Closing thoughts for the day...

Dear parents, time is 11.35pm
It's lights out now and the boys will be waking up bright and early tomorrow for PT before breakfast tomorrow.

We are glad that parents have enjoyed the blog and videos we have posted.
Currently, students in need of medical attention have been seen to and we have contacted the parents for those cases that require the attention of parents.
For the rest who are home-sick, fussy eaters, etc- our dynamic team of teachers have counselled, consoled, reassured them and they are all doing well now.

The purpose of the blog will serve as a conversation point so that when your son returns from the camp, you will have an idea of the type of activities he has engaged in and both parents and child will be able to share this experience as a family.

Even if you do not see your sons or brothers in the clip, you already have an idea of what the boys are going through and will be able to understand better what it is that makes Victoria School so special. In fact, take that as a conversation point to ask him to describe to you his camp experience and how it compared with the rest of his friends.

The blog is meant to empower parents so that they can be shared partners in education with us; don't turn it into a crutch that handicaps you and make it a cause of anxiety.

Have faith in us, more importantly have faith in your son
because he made the right decision to join the Victorian family.

We are all in our own way, Sons of Victoria and we will make you all proud.

Good night parents!
Tomorrow's Camp Fire will start approximately at 8.00pm
Details on the Qik Video Stream will be given closer to the time

My brudders and I

What happens to teachers after you soak them in mud all day?

They get camera shy and develop a cranky sense of humour:
nuff said :)

Stand by Bunk!

So parents, your long awaited video clip of 1D is here!
I was thinking what better way of introducing you all to 1D then by giving you a detailed tour of their living areas!

So check out their bunks here:

Our Vision, Mission and Values

Today some of our boys had their Form Teacher's period in the afternoon.
At night, the teachers also conducted a pastoral session with them on the themes of anti-bullying.

Here we can see some of the concept maps that the boys have put together during their day's sessions:

Dinner and clean-up

We had dinner sharp at 7.00pm. Don't worry parents, we make sure that the boys have enough water and fruits.

Also, after dinner, we inculcate in them the good habit of cleaning up after themselves.


So be sure to make us of your son's new found abilities when they return!

Going the Distance....

Cross-Country has been a niche sport in VS for many years. In fact, for 19 years consecutively VS has been either a B-Div or C-Div champion in Cross-Country and in some years, we have taken both division titles.

This is a proud feat that no other school can attest to. One of the key reasons for this success is that Cross-Country fits into the mindset of the Victorian- we believe in our motto Nil Sine Labore, where there is Nothing Achieved without Labour.
Hence, the long, lonely, arduous path of the long distance runner is something that finds a strong resonance within the Victorian spirit.

So at the close of the day, Cluster 1 (Sec 1A, Sec 1B, & Sec 1C) went for their evening run. Here we see them as they depart on their starting leg:


Running as a cohort means that we are able to encourage the boys to push each other to go the distance. It doesn't matter so much who is first and who is last; rather what matters is that everyone is able to cross the finish line together:

Some thoughts for the day

After a long tiring day, the boys are started to talk more amongst themselves and with the teachers as well.

So as I rove around the camp, I took some time to share some light hearted moments with some of the boys from 1G and 1H

Out to Sea!

We have had the boys flying through the sky on the Zip-line, had them tumbling around on land in the Nature Rumble, so to complete it, we must send them out to sea too! Here the boys from 1G are completing their abseil descent:


Here the boys are launching off the kayaks to head off for their kayak experience in the waters around Jalan Bahtera.


These are the boys that have just completed their Nature Rumble, so it is a good opportunity for them to wash off all the mud and grim while at sea. They also get a chance to visit the Kelongs and see the southern coastline of Malaysia!

In about half-an-hour, we'll be having dinner soon, so I'll update you again then.

Spa Victoria

Well, as we can see from this clip, even our macho men need their beauty treatment to keep themselves looking good!

So off we go to the swamp for them with Mr Amir, our brave and fearless Camp Commandant!
After dispatching the boys, I went off to check on the other areas of the camp. As Camp Commandant, Mr Amir has the most challenging part of managing the Nature Rumble-it requires a strong, resilient person who can stand chest deep in water the whole day and yet keep himself and the students around him motivated. It is the passion for teaching and our love for Victoria that allows teachers like Mr Amir to keep forging ahead for our students.

By the time I had caught up with the boys again, they were deep in the forest.
Here we see them emerging from their foray through the swamp:

We can see the brave Miss Shyamira helping the boys up to dry land.

After getting to their feet, we begin the trek back to camp:


All our 1E and 1F boys have been accounted for, safe and sound!
More updates later

Climbing High

No adventure camp can be complete without the inclusion of the Confidence Ropes Course.

Prior to this camp, Sec 3 and 4 Junior and Senior Leaders were trained by us in November during the Veloci-T Camp. There they picked up the skills and abilities necessary to help us in the conduct of our camps.

The CRC is a good test of trust, teamwork and develops the ability to have confidence in yourself whilst believing in the people who support you. Here Travis from 1I is attempting the Single Log.


In this clip, Luqman from 1I is attempting the Multi-line Traverse:


Whilst this group is up on the air, I'm going off in a few moments to check on the other group getting wet and muddy in the swamp!
See you then!

Team-building Games

While 1A and 1B were spending time with their Form Teachers, their counter-parts from 1C were having their team-building games.

First was the Centipede Race, next we see the Balance Challenge:


The main idea in both our games is to get the boys to work together and start communicating with each other.

Form Teachers Time

As part of our orientation, we have allocated time for the Form Teachers and Asst Form Teachers to get to know their classes.
We also will be inculcating the Vision, Mission and Values of the Victoria School during these sessions.

Here we see Miss Reyna Choo and Miss Wen Naihui from Sec 1A & 1B facilitating this session with their classes

First encounters!

The boys have just finished lunch and are being dispatched for their various activities.

All of them have been successfully settle in and we are good to go!
The teachers are constantly taking stock of the boys to make sure everyone is accounted for and that all of them are able to participate in the activities.
More updates later!

Belay School and Safety Briefings

Once we settled the boys in, we proceeded with an essential safety briefing.
The boys were taught how to wear and check the various safety equipment that they would be using.
They were also introduced to the various commands to be used with their seniors who would be belaying them during the climbing activities.
Here we see the boys being taught how to wear their helmets and harnesses.


We also show gave them a simple intro to the equipment to be used during kayaking- the paddles and the personal floatation devices


Once they were briefed on that, we did a demonstration with the seniors showing how how a successful and safe climbing process was like.

Apart from that, we also ensured that certain camping fundamentals were covered like hygiene and environmental awareness. The boys were briefed on the washing up process after meals so as not to have clogged sinks and choked sewerage.
We also made arrangements for the Muslim boys to set aside time and space for their prayers.

Arrival and settling in

We have now arrived at the camp.
All students and teachers have been accounted for and our Camp Commandant, Mr Amir is giving them instructions before we commence the camp proper.



It is always good to start with the Victorian anthem and to remember that we keep Victoria's flag always unfurled!

Morning Assembly

Good morning parents!
We started the day bright and early by welcoming our new Victorians during morning assembly.

Despite the light drizzle, the boys were all geared up and ready to go!


After assembly, Form Teachers took attendance and settled all the camp administrative matters before they headed to board the buses.
Let's take a look at some of the classes now:


More updates later once we arrive!