Zip Lining In Chiang Mai!

Every two years, the year 10's and 11's travel to Chiang Mai in Thailand. This year it was my turn! We arrived on Monday and set out on many adventures throughout the week. It was an amazing experience and I am so lucky to have been given the opportunity to go on this trip. One of the most memorable experiences was one of the first activities we participated in, and that was zip lining! We travelled to a secluded forest area and prepared for one of the many fun-filled activities that Chiang Mai has to offer. We each got attached to harnesses, put on helmets and ran through a safety instruction course. This was for the people like myself, who had not yet taken part in zip lining. I decided to take a step out of my comfort zone, and was the first to zip line across the long lines that oversaw beautiful rocks, forests and rivers. It was the most extraordinary view I have ever seen and, once I had gotten the hang of it, was lots of fun! This was definitely a new experience for me and something I will never forget. 

Hours gained from activity:

Creativity: 0
Activity: 3
Service: 0

Common Room Clean Ups!

With stressful weeks of school study comes an extremely messy IB common room! For me, it is extremely important that my study room remains clean as I suffer dust allergies and asthma. At times, it is hard to air out the room, as it is winter and it is only the ideal temperature inside if the doors and windows are closed. Every two weeks, the IB common room undergoes a major cleaning spree, thanks to my friends and I. We sweep the floors, open the windows to air the room out, wipe the desks and shelves, dust the rafters above our desks, and organise the books and storage shelves to look neat and tidy! It is fun and satisfying, as when it is all done, we can appreciate the fresh air and clean surroundings. My friends and I all work together in order to complete the task quicker, and I now understand how important it is to maintain a clean and sanitary living environment. In fact, it has inspired me to clean my living and studying space at home, more often!

Hours gained from activity:

Creativity: 0

Activity: 0

Service: 3

Keeping Fit At the Gym!

During my final years in high school,  doing the IB course, it is extremely important to not let study and assignments restrict me from keeping fit and healthy. This year, I was given a gym membership from my mother and I use it three times each week. This provides me with, not only an escape from constantly doing homework, but also a with new experiences and a means of keeping fit. When I first joined the gym, I was slightly reluctant to try the equipment and weight machinery as it was all extremely new to me. I felt drawn to familiar machines such as the treadmill and cross-trainer because I thought I would get a better workout if I knew what I was doing. As I progressed throughout the term, I found myself using the other equipment much more often than before, and experimenting with new creative exercises to ensure long term health benefits. Every Tuesday afternoon, I take part in a "Body Combat" gym class. This class is pre-choreographed and incorporates martial art techniques into a high-energy calorie burning method of keeping fit. These classes have taught me how to engage in class activities in a different way than a school classroom environment. As a result of these classes I have gained new skills and intensely challenged my body in many different ways! 

Hours gained from activity:
Creativity: 0
Activity: 10
Service: 0

Holiday Tennis Clinic!

I have devoted a portion of my time in these past two weeks to attending a holiday tennis clinic! My sister and I participated for fun and a bit of exercise! These past holidays have been warm, and so it was a little exhausting and a challenge for both my sister and myself. We were involved in several different types of tennis warm ups, tennis games, and at the end of the two week clinic, we participated in a tennis tournament. I had played tennis prior to this holiday clinic, however my skills developed to a much greater extent in these activities, with the help of a specialised coach. In addition to this, many of the activities required team work skills, and so they definitely benefited my ability to work as a team, collaboratively. It was a great way of participating in a team sport and having fun!

Hours gained from activity:
Creativity: 0
Activity: 5
Service: 0

A Trek to Buddha Mountain!

Term 1 has now come to an end and I am spending my two-week holiday in Pattaya, Thailand. There are many beautiful sights to see in Pattaya, although some are particularly hard to find. My family and I set out today with no clear destination and eventually found ourselves at a beautiful vineyard called Silverlake Villagio. We then ventured out to Buddha Mountain and began our three hour trek! Prior to this trip in Pattaya,  I had only taken part in a small number of trek's, none of which had been quite as challenging as this one. It was a new challenge for me and required masses of perseverance, especially as the trek drew to an end and I rolled my ankle, making walking the distance ten times harder. Although it was a tough trek, it was worth it, as I got to capture and appreciate an amazing view.

Buddha Mountain, Pattaya

Hours gained from activity:
Creativity:0
Activity: 4
Service: 0

A Lake Goollelal Cycling Experience!

Living in Perth provides me with the opportunity to appreciate nature in several different ways, my current favourite of which being, cycling around Lake Goollelal. Last weekend, my friends and I took our bikes and cycled around the lake as a break from our IB studies. It took one hour to circle the lake twice and initially I found my cycling technique was effortless and calm, however as we progressed around the lake, my legs grew sore and although our pace was slow, I found myself becoming out of breath. I has never tried cycling for long distances, prior to this year, as I had always found easier ways of keeping fit and social, so this was a challenge for me. As our second lap of the lake drew to an end, I was exhausted. It took a lot of perseverance and effort, however it was definitely worth it. We were able to appreciate the view of the lake, get some exercise and socialise. I aim to continue cycling and hopefully develop my technique so that eventually, it will become less exhausting and much more enjoyable!

Hours gained from activity:
Creativity: 0
Activity: 1
Service: 0

Harmony Day!

Harmony Day, an interesting, interactive language convention, is a great opportunity for students throughout our entire school to engage in a different, yet fun learning experience. Students of all ages   travelled to Italy, Brunei, South Africa, Japan and Persia all in one afternoon, through the help of the school's parent volunteers. The parents presented panels dedicated to their culture's language, food,  flags and historical items, as well as providing general information and photos! The 2015 Year 1's were responsible for sending out participation letters to parents, organising a date and time for Harmony Day, preparation and production of paper flags and posters for each panel, the design and production of book marks, the set up of the different panels, and writing and sending out letters to the parents who participated so as to show our appreciation.

Harmony Day was a huge success! It appeared that the students found it not only, informative and educational, but also fun and different to the usual teaching methodologies of the school. This fun-filled approach to teaching benefited the students largely as it was definitely a learning experience to remember! The organisation of Harmony Day was also hugely beneficial to myself and the other Year 1's. I thoroughly enjoyed managing this event with my fellow class members as we each definitely developed our teamwork and organisation skills. It was a fun experience and overall a great way for everyone to learn new things, including myself!

Hours gained from activity:
Creativity:
Activity: 0
Service: 6