Let the adventure begin!
Miss Moss and Miss T. arrived at school bright and early Thursday morning to make sure everything was ready for a smooth start. Although bright eyed and bushy tailed might not have been the most apt description, they certainly scurried around like squirrels as they ensured everything was ready to go. If you had been at school early enough, you might have been lucky enough to see them wandering around in circles with the satellite phone raised to the sky as they did some last minute signal testing.
Students arrived at school shorty thereafter, with a distinct bounce to their steps. For the first time ever, every single student remembered to leave all of their electronics at home! With all passports handed in and sick bags at the ready, we boarded the bus. Just over an hour later, after an incredibly smooth bus ride, the TIS grade 5 Owlets arrived at Kizilsoy.
It was with a great deal of anticipation and excitement that they divided into cabin groups and went to check out their accommodations for the next 30 hours.
After sorting their things and pulling out water bottles, caps and sunscreen, grade 5 was ready to head to their activities for the day. First things first, they divided into session groups, who they would be cooperating and collaborating with during camp out activities. With team names of Hunt, Bourne, and Bond (can you place all 3 names?), how could they not have success as agents of great action? Of course, with such prestigious names, it was necessary to come up with team cheers, and with those to lead the way, they were off!
First stop...lunch! No agents can accomplish their missions without sustenance to fuel them. Thankfully, a hearty lunch of soup, chicken, fries and all the bread you could possibly want, set everyone up nicely for the ensuing activities. Mr. Drew, Ms. Alicia, Ms. Jan, Ms. Sayyora, and Ms. Pam led them through some fun and thought provoking activities that focused on the PYP transdisciplinary skills. Talk about killing two birds with one stone!
After taking some time to quietly reflect on the day so far, the skills learned, challenges faced and the attitudes exhibited, it was time for a quick refuel...snack time of course! With their energy stores replenished, it was time to head back to the cabins. As secret agents, one essential skill is being able to hide from others. The whole of grade 5 practiced this with a few games of sardines, before switching to capture the flag to work on group strategy skills.
With that, it was back to the dining hall for some dinner. The whole group left an hour later with bellies full of soup, mashed potatoes, cutlet, and somsas. This got everyone through the rest of the evening, full of choice electives, before ending the evening around a campfire singing songs and sharing some positive thoughts about the day.
Although all the adults were ready for homesickness and worries at bedtime, everyone promptly fell asleep, and that was it for day one.
Miss Moss and Miss T. arrived at school bright and early Thursday morning to make sure everything was ready for a smooth start. Although bright eyed and bushy tailed might not have been the most apt description, they certainly scurried around like squirrels as they ensured everything was ready to go. If you had been at school early enough, you might have been lucky enough to see them wandering around in circles with the satellite phone raised to the sky as they did some last minute signal testing.
Students arrived at school shorty thereafter, with a distinct bounce to their steps. For the first time ever, every single student remembered to leave all of their electronics at home! With all passports handed in and sick bags at the ready, we boarded the bus. Just over an hour later, after an incredibly smooth bus ride, the TIS grade 5 Owlets arrived at Kizilsoy.
It was with a great deal of anticipation and excitement that they divided into cabin groups and went to check out their accommodations for the next 30 hours.
After sorting their things and pulling out water bottles, caps and sunscreen, grade 5 was ready to head to their activities for the day. First things first, they divided into session groups, who they would be cooperating and collaborating with during camp out activities. With team names of Hunt, Bourne, and Bond (can you place all 3 names?), how could they not have success as agents of great action? Of course, with such prestigious names, it was necessary to come up with team cheers, and with those to lead the way, they were off!
First stop...lunch! No agents can accomplish their missions without sustenance to fuel them. Thankfully, a hearty lunch of soup, chicken, fries and all the bread you could possibly want, set everyone up nicely for the ensuing activities. Mr. Drew, Ms. Alicia, Ms. Jan, Ms. Sayyora, and Ms. Pam led them through some fun and thought provoking activities that focused on the PYP transdisciplinary skills. Talk about killing two birds with one stone!
After taking some time to quietly reflect on the day so far, the skills learned, challenges faced and the attitudes exhibited, it was time for a quick refuel...snack time of course! With their energy stores replenished, it was time to head back to the cabins. As secret agents, one essential skill is being able to hide from others. The whole of grade 5 practiced this with a few games of sardines, before switching to capture the flag to work on group strategy skills.
With that, it was back to the dining hall for some dinner. The whole group left an hour later with bellies full of soup, mashed potatoes, cutlet, and somsas. This got everyone through the rest of the evening, full of choice electives, before ending the evening around a campfire singing songs and sharing some positive thoughts about the day.
Although all the adults were ready for homesickness and worries at bedtime, everyone promptly fell asleep, and that was it for day one.