Hello Guides!
During today's 集合, the Year 1s and Year 2s did badgework, while the Year 3s did WAGGGS. Despite the Year 1s, Year 2s and Year 3s doing different activities separately within their batches, it was still a fun and enriching experience for everyone.
Badgework
Writer Badge:
The Year 1s and Year 2s had to complete their Writer Badge. To obtain the badge, they had to complete any one of the writing tasks, including a short poem, an article, campfire yarn and an essay.
Reflection from a Year 1 in P5:
Last 集合, my batch mates, as well as the Y2s, did badgework. We were given three tasks to complete to earn our badges. The badges included the crafts badge, writers badge and toy maker badge. We were given a total of 1 hour and 20 minutes to complete all three tasks. I enjoyed the writer's badge task the most as it allowed me to unleash my creativity. In addition, I had to think out of the box to make my story as interesting as possible. Besides writing the essay, we had to choose one of the following: writing a short poem in a recognised verse form, an article or campfire yarn, or an essay of my favourite Guide person. I chose to write a short poem as I wanted to step into the shoes of a poet. I was able to explore the different types of poems. As this 集合 was not as stressful as other 集合s, we did not 报时 as often. The Y3s had to keep reminding us to 报时. As a result, we did not know how much time had passed and how much time we had left. I feel that we could have worked with a better sense of urgency and 报时 more often. This way, we would be able to work within the time given. All in all, it was a fun and fulfilling experience. Not only was I able to unleash my creativity, but I was also able to bond with my patrolmates.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P1:
Badgework on Monday came with tasks to obtain the Writer’s Badge. It entailed, firstly, a 1000-1500 word original story, and secondly, one of the following: a skit script, a short poem, an article, a campfire yarn, or an essay. Each had its own requirements and criteria. Ultimately, I decided to write a short poem in recognized verse form for this second component. Due to the limited time we had, and my previous dedication to completing the Craft Badge as a priority, I only managed to complete the short poem. This poem was written in limerick form and was deeply inspired by my patrol mate as well as recent books I had read. Although it was neither highly logical nor increasingly meaningful, it did stimulate a great amount of mirth from its readers. For me, that was enough. As for the essay, after extensive debate with my patrol mates on, amidst other topics, what is considered original, I decided to formulate my own plot for this short story. This was done simultaneously with my craftwork, which I completed in quietude due to my deep contemplation. As a result of my sudden lapse into silence, I often forgot to 报时 and was quite unaware of happenings around me. Hearing someone address me directly felt as if I had just woken up. Decidedly, I should not have drifted away so far from the present. Being more aware would have elicited my sense of urgency and allowed me to take note of other things such as the Year 1s' progress. As they were looking slightly lost at the beginning of the session, it only made sense for me to encourage and prompt them throughout, instead of retreating so far into my own mind. Overall, it was a fun experience that allowed us to unleash our creativity and imagination freely. It is safe to say that I enjoyed it immensely.
Craft Badge:
To obtain the Craft Badge, the Year 1s and Year 2s had to create crafts using recycled materials, in other words, upcycle. This not only allowed them to unleash their creativity, but also taught them a way of protecting the environment.
Reflection from a Year 1 in P6:
On 14 August, we were tasked to do a few things to obtain our Craft Badge. We had to make three different crafts with recycled materials. During the activity, some of the challenges I faced were thinking of ideas and options for what I should make with the limited amount of materials I brought. I wished that I could have brought more materials so that I could execute the idea better. Throughout the process, I changed my ideas multiple times as I found it hard to make the shape of the object so I had to change my ideas so that the end result I had envisioned matched the craft itself. I made a little jar filled with paper stars, (using a plastic bottle), as well as a mini flower pot (using a toilet paper roll) and a pattern-like craft (using coned-up newspaper and then sticking them together to make a circle). I think that we should have 报时ed more during the activity as we were constantly reminded to 报时. However, I felt that this activity was memorable as I got to learn how to use recycled materials to make crafts, think out of the box, and let my creativity flow through for this activity.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P3:
Originally, the process of completing the Craft Badge was not very smooth for me. This was mainly due to my lack of knowledge of crafts and insufficient preparation. My origami skills are not the best, and I spent quite a while at first wracking my brain to try and think of what exactly I should craft. Moreover, I merely had at hand a few pieces of writing paper, origami, and newspapers. I wondered how I would create 3 different crafts with so few materials. However, thanks to my patrol mates, I managed to make it through. My patrol mates saw that I was struggling, and offered their materials to me. Without them, I would not have been able to create the three crafts for my Craft Badge. I started my first craft by trying to fold a box using writing paper. Unfortunately, I failed as I had forgotten the steps on how to fold a paper box. Not discouraged, I chose a different method of making a box - shaping the paper to look like a box and simply taping the sides of the box together. It worked marvellously, and I was very pleased with my innovation. I drew and stuck some decorations on my box, thus concluding my first craft. My second craft was a paper doll. After crumpling a piece of writing paper by accident, I realised that it looked a bit like a doll’s head. I was inspired and thus proceeded to make a paper doll by using the crumpled paper and wrapping it with another piece of paper, tying a ribbon around the head. I was mildly surprised that it was successful and actually looked like a doll. After adding a bit of colour, it was finished. My third craft was a paper bracelet. I had already taken all the time during that 集合 session to complete my first two crafts, so I did my third craft at home. At home, there were more resources and much more time for me to complete this craft. I strung together pieces of paper using a string, making it a bracelet. In conclusion, I realized the importance of craftwork as it allowed me to create useful objects from things I would have normally thrown away. I do, however, think that we could have 报时 much more often to increase our sense of urgency, and to work much faster. In the future, I would also like to bring more recycled materials to badgework to be more prepared. The process of completing my Craft Badge was very interesting, and I would definitely love to have the opportunity for more of such activities.
Toymaker Badge:
Doing the Toymaker Badge, which required the Year 1s and Year 2s to make stuffed toys, toy vehicles and a musical chime, was a fun way for them to recall their childhood memories and make some new memories at the same time.
Reflection from a Year 1 in P2:
On 14 August 2023, we worked on our badgework, specifically for the Writer’s Badge, Crafts Badge, and Toymaker Badge. We had to 集合 at GSL Level 1 and brought along our arts and crafts paraphernalia such as scissors, glue, stationery, and other materials. After attire check and break off, we proceeded to a Year 1 classroom and the Year 3s gave us a briefing on our badgework requirements. For the Toymaker Badge, we were to make a toy of our choice and choose one of the following to make: two different animals made of soft materials; one animal-shaped toy and one rag doll; two different vehicles with movable wheels from wood, cork or other material; and a musical chime for a child using recycle materials. When we were working on our badgework, the Year 3s had to remind us to 报时 constantly so as not to lose track of time. However, in the end, most of the Year 1s and Year 2s could not finish all of their badgework during that session and were told to finish them at home. We were to submit their crafts to our Guider's locker in school as well. In conclusion, even though we had fun working on our badgework, we need to improve on our time management, awareness, and efficiency by 报时ing more and maintaining a sense of urgency.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P4:
This 集合, we had badgework, one of my favourite activities! For this session, we would get three badges if we managed to finish all we had to—the Writers badge, the Toymaker badge, and the Craft badge. In the process of achieving my Toymaker badge, I faced a few difficulties, which included a lack of creativity and a lack of materials. While preparing items for the 集合 when we did badge work, I was unable to find many recyclable materials within my home. However, after a bit of searching, I managed to find a single plastic bottle and a set of newspapers. During the briefing for the tasks we had to complete to get our badges, I realised that my objects were pretty useful, but even so, I did not have enough to complete all three tasks. I began to worry whether or not I would be able to complete everything in time. Additionally, there were times when I had no idea what to make or how to make the product I had in mind with the little materials I had. Thankfully, after the Year 3s in charge of the activity asked about the progress of all the patrols, they realised that most of us would not be able to complete the tasks by the end of the 集合, which allowed us to complete our tasks at home instead. Through this, I realised that many of us could have worked more quickly and efficiently. We only 报时 when reminders were given so that is definitely something we can do better in. Overall, badgework is an activity I enjoy a lot as it gives me a sense of accomplishment and pride when I receive the badges and get to sew them onto my 全制! Through this activity, we also learnt to be more adaptable and exercise our creativity.
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WAGGGS
Warm-up Activity:
As a build-up for the following activities, we had warm-up, the main focus of whhich was being prepared.
Reflection from a Year 3 in P3:
I had fun in this warm-up activity as we could play with a ball and at the same time think about the things we do to be prepared in our daily lives and also hear from others. I learnt that there are already so many things we do in our daily routine that help us stay prepared. Even though these actions may be tiny and trivial, they allowed me to be more emotionally and physically prepared when faced with an unexpected challenge. For example, by bringing an umbrella in case it rains and washing my clothes to ensure that there are enough clothes for me to wear the following days. These little actions in my daily life allowed me to be much more resilient as a whole in the long run. It not only can save us time and money, but on an emotional level, it reduces anxiety and fear, as you are knowledgeable of the next step on what to do and thus respond to challenges and opportunities better. In addition, you will bounce back to your feet faster and recover from the setback you just faced. Therefore, being prepared in all sorts of ways is extremely important, especially in a world like today where there are many uncertainties and ever-changing. Being prepared can protect not only ourselves and our community on a higher scale like the safety and security in our lives. I learnt that every single one of us in the community has to play our part in being prepared through our daily life practices and slowly building towards a more resilient community where we can feel safe and enjoy living in. Overall, I think this activity in WAGGGS is very fulfilling as it teaches me the importance of being prepared and motivates me to continue planning.
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In this activity, the Year 3s thought about some problems in society, the roots of them, and some possible solutions, contributing to a better society.
Reflections from a Year 3 in P6:
On the 14th of August, the Y3s conducted WAGGGS. The second activity that we conducted was Continuous Brainstorm. In the first part of the activity, we were separated into 3 groups whereby each person was given a paper with one of the headings, Emotional, Physical, or Community. In our small groups, we had to write things that we thought would cause stress or problems according to the headings we were assigned to. Our group was assigned to community issues. We brainstormed about issues such as income inequality and racial discrimination which are still prevalent in Singapore’s society. We took a step further by identifying the root cause of these issues and possible solutions to reduce the impact of these problems. Such solutions include raising awareness about these issues or even being the change that we want to see by actively reaching out and talking to people of different races and backgrounds. After brainstorming about these issues, we progressed to the next part of the activity. In the next part of the activity, we were to fold the paper containing the things that we wrote into paper planes and pass them to another group. We were to now think about solutions to overcome the stresses or problems according to the problems written on the piece of paper. Though our group went ahead and completed this activity in the first part of the activity, we still participated actively and eagerly, pitching in other ideas and writing down the solutions on the piece of paper we received. Lastly, in the third round, we were to write something positive that could come from using the tools written by the previous group on the piece of paper that addresses the stresses or problems identified on the piece of paper. In this round, our group received the heading, Emotional problems. We wrote down positive messages to encourage those who may be suffering from the emotional issues that were stated on the piece of paper. We also went the extra mile to draw some cute drawings that added to the aesthetics of the paper. Overall this WAGGGS activity has been an extremely fun and fulfilling one and we have learnt much more about different pressing issues regarding our emotional and physical health and our community.
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Sharing of Thoughts:
After the main activity, the Year 3s were given a platform to share their thoughts on the activities that they had done, and the purpose and meaning of it.
Reflection from a Year 3 in P5:
During our WAGGGS activity, there was time allocated for us to share our thoughts in a circle. Since in the previous activity, we learnt the importance of staying resilient and the various things we can do to be resilient in different situations and contexts, for this activity, we sat in a circle to brainstorm activities that we can carry out as a 团 to boost either our physical, emotional or community resilience. I felt this was an extremely meaningful activity as it allowed us to sit down and discuss the activities we were to carry out during our 集合s for the rest of the year. This allowed us to listen to each other's thoughts and opinions and I felt our batch bond through this activity. We were given time for us to share our thoughts and listen to each other's ideas so that we could plan better activities in the future. This meant that even those who were usually too shy or did not have many opportunities to give their opinion were able to voice out their ideas and the rest of the batch would listen and consider their ideas. It also taught us a lot more about resilience as well as the way we can have resilience throughout our daily lives. This activity that we chose through the discussion would not only benefit us but benefit the entire 团 as we would be able to help each other learn how to be more resilient as well. Hence, I feel that this activity was very meaningful as it allowed us to fully understand the meaning of resilience and the different types of resilience, as well as allowing us to be more open and receptive to other people’s ideas and thoughts as everyone has good ideas and if they are all put together and improved on, the activity will become one that everyone contributed to and will benefit from.
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Hope everyone gained something form today's experience!
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