Camping—a Community Together. Sprint 3 Week 6

What a week! After five weeks of learning and preparation, the Eagles were finally off to camping. The Middle School had four days and three nights of camping. They camped independently in three tents and built their living areas in two competing groups; while the Elementary School Eagles camped with their parents for one night.

Here are the highlights this week:

  • Starting of the Week: Getting Ready & Some Celebrations
  • Camp Life
  • Exhibition
  • A Community Living & Breathing

This post is written in a thematic form that is very roughly according to time. Here’s the timeline to help you ease through what happened.

  • 5th (Monday): School Day, Uma’s Birthday
  • 6th (Tuesday):
    • Middle School Eagles (MS) Camp, Day 1
    • School Day for Elementary School Eagles (ES), Sufyan’s Birthday.
  • 7th (Wednesday):
    • MS Camp, Day 2
    • Rest Packing day for ES.
  • 8th (Thursday):
    • MS Camp, Day 3
    • ES Camp, Day 1
    • Camping Exhibition 10.30am to 12.30pm
    • Relax at the waterfall & Campfire
  • 9th (Friday): Leaving for hot shower home!

Starting of the Week: Getting Ready & Some Celebrations

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!”—Benjamin Franklin

Eagles made the final preparation right before the camp. They executed their packing lists and rehearsed their skills for the exhibition. Naturally, they also added other items. Marshmallow, soccer ball, snacks, etc. Fun and sweetness were a top priority.

Packing checked. Next item: exhibition. The Eagles pushed one another to perform on their final day of school before the Camp.
“Guys, we must focus else our exhibition will flop!”
“Are you ready??”
“I’m so excited to show my parents what I’ve learned.”

X times practicing… Can you guess what’s “X”?
Hopefully not as many rounds of practicing for this one…
Peer feedback on rehearsals
Sharing and writing reflections

Meanwhile, the MS Eagles packed most of their gear over the weekend, and stored them in school on Monday and loaded them to the vehicles on Tuesday. There was a lot of stuff. It was the first camping trip for many of them, so there were lots of comfort items. Extra sets of clothing, lots of food and snacks, tools, charcoal and air mattress. Yes, air mattress.

Ready to head off!
In the car with all our stuff. Transporting more stuff than humans!
Celebrations: Uma & Sufyan’s Birthdays

The Elementary School Eagles had two birthdays during the early part of the week. Happy Birthday Uma and Sufyan!

“Now that I’m eight years old, it means that I will continue to improve and become better.”
Sufyan shared the responsibilities and standards of being an Eagle. A year older, and a year wiser. The challenge: can his words become his actions?

As usual, it was lots of sugary fun during both Birthday celebrations.

Auntie Rosalind sharing stories of Uma
Noticed who can’t wait to eat them?
Dabbing culture still persists in the ES studios…
Auntie Nur sharing Sufyan’s story
Even the Guide and Parent dab.
Making a wish of wisdom.
Eagles supporting each other

The ES Eagle community is growing. Anya, who would be joining us next Sprint spent the Tuesday morning together. She was still warming up. But the existing Eagles always make it easy for new Eagles.
One Eagle held both her hands and said:
“Come on, let’s play. It’s fun.”
“When I first joined Acton, I was shy too like you. And I felt like running away. I am sure you feel that too……Come and join me!”

How will the future be like when we have more Eagles supporting each other in their growth? One thing’s certain: more Birthday celebrations 😛

Camp Life

It was finally the time for the Eagles to prove their skills and learnings.

The three most important things in camp life: shelter, food, and water. Since Father’s Organic Farm (where we camped) has modern toilets and running water, there were only two priorities: shelter and food.

Shelter: Pitching up Tents

In addition to modern tents, the MS Eagles built projects using bamboo. The purpose is to extend their camping area into a home, with kitchen, storage areas, and other facilities. They were training to be seasoned campers: one who will make their campgrounds as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.

Their work would be assessed during Exhibition on Day 3. There was one catch though, we had the farm staff cut and delivered us the bamboo. Modern conveniences or handicap?

Happiness is… when the long-awaited bamboo arrives. Cutting bamboo and transporting them in the wild takes some skill, and it was too much to ask for our 12–15-year-old Eagles.
Getting to the right length
Building…

For the ES Eagles, they pitched their tents with their parents.

Pitching it together as a father & son team
Food: Cooking

The MS Eagles cooked every single meal for themselves, except for one lunch during Exhibition. And a few meals were done using wood fire instead of modern gas stoves. This probably was the highlight of their camp—cooking and eating based on their own plans!

Cooking in their camp areas
Maggi mee supper anyone?

The ES Eagles prepared the final day breakfast of fruits, scrambled eggs, pancakes, and french toasts.

“I love cooking!!! This is so fun.”

Whose toast is more French?
sharing tips on making round & fluffy pancakes
Collecting firewood

A storm swept the farm a few days earlier. Trees fell. Fresh wood was available near the campsite. Nature made collecting firewood an easy job. Nature also blessed us with a sunny weather during the camp.

Nature made it easy. But there’s still work to do!

After all the basic necessities were satisfied, camp life was pretty much, enjoying life—playing games, enjoying each other’s company, more cooking, eating and drinking :))

frisbee time
sharing moments like these make best friendships
Mafia game at night. The Eagles played many rounds of the game mafia. “I am the mafia”, they kept ranting.

Exhibition

The ES Exhibition had few sections: Fire, Shelter, Building Tents, Water filtration, Edible Plants and First Aid. Each group showcased their skills and was questioned by parents on explanations and what-ifs scenarios. The Eagles were not “tested” based on a set of repeated acts, but a broader real-world context of survival situations.

Fire station
How to build a tent
Make-shift shelter
Water filter station

Clearly, the Eagles grew in independence and felt empowered. We heard confident voices and actions:
“I now know how to use a match and lighter.”
“I can build a shelter.”
“Even if I am lost, I will survive.”

Now, the challenge over to the parents—how much are you willing to let go?

MS Exhibition

The MS Eagles Exhibition was about making their campsite like home. There was a lot of preparation, as they had to build shoe racks, cloth racks, equipment storage space, a cooking area, and their tents. Then, there was also small things that made the visitors welcomed—snacks and welcome juices.

“Wow, we managed to do all that (building) in less than two days…”
“All the practice we had before coming to the campsite helped.”

A token of sweetness first before the briefing
Our hangout place
Welcome board from one team
rustic design from another team… and they were competing tight
explaining how everything works here…

How did the MS Eagles camp-build standards compare to most Scout troops? The MS Eagles were around early Maju level (between First Class & Second Class Scout). This usually takes 1.5 to 2 years of experience in most Scout troops. Yet, the MS Eagles achieved all this within an intense 5+ weeks.

Surprisingly, it was also first time camping for many of them.

It is just a matter of more time and more camping & outdoor experiences. Each experience more challenging than the last one. Then, the MS Eagles will mature into capable, independent and skillful survivors. The ES Eagles will become confident in nature, all ready to take the next survivor challenge.

A Community Living & Breathing

The camp was also an excellent event for bonding and sharing. I learned that within the ActonKL community, we have parents who went to Outward Bound School for 35 days during his teenage years and a Ninja warrior who had to survive in the jungle protecting an egg for 48 hours. I’m sure there are more interesting backgrounds that all of us will benefit from :))

During the Campfire night, the community shared their best memories of ActonKL. It ranged from the various challenges, appreciations, and celebrations that we had together.

Parents chipping in for campfire dinner!
Dads on the BBQ
must do activity: waterfall
sharing the best memories of ActonKL together

The Eagles left the campsite longing for more…

“This school is so fun!” “I love nature.”
“When is the next camping trip?”

It takes a village to raise a child. And it takes a community to build a school where every family belongs.

Many shared that their “best future memory” as moving to our new campus in Taman Paramount. So, I want to end with this one point: ActonKL is not just a school with a physical location, but a school formed through experiences like this. Experiences grounded in love, support & belonging. Experiences that will support a family’s Hero’s Journey. Experiences that allow every community member to gather the courage to grow, to find a calling and change the world.

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