Cindy, Year 12, Gubei Campus

Recently, the Year 12 students went on an IB retreat to Sun Island. The retreat was very informative and enjoyable at the same time. When we first arrived in Sun Island, we had a presentation that gave us an introduction to IB. Later on, we had a presentation from Ms Rogge, our school counsellor, who emphasised that whenever we needed emotional help or support, we should seek help from our friends, family, or from her. She also said that we are not alone and that there are many other people who have been through the IB, and that there are definitely people who are willing to support and help us through the two years, which was comforting.

During the afternoon of the first day we had an activity called “Laughter Yoga”. When we got there, I found out that it actually had very little to do with the Yoga the majority of people know. In fact, I learnt that Laughter Yoga takes the breathing techniques used in Yoga and creates laughter by doing various movements. Later that afternoon, we had other activities, such as beach volleyball. After dinner that day, we had a trivia competition. The trivia competition was extremely interesting and I learnt many random facts, including that Shanghai has the same population as Australia!

The second morning was filled with presentations, which were very helpful. Learning more about each aspect of IB gave me an idea of what I want to do and when I would like to finish it.

After lunch, we were sorted into groups to create a skit for each of the Learner Attributes on the IB Learner Profile. One of the most enjoyable activities of the trip was the chosen activity after our skit rehearsal. I chose T-shirt painting, and it was extremely fun and I got to bring my shirt as a souvenir home afterwards!

The next day, after we got back to school from Sun Island, we had an activity called “Bafa Bafa”. The activity helped me realise that each culture is unique and that we need to be open-minded and spend time to try and understand other cultures.

In the afternoon, a few alumni came and answered the questions we had about IB. Talking to people who have been through what we will be going through helped me a lot as it gave me an idea about what I might do. Many of them also gave good advice about topics such as Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) and finishing Extended Essays (EE) early so you would have more time in Year 13 for university planning.

Overall, the Sun Island Retreat was great. I am glad that I went on the trip as I feel like I came back from Sun Island more prepared for IB than I was before.