WWW – Learning Beyond Literal and Virtual Boundaries

by BIS / 2022.06.10 Friday / Published in news & event

June 6-10 at BIS marked the fourth year participating in our Week Without Walls program, a program through which students travel outside, have fun and most importantly, engage in community services. This year, though our destinations were limited given the COVID situation, remember our motto: Embrace Challenge, Driving Change? We even had the opportunity to expand and upgraded the program into three parts:

KG-G3: Week Around Wuxi

G4-G12: Week Without Walls

G4-G12Students on Campus: Week Without Wifi

Week Around Wuxi

The Week Around Wuxi is an experience week in and outside the classroom. Students got to go on various trips throughout the week, while at the same time enjoying fun activities in the classroom. The week was a combination of classroom activities designed by our teachers, and outside of school students got to see and explore what Wuxi has to offer.

Some of the activities that students experienced during the week at school, are cooking and craft classes. They also partook in Tabloid sports and water sports. The students from KG-G3 also had a sleepover at school. This was a great evening for teachers and students alike, especially as for some students it was their first sleepover.

Beyond campus, students went to Oriental Champ for a day of candle making, cooking, animal feeding and so much more. They also had an opportunity to go to Huishan Historical Town, to learn calligraphy and clay figurines. The last trip saw them go to Jinqui Park. All these day trips were a way for students to learn beyond the borders of the classroom and to have fun.

Week Without Wall

G4 – G8 engaged in two epic adventures within our very city of Wuxi. Themed, “Culture, Nature, Service, and Adventure,” G4-G6 participated in exploring Huishan and the Ceramic Figuring Museum and Studio central to China. They participated in the fun-filled Huishan Amazing Race hunt where they followed cultural clues to race against time in teams around the village. Time was also spent learning about and practicing rice planting and cultivation alongside local farmers. Speaking of adventure, the students spent days learning the sports of Stand Up Paddle Boarding, Archery Tag, and Catapult Physics.

The G7-G8 adventure was themed “Resilience and Challenge.” Student formed mixed groups in order to meet challenges such as building stable rafts and human sized F1 style racing cars, complete high-rope tree top challenges, take on the Leave No Trace nature hike, kayak along a lake, and build a Rube Goldberg Super Roller Coaster. A lot of team building and learning to grow healthy effective communities.

Both groups also spent one night tent camping in nature furthering opportunities to cooperate and care for one another through insightful conversations, cooking together, and developing community.

Week Without Wifi

During this past week, students who stayed on campus were able to engage in a “Week Without Wifi.” They were led by teachers through various activities including scavenger hunts, sporting activities, games and competitions, and other various activities. Students were also encouraged to find time during breaks to connect with one another through conversations and games rather than using electronic devices. Teachers and students both commented that it was good to connect with one another in meaningful ways throughout the week.

Through the week of WAW and WWW, students engaged in experiential learning by taking part in service, action, communication or investigation, which aligns with the IB philosophy. At BIS, we inspire and cultivate students into responsible global citizens.