Bonding Day – Year 8 – Report 2

Vignette:

Yes, it is bonding day… and yes again, the title tells it all… Basically, this day gives students the opportunity to bond and get to know each other better. It also provides them with the skills needed to cope, focus and interact as they enter a new phase of their lives.

‘Even though we’re changing and we’re all finding our own place in the world, we all know that when the tears fall or the smile spreads across our face, we’ll come to each other because no matter where this crazy world takes us, nothing will ever change so much to the point where we’re not all still friends.’

As it is as important as it sounds, this day was scheduled on the 9th of October 2014. In my opinion, Tenby School Penang bonding day means that teachers orchestrate a series of team-building activities for students, usually in some park or forest or maybe a beach for that matter.

Facts and factors:

As morning drops by, it brightens the sky with its rays, students gathered in their respective groups, a slightly nervous suspense built slowly. Each teacher took a group to that teacher’s station, and then the fun started. We headed for a bus and when on to the beach resort leaving only skid marks behind. I have to admit that the sun was scorching hot. But in anyways, we had our sunscreen on.

Finally, there comes the highlight of the day… castle-building activity! I could definitely tell that everyone was so excited and that it was hilarious watching them… and also a little abhorrent as well. Some were over engrossed with protecting their sand castle rather than building it as a team. It was clearly shown that the groups that struggle with leadership featured damaging results. It was also proven that cooperation succeeded best.

Next up, it was time to kick up some dirt, get wet and sweaty… it was my favourite game, crab football! We were asked to use our hands and legged to move around the sand like a four legged creature (a crab maybe?) while playing football. Some were quite good while others were still learning the techniques. Overall, the boys scored more goals over the girls. I would recommend you to try it one day…

All in all, this was a fantastic day. Some of my peers were thinking, laughing, cooperating, arguing and trying new things. Teachers also enjoyed the day, and had many fun stories to tell each other afterwards over glasses of wine in the nearby bar. My school is known for having a great social atmosphere and close bonds between students and students, students and teachers, and teachers and teachers. I now think that that Bonding Day definitely is a major way in which we make these bonds happen.