Week Without Walls

From January 24th to 28th my grade (11) went down south to Hambantota located about 6 hours away from Colombo. Our reason for going was to have have community service in some of the rural schools there. The grade was split into two groups: the shi group and sha group, in other words 11.1 and 11.2. Week Without Walls is a chance for students to learn outside the class room and to help the community around them. It is a great activity that enhances the following things from a student:

1. Leadership skills
2. Work Cooperatively and productively
3. Stick to an Activity
4. Understanding of the community around us
5. Organizacion
6. Time management
7. Discipline

Before we went we were asked to come up with some goals that we wanted to achieve. I thought about my goals for a long time and in the end they became the following:

1. Become a better leader.
2. Work cooperatively and productively with other students.
3. Bond with the children at the school.
4. Enhance my creativity skills in the mural activity.

From all the goals that I have listed I think i was able to achieve all of them. I became a better leader by helping out with the painting of the mural and taking part in our concert that we had to perform to the children on the last day. I worked cooperatively and productively the whole time we were at the school and helped out when needed. The children at the school were really shy at first but then as I got to play with them, for example draw with them i thought it was really nice and enjoyable. This way I was able to achieve my goal to bond with the children at the school. My creativity skills were improved since we had a theme which was outer space and because of this I was able to practice my painting skills and contribute to the mural group and the school.

I really enjoyed the whole week in Hambantota with the whole class and the teachers which attended our trip. The teachers inluded Ms Flynn, Ms Shameela, Ms Fernando, Mrs Williams, Mr De Silva and Mr Lockwood. They all helped us with the planning and the organizacion before we went.