New IB Student, Alex, shares his induction experience:
“It seemed relatively pedestrian to most…an everyday task, perhaps…However to a group of slovenly teenagers waking up at 6am is a phenomenally difficult task, A task, which we conquered triumphantly and we were rewarded with an early morning bus snooze which definitely was a a sufficient prize.
After Mrs Barber heroically stayed awake while driving, we arrived in Newton Abbot, Devon. The sun shone into our tired eyes and we were surrounded by undeniable beauty. An astounding manor house rested in a small hill and the sound of running water graced our tired ears. We proceed to the place we needed to be in and we were welcomed by two men, dressed in fleeces, one with a ponytail.
I stood among our crowd thinking to myself, ‘what makes a team?’. I guess this question was on my mind as I had looked at my fellow peers and it soon became apparent that by the end of the next two years that we, strangers now, would soon be a family.
We stared pessimistically at the two men, awaiting orders. He explained that we would be completing some team-building activities, and then, later on in the day, head out onto the river for some canoeing and camping. We quickly bonded as a group, with many “in jokes” and an easy-going wit.
The activities challenged us, but as a group, we overcame them, bonding us even closer together. “Okay, next we will do the assault course”!, one of the men said pleasantly.
We headed over to the course and began…it was both physically and mentally challenging. We tried our best to help each other out.
The unlucky Kevin dislocated his shoulder but after spending some time being treated in hospital, he was able to successfully join the group. We did more fun activities, like shooting, raft building and kayaking on the lake. We then returned to the forest for food and to build a camp fire. After what seemed like forever, Kevin returned with a sling and a cheesy grin.
We laughed with joy and then the mood shifted completely. We all had bonded. That was clear. We set up hammocks and myself, Julian and Leonard made an attempt at cooking, and the others set up a fire. Exhausted and fulfilled, we retired for the night.
The next morning we did some archery and then went home I think it was a great experience for us all, and we most certainly bonded as a group. Thank you very much Westbourne School, Mrs Barber and the staff at Colehayes Park for providing us with such an enriching experience.”