Camp Review 2014 

 

By Shin Woo In (Advance I)  

   The 3 days 2 nights training camp held in Pahang plantation was one of the most traumatic and exhilarating events of my life and never before in my 13 years, 10 months, 3 days, 22hours, 15 minuets and (I’m not sure how many seconds… but you get my point :D) of my lifespan have I ever encountered having such a lunatic time filled with activities of all sorts, stretching from backstabbing dangerous activities to ridiculously boring activities(I might have exaggerated a bit on that part :D).

This year’s camp has given me a great deal of knowledge and experiences about life in the outside world and reflect upon myself the way I have been living until now and how I can change and slowly enhance myself to become a more prominent person in society.

   Apart from philosophic gibberish I learnt, the environment was perfectly well-suited for the activities taken place and the prison guards (trainers) were all fairly friendly and we got to know some of them. The best thing was that I actually became friends with some of the other prisoners(students) to whom I’ve never cared about whether they exist or not and the food this year was actually recognizable as food compared to last  year’s food which I couldn’t even classify as food and not even a starving beggar would have dared to touch that trash.

   Overall, this camp was quite ok, just that the lack of important facilities such as chairs kind of ticked me off. Sitting on the hard, rough floor too long gave me an intense back ache and I’ve already torn half of my socks I wore to the camp due to the rough brick floor. Another factor that ticks me off is the hygiene issues with sand and grit wherever we walk-including the tents we slept in and lousy bathing facilities.

   If I were given another chance to come to a camp like this, I wouldn’t hesitate to participate provided that the hygiene  and sleeping conditions improve…

 By Alice Wan (Advanced II)

   From the 29^th August 2014- 31^st August 2014, we, students of English Avenue had an interesting and enjoyable summer camp in a private area named “The Plantation”, Karak. The building here was built by the camp leaders and members including the volunteered participants who participated in the last few camps. This is the most environmental friendly location – a small mountain-liked green land filled with tress of nature in a deep rubber tree plantation, I have ever been. The air, the wind, the sound here are very different from the crowded city, where we have lived since we were born. When I woke up in the morning, chirping of various types of birds could be heard loud and clear but still, I wouldn’t feel irritated. Activities that HANkidz organized were fun and meaningful that have inspired my life.

   The most memorable session is the “Rainy Day Notes” – we sent small letters to our friends by putting them into our friends’ envelopes which were pasted on the wooden wall. I think it is a good idea to tighten our friendships. Thanks to the rainy day notes, I know many new friends who I do not really talk to and understand.

The main thing was teamwork and protected the nature and of course, there were more to be taught at that time. Students were separated into different groups. When I recall the situation, I feel that our group did have great bond between us. We had the same heart to do one thing while we were having activities which required teamwork like the “Water-bucket”, one of the activities that we had played.
   Although some activities seemed to be normal for teenagers, we had enjoyed the games very much! Precious time in the camp ran fast and insensibly, we had gone through no more than 48 hours with the leaders and organizer; I appreciate it very much and want to express my gratitude for what they have contributed. 

By Queenie Tan (Intensive I plus)

   On the day of 29th - 31st August was our training camp. It is held annually, and this was my first time joining a training camp. It is different from religious camps. Before joining the camp, most of the students told me it was torturing and not to expect too high on it. I started feeling scared and wanted to not join the camp. 
   During the first day of the camp, I was seriously shocked. We had been through many tests since the morning. First, as the bus was spoiled and we were all waiting for the new bus to come, this tested our patience. After the new bus came, we all couldn't wait to get up the bus. Then, we finally reached the Plantation and has lots of fun programmes. At night, we had an interesting programme. We hold the candle and walked in the dark ourselves to the volleyball court. After a long time, finally we got to remove our eye blinds and saw actually all of us were at the court, that was when I suddenly felt the sensation of friendships. 
   The second day we had lots more programmes than the day before. We played the 'Balloons War' and we also played in the river. We enjoyed the day and slowly I felt the day was passing too fast. The night we had the barbecue party but it was raining too heavily. After the rain, we went up to cube and had a "hugging session". We also hugged Ms Hannah to thank her for everything she did. It is an valuable experience for me. 
   To conclude, we have a really fun and enjoyable camp. I hope the school will organize this type of camp again, so that we have more valuable memories to take away and to stay in our mind. 


By Ng Ting Yong(Intensive II)

   After the three days two night camp in the Plantation, I feel that the camp is very fun and full of excitement. The games that I played during the camp was fun. Besides that, I also learned a lot of new knowledge for my future. The coaches are very kind but I like Coach Larry the most because he is funny and a kind coach who persuades me to dream big and never give up. This camp also makes me experience something new like jungle trekking in the dark. 
   Unlike the previous camp, this camp is more fun and all the things that we use is from the nature. although the camp is a bit stress, I can make it. I think that the game called 'Battle Royale' is not so fun because it is very hard to throw someone with a water balloon over a wide area. On the other hand, the water ballons is also very less. 
   I hope that there will be a camp that is full of fun, games and adventures in the next term. 


By Cheah Choon Kit (Intensive II)

     Finally, Home Sweet Home. It is very fun to participate the training camp in pahang plantation for 3 days 2 nights. When I was in the plantation, I have a lot of fun and learn many new things. 
     The coaches of plantation made us use our brain to create our team name and cheer. After making team cheer and name, we started to play a game called the amazing five races. It includes fear factor, crazy acting show, ice bucket challenge, spaghetti holding a can and two ropes make the ball fall into the foam cup. This game was fun and it also amused me. In this game, I learned that there is always a way to success. 
      Furthermore, I also learned how to build a tent. From my point of view, building a tent is very important for us when we live in a forest. It is because we can shelter from rain and other wild animals. Beside that, teamwork is also very important for us when we were building a tower with newspaper which was taller than Cody. The other lessons I had learnt is patience. We get the 50 points in holding taps with fingers to make it reach the ground. This is called slow and steady win the race. 
       During nightime, there was a torrential rain fell at the plantation. Although it was raining, I can had a chance to barbecue the delicious sweet potatoes. Before dinner, I learned the sources with need to make barbecue. I was so happy that I had cooked a very nice sweet potatoes. Even my friends and coaches were delightful to sink their teeth into the sweet potatoes. When the storm was over, we met at the cube to play the hugging game. The hugs was so touching that it allowed my tears to flow out of my eyes. Love was important for all of us to strengthen the friendship between one of us. 
        On the third day of the camp, it was time for us to pack all things. In my opinion, I had a lot of fun activities that amused me, I hope I can meet the coaches of E major and plantation again on the next training camp. 



The authors' photographs :

Shin Woo In

Ng Ting Yong

Cheah Choon Kit

 

 English Avenue's Leadership Camp at the Plantation, Karak

on 29th -31st August, 2014

As an observer throughout the training camp, it was an unusually thrilling experience. I took the standpoint of a parent when I wrote this article.  I might not have known the “hidden” part of our children if they were confined to our usual indoor. This out-of-the-classroom learning has revealed to me more on their characters and serves as a positive confirmation of their social adaptive skills. It didn’t take them long to learn how to set up their own tents or set the fire for barbeque dinner. One of the nights, we were “stranded” in the heavy downpour which had drenched our dining area so badly that we had to wait for the rain to stop to take our dinner. The children were hungry but they endured without complaining. Modern parents will never allow this to happen so this is the only time the children get to experience hunger in its real sense. Food was all cleared up, no waste of food that night!

 As many people have the belief that children are too shy to express in front of their parents, I still think parents should observe the training camp to discover more about their own children’s embedded ability which most of the time is overlooked because of parental over-protectiveness.

Our students were allowed to express themselves through short sketches, they experienced how to deliver serious messages of Mother Nature through improvisation along with their choice of music. Our busy urban living has much deprived us of the chance to express, let alone stopping to say “Hi” to Mother Nature. I particularly am impressed by the way students connect themselves with nature. They were told to choose a spot in the nature-surrounded camp site, observe their surrounding and look for similarities in themselves with the nature they were in. Some compared themselves with a robust tree – they want themselves to be as useful and protective as the huge tree they saw.

Through fun games and exciting activities, there was an obvious focus on learning about worldviews and care for environment, then narrowed down to individual development, for example, encouraging our children to be adventurous and courageous to take the first step to try something new or challenging.  Let’s hope our children would retain what they have experienced and apply it at home and in school.

Written  by:

Hannah Siew

1-10-2014

   

           One of our students, Cassey Leong, from class Intensive II ( Year 9 ) has successfully enrolled in Tolworth Girls School, London. She will continue her secondary education in London. Our school organized a farewell party for her on 25th July 2014. Here are a few snapshots of the farewell party. Cassey looked happy and smiled broadly while taking photographs with her friends and teachers. We wish her the very best in her future endeavours, she is dearly missed by all of us !

Shining Star Students  - Episode 1

After 2 terms of close observation, we have the subject teachers have spotted students who have improved. There are a few well-improved students that we would like to mention.
Here are some reviews from Ms Kalai, our English teacher.

 Low Zi Tung is an outstanding student who has shown gradual improvement in all her English assessment. 

This Intensive I student has demonstrated high achievement of knowledge, skills and understandings.

 She is enthusiastic about her assignments and works given. Besides, she is quick to become proficient at new tasks. 

Her works are very thorough and well done, with few errors. 

She is capable to complete majority of work within specified deadlines. 

She is potential to be a successful student.

 Yap Cheng Ern is a new student but has adapted to the learning environment diligently. She can be relied upon to make good decisions and good team worker. She has positive interactions 
with others and is respectful to individual differences.

She demonstrates effective written work where her works are normally clear, well organized and understandable and needs 

only moderate checking and editing.

She has significantly met the performance expectations and she is shining star student of ‘Super Challenger’.

Tee Kar Mun, who is an ambitious student, has shown good attitude in learning. She is responsible and always determined to try and never give up. She is improving in her academic skills. 

She has strong self –discipline. 

She manages her time wisely and never delays tasks.

 She has the potential to be an excellent student if she understands the concepts rather than memorizing them as she is a hardworking girl. 

She is the shining student of Intensive I plus.

Learning How to Learn-Learner Training

Students are not learning not because they are unintelligent, but they are just lack of the know-how to learn! They are known as the digital natives who have lost the interest to find out how to learn because they are too dependent on modern technology and convenience that they fail to see the need to be independent!

We believe that learner training is an effective way to encourage learners to be independent and see learning as a more meaningful process instead of an unadventurous, undesirable torture.

Ms. Hannah has conducted the first stage of training in 4 sessions, focusing on introducing the concept of autonomous learning aiming to lead learners to the path of self-reliance, helping them to decide the kind of learning strategies that can help them to make learning a more pleasant and fruitful experience.

We are happy to see some of the learners have started to realize the importance of being autonomous and beginning to see learning can be done in many ways. On the other hand, not all students were ready and willing to learn how-to-learn as many still prefer to stay in their comfort zones.

After the learner training, we posted the following questions to them-

1.      Do you like the idea of being able to take up part of the decision making on how to learn in class?

2.      What could you remember from the training sessions?

3.      Have the sessions helped you in anyway?

We don’t believe in educational short-cuts; there is nothing magical about learner training, however, if learners become the manager of their own learning, it is going to last a life-time!

What teachers really want to tell parents 

By Ron Clark, Special to CNN

This summer, I met a principal who was recently named as the administrator of the year in her state. She was loved and adored by all, but she told me she was leaving the profession.

I screamed, "You can't leave us," and she quite bluntly replied, "Look, if I get an offer to lead a school system of orphans, I will be all over it, but I just can't deal with parents anymore; they are killing us."

Unfortunately, this sentiment seems to be becoming more and more prevalent. Today, new teachers remain in our profession an average of just 4.5 years, and many of them list "issues with parents" as one of their reasons for throwing in the towel. Word is spreading, and the more negativity teachers receive from parents, the harder it becomes to recruit the best and the brightest out of colleges.

So, what can we do to stem the tide? What do teachers really need parents to understand?

10 things parents and teachers want each other to know

For starters, we are educators, not nannies. We are educated professionals who work with kids every day and often see your child in a different light than you do. If we give you advice, don't fight it. Take it, and digest it in the same way you would consider advice from a doctor or lawyer. I have become used to some parents who just don't want to hear anything negative about their child, but sometimes if you're willing to take early warning advice to heart, it can help you head off an issue that could become much greater in the future.

Trust us. At times when I tell parents that their child has been a behavior problem, I can almost see the hairs rise on their backs. They are ready to fight and defend their child, and it is exhausting. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I tell a mom something her son did and she turns, looks at him and asks, "Is that true?" Well, of course it's true. I just told you. And please don't ask whether a classmate can confirm what happened or whether another teacher might have been present. It only demeans teachers and weakens the partnership between teacher and parent.

Please quit with all the excuses

The truth is, a lot of times it's the bad teachers who give the easiest grades, because they know by giving good grades everyone will leave them alone.
By Ron Clark

And if you really want to help your children be successful, stop making excuses for them. I was talking with a parent and her son about his summer reading assignments. He told me he hadn't started, and I let him know I was extremely disappointed because school starts in two weeks.

His mother chimed in and told me that it had been a horrible summer for them because of family issues they'd been through in July. I said I was so sorry, but I couldn't help but point out that the assignments were given in May. She quickly added that she was allowing her child some "fun time" during the summer before getting back to work in July and that it wasn't his fault the work wasn't complete.

Can you feel my pain?

Some parents will make excuses regardless of the situation, and they are raising children who will grow into adults who turn toward excuses and do not create a strong work ethic. If you don't want your child to end up 25 and jobless, sitting on your couch eating potato chips, then stop making excuses for why they aren't succeeding. Instead, focus on finding solutions.

Teachers vs. parents: Round two

Parents, be a partner instead of a prosecutor

And parents, you know, it's OK for your child to get in trouble sometimes. It builds character and teaches life lessons. As teachers, we are vexed by those parents who stand in the way of those lessons; we call them helicopter parents because they want to swoop in and save their child every time something goes wrong. If we give a child a 79 on a project, then that is what the child deserves. Don't set up a time to meet with me to negotiate extra credit for an 80. It's a 79, regardless of whether you think it should be a B+.

This one may be hard to accept, but you shouldn't assume that because your child makes straight A's that he/she is getting a good education. The truth is, a lot of times it's the bad teachers who give the easiest grades, because they know by giving good grades everyone will leave them alone. Parents will say, "My child has a great teacher! He made all A's this year!"

Wow. Come on now. In all honesty, it's usually the best teachers who are giving the lowest grades, because they are raising expectations. Yet, when your children receive low scores you want to complain and head to the principal's office.

Please, take a step back and get a good look at the landscape. Before you challenge those low grades you feel the teacher has "given" your child, you might need to realize your child "earned" those grades and that the teacher you are complaining about is actually the one that is providing the best education.

And please, be a partner instead of a prosecutor. I had a child cheat on a test, and his parents threatened to call a lawyer because I was labeling him a criminal. I know that sounds crazy, but principals all across the country are telling me that more and more lawyers are accompanying parents for school meetings dealing with their children.

Teachers walking on eggshells

I feel so sorry for administrators and teachers these days whose hands are completely tied. In many ways, we live in fear of what will happen next. We walk on eggshells in a watered-down education system where teachers lack the courage to be honest and speak their minds. If they make a slight mistake, it can become a major disaster.

My mom just told me a child at a local school wrote on his face with a permanent marker. The teacher tried to get it off with a wash cloth, and it left a red mark on the side of his face. The parent called the media, and the teacher lost her job. My mom, my very own mother, said, "Can you believe that woman did that?"

I felt hit in the gut. I honestly would have probably tried to get the mark off as well. To think that we might lose our jobs over something so minor is scary. Why would anyone want to enter our profession? If our teachers continue to feel threatened and scared, you will rob our schools of our best and handcuff our efforts to recruit tomorrow's outstanding educators.

Finally, deal with negative situations in a professional manner.

If your child said something happened in the classroom that concerns you, ask to meet with the teacher and approach the situation by saying, "I wanted to let you know something my child said took place in your class, because I know that children can exaggerate and that there are always two sides to every story. I was hoping you could shed some light for me." If you aren't happy with the result, then take your concerns to the principal, but above all else, never talk negatively about a teacher in front of your child. If he knows you don't respect her, he won't either, and that will lead to a whole host of new problems.

We know you love your children. We love them, too. We just ask -- and beg of you -- to trust us, support us and work with the system, not against it. We need you to have our backs, and we need you to give us the respect we deserve. Lift us up and make us feel appreciated, and we will work even harder to give your child the best education possible.

That's a teacher's promise, from me to you. 

Sources:

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/09/06/living/teachers-want-to-tell-parents/