Day 3: Hitting the River

The last day with British school is here, everyone is in a good mood however as today is the day of the white water rafting!

We started early again, approximately 7 o'clock, with a morning jog up to our relay square and after a warm up and a few morning stretches the five teams swiftly got ready to go head to head. The race happened fast, everyone ran there hardest and it was so close. After much discussion it appeared "Black Jaguars" came out on top!

Breakfast was a quick affair as all the kids, and the adults, were excited for the day, then tent inspections where all teams were much improved from the previous day.

After the tent inspections we split the incredible excitable children into two groups, one group stayed with Nirmal and Gwen where they took part in the Crate Stacking Challenge - a ropes activity which some of the kids really excelled at with a impressive 11 crates stacked up being the record. 

The second group got kitted into a life jacket and helmet then paired with a paddle before jumping in the trucks and a quick walk to the bridge site where the rafting would commence. Since rafting is a dangerous 

sport a safety brief was essential and all the kids did their best to listen whilst itching to get on the water. 

Then it started, the children in the rafts and 3 big rapids ahead of them! The boats smashed down drops and hit waves hard. Lots of screaming happened as everyone was enjoying themselves! After the rapids were done all the children and guides had a gentle float back to camp to cool off.

With the morning activities finished all that was left was to have some lunch and say goodbye. It was a sad affair with many hugs and high fives but we believe they left with a difference; as leaders, team players and with added confidence.

Good Bye Year 6 - thanks for sharing the Adventure with us! 

Day 2: A Day at Belilena Cave

For most students last nights was a peaceful evening, however there's usually a bit of excitement on the first night, and indeed a few of the boys thought it would be a good idea to have a WWF session at 4:30am - no harm done, and a stern word from Mr Malaka meant the kids were soon back asleep - at least until sunrise at 6am!

Some morning stretches and a refreshing river bath is a great way to shake off the cobwebs

A tent inspection followed breakfast which surprised most of us as to how tidy most tents were - the boys could work on their presentation though for sure!

The hike to Belilena through the rubber plantations and past tea field, was under sunny skies  - with the students divided into their 5 teams we hiked for around 2.5 hours with surprisingly little complaining, and by the time we got to Belilena the kids were ready for lunch, a few games which tested the students' sensory skills.

The obligatory cool-down in the waterfall which spills over the mouth of the cave ended our time at the cave

This evening we were entertained with skits the kids had devised themselves along the theme of what does Leadership and Responsibility mean at Borderlands?

Followed by a marshmallow roast and then a fabulous array of tunes by One Direction and Katy Perry (!) to end the night with a party that the kids really didn't want to end when it got to 9:50pm!

The end of another really great day for everyone at Borderlands!

Welcome Back Year 6 BSC

Our 5th year running the British School of Colombo's Year 6 Outdoor Education Programme started with a bang, with 54 excited kids (22 girls and 32 boys)  along with some familiar faces among the teachers (welcome back Sylvana and Dinali) and some new faces too.

The day started off as a hot and sunny morning, with some games to introduce the kids to camp, as well as a session to come up with a Code of Conduct which all the students came up with between them, and which they agreed to abide by during their stay with us.

The spider web activity provided lots of fun and a big challenge - but some creative methods of working through the challenge

The afternoon was spent in the canyon -usually the favourite activity of the kids - a chance to enjoy an adventure in our natural water park with multiple slides and jumps in the most pristine environment. Needless to say the kids loved it, the staff loved and the teachers loved it!

A wonderful day and a happy group of kids who were well and truly exhausted by the end of the day.
Rest assured parents that the kids will have another fun packed day again tomorrow.