School News

GEMS Year 8 Janda Baik Field Trip

Published by SchoolAdvisor | May 31, 2022

What an incredible time for Year 8! We were delighted and excited to take Year 8 on our first trip since the pandemic.

 

Once everyone had gathered at school for a very early 6.15am start, we jumped on the bus and made our way to Janda Baik for a fun filled day. 

 

After arriving and eating breakfast provided by Radiant Retreats, we then made our way to the starting point of our 45-minute hike to the waterfall.  We were introduced to the fantastic team who would be looking after us for the day and leading the activities.

I must say that the refreshing water was a great incentive for students to conquer the uphill hike! Students were brilliant in their enthusiasm, energy and encouragement of others who needed a helping hand. For some this was their first time experiencing a jungle trek, and although there were a few bumps and leeches along the way, that did not deter them from a splash in the waterfall.

 

As soon as everyone had arrived at the waterfall, everyone did not hesitate to dip into the water. It was wonderful seeing the students enjoy their reward for hiking up the hills and enduring the hot weather. Even the teachers enjoyed a little dip; the students enjoyed splashing them as well!

We made our way back down which was a great opportunity to dry off before having a delicious lunch provided by Radiant Retreats.  After lunch we were then taught the basics of how to start a fire, as well as techniques for tying knots that would help build shelter in the jungle. 

  

Split into groups, our students were enthralled in working together to succeed in building a fire that could be used to cook food. Not only did they have to build the fire properly, they also had to work together to collect natural resources such as dry leaves, twigs and brown grass in order to make the fire last. Simply using matches was not enough to keep a fire going! Once the fire was burning, they were able to cook their own sausages to test how well their fire was. Quite a few students enjoyed cooking numerous sausages, not only for themselves, but also for their friends and peers.  This was a real testament to the valuable and essential skills that our students have and continue to grow; team work, independence, problem-solving and communication skills and of course how to cook a sausage.

 

The time flew by very quickly, which really reflected how much fun we all had. Once we said our goodbyes and thank you to the amazing staff at Radiant Retreats, we got back onto the bus and headed for home. It was a delight to see students still buzzing with excitement and laughter all the way home - with the exception of when we hit heavy traffic!

As Head of Year 8, I would like to say how proud I am of the students throughout the trip. Thank you to all parents for your support and trust in taking your children on their first school trip in a very long time.  A huge thank you as well to Ms Farah and Mr James for coming on the trip and supporting the students. We look forward to planning many more trips in the future.

Written by Ms Clare Johnson, Head of Year 8 GEMS International School Tropicana Metropark (soon to be Sri KDU International School, Subang Jaya)