My genuine thanks to all the learners, parents and staff involved in helping us celebrate Deepavali along with our Hindu families last week. 

I always love seeing the learners dressed in their traditional Indian clothes. We had a vibrant and energetic celebration - Learners had the opportunity to paint and decorate diya lamps, learn Bollywood dancing, taste cornflake ladoos, dosas and muruku, design rangolis, create Deepavali cards and lanterns receive a henna design and try block printing.

Our celebrations stretched over 2 days this year with our assembly and visiting Bhangra dancers on the Friday. During assembly we listened to the Deepavali story and watched our fantastic Bollywood CCA perform, as well as dancing with the Bhangra dancers. 

A special thank you needs to go out to our wonderful CAs and Ms Bhavana for all their support in making the so memorable.

It was nothing short of glorious to see members of the NCG working alongside our Secondary learners to plan and implement our Secondary School Diwali celebrations this year. Over three days our community enjoyed Bollywood dancing, fun with the photo booth, colouring a rangoli design, painting a diya to take home, henna style decorations and then a festive fiesta of treats including Samosa, Jalebi, Vegetable Tikki and freshly cooked roti as well as Rose Syrup & Aampanna (Mango) drinks.

We were then treated to an assembly led by Tia, Lyndsay and Drishnna with a very special performance from our NCG! 

Our Primary Makerspace, a hub of creativity and innovation, has been bustling with activity during lunchtimes over the past few weeks. Located on Level 8, it’s been a place where our Year 3-6 learners have enthusiastically dived into the world of technology and design. During these lunch sessions, students have been exploring the fascinating aspects of coding with Dash and Dot robots, unleashing their creativity with cardboard creations, and building impressive LEGO cities. It’s been a delight to see their imagination take shape in such tangible forms. The marvellous Makerspace continues to be available: on Mondays for Year 3 and 5 students, and on Tuesdays for Year 4 and 6 students.

This week the Year 2 learners ended our 'Where we are in place and time' unit of inquiry by visiting Sims Vista Market and Food Centre. Each class walked to the centre and observed the daily cultural routines and plethora of food options. They also practised ordering a juice from one of the stalls and receiving the change. We are extremely grateful to the parent volunteers for taking the time to accompany us. This experience was truly invaluable and a wonderful way to culminate the unit of inquiry. 

A lovely afternoon and evening of music was presented by our musicians on Wednesday. Our talent continues to grow and develop with more and more learners playing instruments and wanting to experience performing in our school auditorium, therefore this year we extended to 4 recitals with learners ranging from Kindergarten-Year 13. A fantastic showcase which demonstrated a considerable amount of dedication to practise over the past few months, many hours of lessons and a lot of confidence to take a risk and put themselves up on stage to entertain our supportive audience whom consisted of teachers, parents and friends. Our recitals have become a staple in our music calendar and are their to offer a more formal platform to those who wish to experience the bright lights and acoustics in our auditorium. This opportunity is open to musicians in all year levels and at any standard. Our next recitals take place in May; look out for more details nearer the time and start practising!!!

The recent Y7 residential trip to Tioman Island, Malaysia, was an unforgettable experience for both learners and staff. The journey began on an early Monday morning filled with excitement and a hint of trepidation as learners embarked on a thrilling adventure. Upon arrival, the group was greeted by a breathtaking beachfront setting bathed in the warm glow of tropical sunshine. The blue skies and crystal-clear waters set the stage for a week of exploration and personal growth. Throughout the week, learners had the opportunity to showcase the International Baccalaureate (IB) Learner Profiles by stepping outside their comfort zones and embracing the principle of "challenge by choice."

The diverse activities planned for the week were not just recreational but designed to instill a sense of adventure and risk-taking. The learners participated in a marine coral surgery snorkelling session, providing them with a unique perspective on marine life conservation. The exhilarating jetty jump pushed boundaries and encouraged learners to overcome their fears while enjoying the thrill of the turquoise waters.

A jungle hike to a picturesque waterfall allowed the learners to connect with nature, fostering an appreciation for the environment. The overnight camping experience in the heart of the jungle was a test of resilience and teamwork, as learners bonded over shared challenges and embraced the beauty of the natural surroundings.

Sea kayaking, with its combination of skill and teamwork, offered a perfect opportunity for learners to collaborate and navigate the stunning coastal waters. Each activity was not just a physical challenge but an avenue for personal and interpersonal growth, aligning with the ethos of the IB Learner profiles.

Our trip was not only an adventure but also a journey of building connections. New friendships were forged, and the camaraderie between learners and staff reached new heights. Memories were made against the backdrop of Tioman Island's beauty and the shared experiences and newfound friendships are sure to contribute positively to a more positive, resilient and collaborative learning community in Year 7.

On Monday October 30,  Year 9 embarked on our trip to Gopeng, Malaysia. Little did we all know that we were in for a trip of a lifetime.

On day one, we began bright and early as we departed from the school campus in the early hours of dawn. We drove through the day for a handful of hours but the lengthy drive did little to diminish our high spirits for the days awaiting ahead. The same day of our departure we made a quick stop to Batu Caves just outside Kuala Lumpur. We climbed the 272 steps to see the beautiful temple hidden within the rocky depths of the cave and it was really worth all those steps! Monkeys, although mischievous, climbed around us giving us a wonderful experience within just the first few hours!

The next three days were a varying series of fun and challenging activities we all partook in.

We went to the High Ropes Course at the Nomad Camp’s Mountain School where, with our teams, we participated in so many fun yet challenging activities.  We had a team building activity of low ropes where we put our trust in each other to the test, we also had rock climbing which was a challenge most of us had to face as well as the Leap of Faith and although some people were nervous to try, everyone gave it a go and made sure to cheer on everyone who attempted it. All of these activities took such a tremendous amount of bravery and determination and everyone supported each other as new people who had never tried these before challenged not only themselves but overcame fears!

One group also went caving which, unfortunately I was not able to do due to our sudden outbreak of influenza but according to the dorm-room stories from the girls we got to share a room with: 

The caving was a challenge for most because of the dark and cramped spaces they had to crawl through. Most people did not have a fondness for being in such tight spaces but all overcame this fear with bravery and completed the activity, trying something new while having fun. They also went to the market where they got to engage with the extremely nice locals and buy items from local stalls, trying local food and having authentic experiences!

Sadly, my group did not go caving due to health precautions but that doesn’t mean the amazing Nomad staff couldn’t find activities for us to do! We got the opportunity to bake an authentic Malaysian cake from scratch. We cracked open coconuts, grated tapioca and got fresh coconut milk. We then baked it with an authentic fire with banana leaves and the result was absolutely delicious!

And of course ending strong, arguably the best part was going white water rafting: when the time finally came to raft in the rivers, everyone in our team had to work together along with our instructor to be able to move across the river. The white water rafting was the biggest highlight of the trip for most of us because not only was it fun and excitingly exhilarating, most people, myself included, got to have fun in this awesome experience for the first time while overcoming challenges such as swimming in strong currents with help of our team members.

Of course though, it all would not have been possible without the amazing Nomad Adventure staff for providing us with these once in a lifetime opportunities! It was so sad to end our trip the way we had to due to the number of sick students, but outbreak or not, I know we can all agree that we had a successful and fun trip, made lifetime-long memories and will never forget the fun we experienced at Camp Nomad.

By Ximena

More photos will be shared next week.