix Park
6258 8544 | avondale.edu.sg
Past and Present
Student:
Natashja Eyles, Year 7
School:
Australian International School
Destination:
Ipoh
From a high ropes course to a treasure hunt in an
ancient castle, we experienced it all in Ipoh. The trip
was an unforgettable, remarkable and extraordinary
experience.
We were first introduced to Ipoh’s biodiversity, climate and
fascinating history during our Humanities class. Our research
uncovered that Ipoh is surrounded by tropical rainforest with
palm oil as the main industry; but once we reached Ipoh we
found it offered more than we’d expected.
We tried a variety of activities, including caving in a
limestone cave where we got wet down on our hands and
knees, and playing “Find Wally” with siamang gibbons. But
my absolute favourite activity was the white-water rafting,
where we faced some of our biggest fears: rocks, sea
creatures, freezing water and capsizing.
While visiting a small palm-oil village we were welcomed
by local hosts who introduced us to some of their games,
the ways they catch animals and how they live their daily
lives. This experience taught many of us the importance of
cherishing and being grateful for what we have been given.
We spent another day in the mangroves, learning about the
flora and fauna and their preservation. Each of us planted
a mangrove to show our support for the conservation of
this precious ecosystem. This camp was a remarkable
experience I will never forget.
1 Lorong Chuan
6883 5155 | ais.com.sg