eXperiential Week
eXperiential Week
7-10 March 2017 — The final of week of Term 1 was an exciting one for all students of Woodlands Ring Secondary School students as our school embarked on our annual week of Experiential Learning, or ‘Week X’ for short.
A highlight of the school calendar, ‘Week X’ aims to give students the opportunity to apply what is learnt in the classroom and exercise responsible decision making. The authentic, experiential and out-of-classroom curricular experiences give our students the chance to develop cognitive flexibility, creativity and complex problem-solving skills. At the same time, students get to bond with their classmates and teachers through enjoyable activities that show them the fun of learning.
The Secondary One students embarked on a series of Learning Journeys that gave them the chance to learn more of their subjects through out-of-the-classroom learning experiences. They got to learn more about the History of Singapore’s immigrants by embarking on a Hippo Bus Tour around the Civic District and visiting the Chinatown Heritage Centre. Students also got to participate in a new sport / activity through the ‘Learn-A-Sport’ programme. This year, our Secondary Ones got to try their hand at inline skating and bowling. It was certainly a fun filled experience for the newest members of our school as they capped off their week of learning with bonding activities with their classmates and form teachers.
Our Secondary Two students spent their week at the Labrador Adventure Centre (LAC) campsite for their annual Secondary 2 Citizenship and Character Education (CCE) camp.
Forgoing creature comforts such as WiFi, mobile phones and leisurely showers, campers go through this 3-day 2-nights camp as part of their ‘Week X’ experience. Through the various activities planned for by our very own Secondary Three student leaders, campers reinforce their identity as a WRS student and to enhance the quality and harmonious relationships with their peers and teachers.
Campers took part in team building activities such as tag archery as well as kinball. Both activities required the campers to communicate effectively with each other in order to complete the given task. During tag archery, campers channeled their inner Katniss Everdeen as they aimed and fired arrows at the opposing team while for kinball, campers comically worked together to stabilize and launch a giant air-filled globe.
Our Secondary Twos were also given the opportunity to Rediscover Singapore by going on an urban exploration trail that brought them to iconic places such as the Fullerton Hotel, the Singapore River as well as the Esplanade. For each stop along the trail, they had to complete the accompanying tasks as a group in order to earn class points. This made the trail even more exciting as campers worked together and raced to be the first class with the most points.
Without a doubt, the most highly-anticipated item was campfire night. Every year, the performance by each class improves in quality. This year was no different. Each of the seven classes put up energetic and creative dance items to entertain the audience and wow the judges. It was a fitting end to the camp as everyone took part in a mass dance to celebrate the time they have spent together as a cohort.
Our Upper Secondary students also had a chance to participate in their own form of experiential learning. Apart from class bonding activities, the Secondary Fours and Fives gained a better insight on the pathways for their future education choices and careers through visits to Nanyang Polytechnic and the Lifelong Learning Institute. They also went through a Strengths-Based Personal Branding Workshop to learn more about themselves.
All in all, ‘Week X’ may have been a tiring week for all but it was certainly one filled with lessons learnt and memories that students will keep for a very long time.
