This year at SIS all grades 6-10 travelled to different places around Sweden for their annual school trips at the beginning of the year. Students from different grades all shared their experiences and opinions on the trips, which proved to be very different from previous years.

The 6th graders spent their trip in Barnens Ö (Children’s Island) where they participated in rope courses, swimming, and team building exercises.  A new student mentioned that it was an enjoyable trip and an opportunity to meet new people. However, he/she added that the bus trip was very long and it was hard to talk to anyone before she/he’d had a chance to get to know them. 

Seventh grade spent their trip in Boda Borg, located in Oxelösund in which they participated in “physically and mentally challenging activities,” including obstacle courses, bungee jumping, and rock climbing. Some, 7th graders were disappointed with the fact that there was no free time or interacting with other classes in the grade.

The 8th graders went to Gustavsvik, on Gotland. Emma M, Shea M. and Laila G. told us that they participated in a variety of activities including bike rides,  team-building exercises, volleyball, soccer, swimming and a trip to the sauna. “The swimming was really fun, but it was really cold,” according to Emma M.  They all mentioned that they thought the trip was a good way to get to know the new students in their grade, but seeing as it was only 2 days, some of the students were upset that they didn’t get to spend more time with their classmates.  

The 9th graders spent one night at the Mix Ranch in Gotland, participating in a variety of team-building activities. These activities included: soccer, frisbee, and Swedish game mångkamp. “Mångkamp was definitely the most enjoyable activity throughout the trip,” said William M. He thought  that two days was not enough to bond with new classmates.  “It felt really short because 8 of the 24 hours consisted of the boat trip.” Overall, he believed the trip to be an exciting experience and a fun way to kick off the school year.

The 10th graders – who also went to Gotland – experienced some bumps along the road when they realized they had no bikes for the bike tour, nor a second bus to fit all the students.  Despite those two things the rest of the trip ran smoothly; they arrived in the early afternoon in Tors Gård which allowed them to go rock climbing that day, as well as team building, obstacle courses and ice breaking activities.  They also had lots of free time,  which a student said was good because they got to know the new students well and spend time together.  “We had nachos everyday,” said another when asked about a memorable experience.

Overall, after hearing from students in the MYP it is clear that there were some common points between them such as the fact that two days were simply not enough. On the other hand, it was another year of successful trips for everyone and a great start to the school year.