Skills Training, 12 August 2024

Hi Guides!

Today the Year 3s did WAGGGS and Year 1s and 2s did Badgework. 

Reflection from a Year 3 in P3 on Fishbowl Activity:

The fishbowl activity went like this: six people sat in a circle while the rest sat around the outside, listening. At any time, observers could jump in by touching a guide's shoulder and swapping places. The 'fishbowl' debated on a provided topic related to healthy food choices and personal nutrition. The 'fishbowl' discussed the topic for five minutes. During this time, each observer has one opportunity to jump into the conversation. In the first round, I was in the circle. I was hit by that mind-fog of being put on the spot, for our debate topic had been a little odd; it was a question, that since 70% of the human body was made out of water, what did the body use all the water for? We bounced from metabolic processes to waste clearing systems, and even talked about internal cell movements (cytoplasmic activity); it was then that the biology students including myself took over the conversation, and it became increasingly less like a debate and more of a brainstorm. People were tapped in and out so quickly that before the 5 minutes were up we had all been inside the fishbowl at least once. It was a new experience for the first round of this activity and we all thought it was fun and interesting. The second round was more engaging. Having gotten a better feel of how the activity should go, we talked more fluidly and the conversation flowed. The second topic was on the necessity of regular checkups, and so we debated on the effectiveness and need for such policies, weighing between regular basic checkups and major healthcare coverage - which to subsidise? Overall it was a very enjoyable, insightful activity. Besides learning more about the different topics, I also gained a new level of insight into my batchmates' beliefs; I would like to do it again, on topics that we were more familiar with and interested in.

Reflection from a Year 3 in P1 on Guess the Food Activity:

During the Guess the Food Activity, we first had to make a list of the ingredients present in our favourite dishes, before taking turns to read them out for others to guess the dish. The objective of this was to make us more conscious of what we consume on a regular basis, allowing us to determine the healthiness of such decisions. We were all able to guess each others’ favourite foods quite easily, and realised all of them included quite high amounts of table salt. Later on, we were taught about the importance of a balanced diet and good nutrition to keep our bodies working well, with a strong immune system. On top of this, we found out that eating a variety of foods is also important, and we should avoid eating the same dishes everyday. An abundance of varied vegetables and fruits is required for a balanced meal, and we noticed a lack of this in some of the foods we had listed. For example, chicken rice usually only contains a meager portion of cucumber slices, which contributes inadequately to a healthy and balanced diet. The high amounts of sodium in many of the dishes we brought up is also a cause for concern, for instance in French fries, known to be very salty. Apart from this, we should always make sure we drink lots of water every day. The consequences of not having good nutrition, which requires us to have 3 balanced meals daily, were also brought to our attention. If we do not receive the nutrients our bodies need, we may get tired and sick easily, possibly suffering from malnutrition. Hence, from the Guess the Food Activity, we were made more aware of whether our current food choices are healthy, and what we should do to improve our nutrition. Overall, it was a very educational and helpful activity.

Reflection from a Year 3 in P4 on Serious Scenarios Activity:

During our batch’s first WAGGGS activity as leaders, we participated in a series of activities centered around the critical issue of malnutrition among girls in countries such as Madagascar, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Tanzania. One of the most impactful activities was the “Serious Scenarios” exercise, where we were tasked with exploring the severe consequences of malnutrition and some of the side effects that come along with this pervasive issue. In this exercise, each group was provided with a scenario to act out, designed to illustrate the real-life challenges faced by girls growing up in malnourished conditions. My group was given a scenario that revolved around a young girl who had grown up malnourished. When she became a mother, her child was born with a weak immune system and iron deficiency. Initially, the scenario appeared somewhat amusing to us, but as we delved into it and began to rehearse our roles, the gravity of the situation became strikingly clear. We were confronted with the harsh reality that many girls around the world face, especially in underdeveloped regions. Through this activity, we learned that iron deficiency, a common issue in malnourished populations, is caused by a lack of essential foods like fish, eggs, and whole grains—foods that are often inaccessible to children in these low-income countries. As a result, these children grow up with severe developmental challenges, both physically and mentally. Moreover, we realised that these issues are compounded by a lack of education. Many of these girls are unaware of the implications of pregnancy and childbirth, leading them to become mothers when they are not fully prepared to support a child. This cycle of malnutrition and poverty continues, perpetuating the struggles faced by these communities. The five minutes we spent assigning roles, discussing how best to portray the scene, and rehearsing it were enlightening. It deepened our understanding of the complexities surrounding malnutrition and the urgent need for global action to address these challenges.

Reflection from a Year 3 in P5 on Family Menu Activity: 

The Family Menu Activity really made me understand the importance of planning a balanced and healthy meal. We split up into 3 groups, with about 4 members each. Through this activity, we had to ensure that we keep to the requirements while planning for a family's 3 meals for a whole week. At first, it had to be just a healthy, tasty yet affordable meal. We had many ideas, starting off with a good Granola Breakfast to a Salad for dinner, but we slowly ran out of ideas as we wanted to give this family we were planning for an interesting and personalised touch to every single meal. We were in a dilemma to balance out the cost of each meals across the day so that relatively more expensive meals are paired up with relatively cheaper ones in the same day, to make it affordable. However, we could not put any cheap meals like Instant Noodles as it is neither nutritious nor healthy. Thus, to strike a balance between affordability, healthy and tasty was what made this activity so thought-provoking and immersive. We realised that it was a difficult task and understood the importance of planning the week's meals out, especially for lower-income households that have to watch their expense while still wanting to provide a healthy and tasty meals for their loved ones. While we almost completed the week's meal plans, we were suddenly interrupted by our ICs - We now had to include iron-rich food as there is a teenage girl in the family! This made the activity even more complicated as we were not as familiar with what nutrients were in different kinds of food, except the bigger categories such as poultry, fish, vegetables, grains, dairy and fruits. Thus, we had to request for some help from people who are more well-versed on this aspect and they told us that iron-rich food included strawberries, watermelon for fruits, whole meal breads for grain, tofu and beans, eggs, chicken and pork for poultry, and spinach and sweet potatoes for vegetables. We then realised that many of these food were already in our planned meals before the side quest so we were glad to add on even more iron-rich food. We then completed the task well with a "Great Job" from our ICs. We are now pleased to say we are ready to plan affordable, healthy and tasty meals for our families.

Reflection from a Year 1 in P6:

On Monday, we had a 集合 where we did badgework. The seniors told us to bring some foolscap paper and recyclable materials for the activity. We quickly assembled for the  集合 and the seniors gave us instructions to go to the 1L classroom to start our badgework. We were all instructed to start the badgework by drawing. We were all supposed to draw still life, a Girl Guides friend or batchmate and our patrol flower, which in this case is a Morning Glory. After about half an hour, we were done with our drawings, the seniors instructed us to write a letter to a teacher or important person to persuade them to talk at a 集合. We were then instructed to build three useful items with at least one knot, or one braid and so on. We had to include a braid or a knot as it is linked to Girl Guides. Through this activity, we learnt to think out of the box and be creative as there are countless possibilities for the structure that we were going to build. I learnt that we each have our own sense of creativity and unique ideas. Everyones’ ideas and finished products were all very interesting. Some of us had built weaved baskets by folding pieces of paper into thin strips and others had baskets with braided handles. I made a Chapteh themed toy made up of a top of a can and also ripped some paper into thin strips and twisted them around to make the “feather” on a Chapteh. I had so much fun and I am sure my batchmates did too!

Reflection from a Year 2 in P4:

The Year 1s and Year 2s were tasked with completing badgework that consist of artistry and writing skills. Before the day of badgework, we were required to prepare recyclable materials and four foolscap papers, as well as essential items for arts and crafts like scissors and glues. The badgework was very fun as it consists of several options one can choose from to draw and write or create. It really gave us an opportunity to put our critical thinking and innovation into action. Firstly, we were given options ranging from drawing still life, your very own patrol flower, a portrait, a creative drawing, and a scenic landscape. Secondly, we were asked to write a formal letter, an essay or a poetry. Last but not least, we must create a usable or ornamental objects using the recyclable materials we possess. Various people have different strengths and abilities and the diversity of options was great to showcase hidden talents of our patrol mates. We were given a limited amount of time to complete all the tasks. At first, we took a long time deciding on which to work on, which is rather time-consuming and unproductive. Thus, we soon realised the time strain and quick work on deciding. We drew our patrol flower, the orchid together and had a whale of time coaching each other to draw various things. Though the subsequent projects are different, we worked together as a patrol and helped each other when in need. One of the Year 1s had difficulty weaving a basket, as one of the task include weaving out of items we brought. It uses our problem-solving skills as we searched for alternative material or methods to best support the criterias as well as take the limited time into considered. Since there was only paper available for weaving, the Year 2s taught the Year 1s how to weave properly, simultaneously working on their own projects. After the badgework, we showcased our works to one another during patrol corner and we all found the designs interesting. The badgework helped us to understand the importance of time management, coordination and problem solving skills which will last with us forever in our Guiding journey. 

Hope that everyone had fun during this 集合 although the batches were split. We definitely had a good time learning new facts on Girl Powered Nutrition, the theme for WAGGGS, as well as having fun attaining badges through our creativity!

Published by:
Chan Zi Xuan
56th 届 Secretary