Students at Gulf English School (GES) took their learning to new levels during a 'Week Without Walls' event that saw the school’s 1500 plus students enjoy a total of 40 field trips between November 27th and December 1st. The field trips ranged from touring local farms on foot to exploring Souk Waqif, Museum of Islamic Art, besides getting involved in community activities and sports & fitness.
“The idea is to really promote experiential learning,” GES Activity Coordinator Lewis Bacchus said. “Two main features differentiate it from regular outdoor programs. Children have regular and repeated access to a natural space, and learning is self-directed and play-based. The curriculum is responsive to their interests. It’s immediate, and in the moment.”
Preschool students at GES were busy making puppets and enjoyed a visit from the children’s literature library. They also made a trip to SFQ Sports Academy. Likewise, Year 1 did various in school activities whilst enjoying time on a bouncy castle while Year 2 had a fun trip to Cool De Sac!
Throughout the week, several trips were organised for junior school students, which ranged from road safety day and Lego engineering to making models and participating in South American games as well as team building games and food at Aspire Park.
Secondary school students too enjoyed some great trips to the Souk Waqif, Museum of Islamic Art, adventure rooms, besides the Spanish cultural trip. Also, while the girls were engaged in kayaking, the Duke of Edinburgh boys went to the farm to do some orienteering. Those who stayed in school took part in making kites and volcanoes, origami, a treasure hunt, sketch Pokémon, comic book heroes and Pokémon card creation. Furthermore, 40 boys from year 6 and 7 took part in an activity driven week where they camped in a desert in Dubai and completed various teambuilding activities organised by EcoVentures. The Duke of Edinburgh students too had an overnight camp in the desert in Qatar where they learned to cook for themselves and many other surviving techniques.
Further, Year 10’s Business and Enterprise week saw them visit the MEC Conference Centre to deliver presentations.
As part of the school’s mission and vision in promoting internationalism, the Week Without Walls puts students in dynamic and challenging environments, which push them to their limits and encourage them to take the lead, while also working together in groups, thinking critically to overcome problems.
