Lessons Learned From the Grade 6 Trip to Qingyuan, China

Mary-Anne Jasinski, Elementary Principal

Recently I had the pleasure of accompanying the grade 6 students and teachers on their annual trip. This year the destination was Qingyuan, China. The itinerary included a night hike, biking, climbing, cave exploration, community service, teambuilding games, shelter building, overnight camping, a historical site visit, and a trip to a tofu skin factory. All of this in just 5 days!

BEFORE
• Where is “Kwing-you-on”, I wonder? My first school trip … I feel so excited!
• I hope we are staying in a nice hotel with a flush toilet and a bathtub. I’ll never last for 5 days without a flush toilet and a bathtub!
• A night hike right after a full day of travel? I’ll be too tired – maybe I’ll just stay in the hotel and take a bath while the students go for a hike and look at the sky.
• I can ride a bike … that activity will be easy.
• Maybe I could just watch the students climb up the mountain wall?
• No way anyone is going to get me down into a cave! I can just be busy
doing something “Principal-ly” at that time – like checking my email
maybe.
• Community service? Just a duty that everyone needs to perform …
probably nothing too interesting.
• Overnight camping … great! I’m a master at this after taking my daughters
camping for so many summers in Canada.
• Visiting a historical site? Those places are always so dull! I suppose I’ll
have to tag along and supervise everyone.
• What is tofu skin? I don’t think I’m going to like going to a tofu skin
factory. Will we have to eat it? I hope I don’t have to eat anything new – I don’t like trying new food.

DURING
• Wow, this is a long (6 hour) bus ride! The students are sure doing well. The only one who keeps asking “Are we there yet?” is Mr. Poole. The children are such seasoned travelers! Everyone made it through immigration without any problems and they all managed their own documents. Did Mr. Poole get his arrival card filled out yet? Where is he?

• This doesn’t really look like a 5-star hotel. No bathtub? No hot water? My hotel room doesn’t smell very good. The students are so excited to be in a hotel room with a friend and no parents, they haven’t complained at all! They are even looking forward to being taped into their rooms at the end of the night!

• We are all going on the hike? In the dark? In the rain? Is it really all the way up a mountain? Well, I suppose it will be good for me after sitting so long on the bus. The children are all singing … and asking questions … and playing games in the dark at the top of the mountain. They don’t seem very tired! This is a wonderful view, and I can see stars!

• A quick check of everyone’ bike skills. Oh, some of these children have never ridden a bike, and others have very limited experience! I’ll go on the easier route with the new learners. This bike seat isn’t very comfortable. I’m getting dirty riding through puddles. My legs are tired. Who’s going to carry our bikes up the stairs, over the bridge, and back down? We are? Oh my goodness, he is working so hard to learn to ride! He has fallen about 15 times, and he never complains … just gets up again and gets back on his bike. His knees are scraped, his clothes are wet and dirty, and he is smiling! “I am so proud of you!”

• I’m exhausted. I don’t care what my room smells like any more. I’m going to bed, even though it’s only 8:30. What? I can’t go to bed yet? There’s another activity? And I have to stay up until 9:30 to tape the children into their rooms? Every night?

• “Is everything OK? You miss your mom? You are very tired and it will be better in the morning. I’m going to tape your door shut now and I’ll be back at 7:15 to take the tape off and let you out. Have a good sleep. Yes, thank you, I will have a good sleep too. You are welcome for the help to put your bike chain back on today; you did a great job! I’ll see you in the morning.”

• Only 2 children have ever tried rock climbing before? Look at them go! They are pulling themselves up by their fingertips! This requires so much strength; I can’t believe how well they are doing! They are cheering for each other and encouraging each other – how wonderful! You think Mr. MacGregor and I should try it? You’ll help me? This is scary! I’ve worked that hard for the last 10 minutes and I’ve only gone up 3 feet? How can that be? I have to come down now – every muscle is twitching from the effort to climb 3 feet. I’m exhausted! They are “high-fiving” me because I gave it a try! These kids are awesome!

• “What’s for breakfast today? A noodle dish with some green stuff … that tastes pretty good! What is this … a boiled bun? There’s something in the middle … Is this meat? This smells good … I wonder what it is … I’m going to try some … I think it’s some kind of fish. More coffee please.”

• My worst fear in the world is to go down into a cave in the dark! I have nightmares about this! I’ll die from fright! I can’t go down there! “You are also scared of caves? You want to go, but you feel too scared? You want me to go with you? You’ll go down if we walk together?” Oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my, what have I got myself into? I can’t show how scared I am … don’t panic the children. Be brave, be brave, be brave … don’t look to the side, just watch your feet, don’t think about being underground. Breathe, breathe, and breathe. Ok, you made it down. Rest. No, don’t turn off the lights! Can we leave yet? This area was formed by moving water over thousands of years? Hmm. It’s rather cool down here. Oh good, it’s time to go back up. One foot in front of the other. Keep going, keep going, you can do it. “We did it! We helped each other and we did it! We made it all the way down and all the way back up together! Woo-hoo! We are so brave! Good job buddy, and thanks for your help!”

• What do you mean we can’t go visit the school? They think we are a threat? How could we be a threat? The children have worked so hard to prepare for the visit, and they’ve gathered donations for the Chinese students! They’ve spent hours and they are looking forward to it! “You are right, it’s not fair and you didn’t do anything wrong. I’m sorry that this has happened. Sometimes things happen for the wrong reasons, and we can’t change them.”

• Wow, this is a muddy place! These people spend every day in the mud up to their knees, picking weeds. If they can do it every day, we can do it for an hour. Yes please, I’ll borrow some rain boots. Then I will stay dry and clean. Oh, the mud goes higher that the top of the boots! How unfortunate! How slimy! OMG, what is that? A spider’s nest! And thousands of spider babies are crawling on me! Don’t scream … it will scare the children. Don’t think about it, just brush them off … don’t scream! “Oh, don’t worry! It’s just a little spider nest. They can’t hurt you … just brush them off. You are fine!” Oh yuck, yuck, yuck! These people work 10-hour days every day and they make enough money in 8 years to buy an iPhone, providing they don’t spend a penny. “Ms. Jazz, look at this! I’ve pulled out the biggest weed I’ve ever seen! Can you believe it that people have to do this all day long for their whole lives? Man, are we lucky.” Indeed, we are.

• Camping might have to be cancelled due to the rain? The ground is wet and the tents will be soaked. You want us to make a decision? The kids are going to be so disappointed if we cancel camping. First the school trip, and then this. Some of them said it was the activity that they were the most excited about. What should we do? Lets ask the kids. “Since we are a democratic group, we have decided to give you all of the information about 2 choices, and then let you decide which one you want. The adults will honor your choice. All in favor of camping in the rain? None? Catapult building it is.”

• Wow, that is quite a challenge! Each group of 5 gets 7 long bamboo poles, 8 pieces of rope, and 1 bucket and they have to build a catapult. Then we are going to have a water balloon war and test them out. This is going to take a long time. They don’t have a plan. They need to get busy or their catapult won’t be ready. Don’t rescue them … let them figure it out. They can do it. “Keep trying, you can do it, work together!” “Ms. Jazz, our plan isn’t working.” “He hit me.” “I give up!” “This is too hard!” “I’ll do this side and you do that side.” “Let’s work together.” “Now everyone pick up a corner and we’ll move on 3. 1, 2, 3, move!” “Let’s go team!” “We can do it!” “You hold it down and I’ll launch the next one!” “We hit them!” “Move it to the left!” “We did it! We rock! Yeah team!”

• The Pan Family home? I wonder why a family home is considered a historical site? We have to walk for 30 minutes to go see a home? Really? That’s it? It looks like a huge castle built up a mountainside! How amazing … different levels … soldiers lived here … animals lived here … servants lived here … and the family members lived at the top in the safest spot of all! Everyone below sacrificed himself or herself to protect the family? Animals were at a higher level than servants? The view is incredible! This place is incredible! I’ve never seen anything like it! The children are as amazed as I am! What level would you put your friends and family on? “Ms. Jazz, I would put my Grandmother at the very top because she is the most important person in the whole world!” Don’t cry … don’t cry … don’t let the children see you cry … “Do you need a hug Ms. Jazz?”

• A tofu skin factory out here in the countryside? Where are all of the machines? No machines? Everything is done by hand? Wow, this is a lot of work. You have to be patient and careful. This little boy looks like he is about 2 years old. What is he doing? Oh no, he’s filling the bucket with sawdust and moving towards the fire! I need to stop him before he hurts himself! No one is paying any attention to him, should I grab him? He seems to know what he is doing …he has dropped the first bucket in the fire and he’s going back for more. He has clearly done this before. No one is worried about him because that is how he helps in the “factory”. Oh my. The students are thanking the owner and his wife for the hot soymilk and the visit to the factory, and this awesome TIS student has offered to translate for the rest of us because the owner and his wife speak Cantonese and so does he. Our students are so amazing! “Well done guys, you were super careful and patient and look how many skins you’ve managed to hang! I’m sure glad I don’t have to do this every day … how about you?” “I’d rather go to school Ms. Jazz.” “Me too”.

• Time to load the bus. The children are sad. It’s been an amazing week, and they don’t want to say goodbye to their Dragonfly leaders. “I’ll never forget you!” “Thanks for all your help!” “I had a great time!” I can’t wait to see my parents.” “My sister is really missing me I’ll bet.” “Can we come back next year Ms. Jazz?”

AFTER
What we did: a night hike, biking, climbing, cave exploration, community service, teambuilding games, shelter building, overnight camping, a historical site visit, and a trip to a tofu skin factory.

What we learned: fear, bravery, helpfulness, resourcefulness, reliance, tolerance, creativity, frustration, support, kindness, thankfulness, courage, generosity, excitement, democracy, understanding, cooperation, confidence, determination, compassion, thoughtfulness, exhaustion, wonder, independence, humor, adventure, delight, persistence, satisfaction, pride, and success.