Sunday, January 30, 2011

SST Leadership Camp

3:01 PM Posted by Cherin No comments
28 and 29 Jan 2011

Day 1 (28 Jan)

Halogen Foundation Singapore, came back to SST to conduct a Leadership Workshop to around 50 selected SST students. This camp is a 2-day non-residential camp conducted in ADMT room 1. The objective of this camp is to equip students with the skills to work together, to motivate them to become better leaders and to foster the school spirit.

At 2pm, people were streaming in to the room, getting their name tags on and drawing on the whiteboard. Upon closer inspection, majority of the scribbles were math formulas. It all started when ice-breakers were played, with everyone getting to know each other and just having fun with each other. One of the lessons learnt is  that everyone is definitely good and not as good in many different areas, but as a group they cover everyone’s weaknesses.

This was followed by team forming, where the students are split into 4 different groups.
This is followed by them reflecting on their own social identity and sharing to their group.
Each person must have values that guide them along, but to refresh their memories on what are their values, they did the exercise of crossing out a list of values until they have 5 values left.

With the group’s values, they made their group’s unique flag, to be used the next day.
The flags ranged in all different colors and designs from abstract art to hot dogs.

After dinner, the students were given a treat, to have a Movie Night-- without the popcorn. 
As they watched ‘Coach Carter’ , a story about basketball athletes turning from zero to hero, anxious parents were waiting in school for their children. Surprisingly, the camp has past the supposed end timing for the day, 9pm.

As these tired students trudged back home, they know that the camp is not over yet, but just getting started.

Day 2 (29 Jan)

As these students come back to SST, although tired, they were pumped up by the instructors as they did warm-ups. This was followed by a quick recap of what they have learned and playing ‘paper basketball’. They sat back down to think about their 4 goals they want to accomplish, with the help of the instructors. A short break later, they were listing how to motivate themselves and others. 

With knowledge gained from the lessons, the students get started on creating their SST flag, SST school song and SST handbook. These are to be presented later, close to the end of the camp.

As lunch arrives, the students are hungry, but they have not finished. Some stayed to continue, while some quickly get their food, coming back later to work.
They then heard about living up to their own potential. Followed by the highlight of the day--the Battle of the 4 Kingdoms!

With paper vests and water guns as their weapons of defense, each team was to take a piece of their flag to a safe area and assemble it, without getting wet.

Although the excitement was on high for the first 2 rounds, the sudden rain spoiled the rest of the game. With everyone wet and dissapointed, they changed and came back to find out that there are 2 groups of winners: Cow and Dog.  
The groups cheered for everybody.

With short videos of a soccer match ( AC Milan vs Liverpool ), they learned their one last thing, not just to win, but to win well.
The rest of the time was spent on touching up their own products and looking at other’s products. 

In the late evening, Mrs Chiew came to judge the products made by the students. Unfortunately, these products are not finalized yet, but will be soon.

It was hard work done by the students and the teachers, along with Mrs Chiew was impressed.

At the end of the camp, everyone waved goodbye as they set off for home, taking their newfound knowledge with them.

This reporter asked Pearl Pang if she would like to have a camp with these students again.
Her reply was, “ Yes, I really would like to have a camp with you guys again. (Be)cause you know why? You guys are really…….I can see the earnestness and the willingness to learn and I like the dynamics amongst everyone in class and yeah that makes it all the tiredness and all these, all worthwhile.”


Written by Cherin Tan

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