The annual three day senior trip marked one of the first events of the 2017-18 school year as the class of 2018 went to Hokkaido. One week into their senior year and soon after returning from summer break, the seniors were off on their endeavour to explore the northern island of Japan.
In previous years, canyoning, mountain biking, and hiking were some of the planned activities for the senior trip to Gunma. However, various changes were made to the senior trip this school year as the group did not travel to Gunma; instead, the trip to Hokkaido was student-planned. Luka H. (12), one of the core members of the planning process, expressed, “I loved looking up hotels and potential activities for the trip, and although the budget limit was a challenge, overall, I think the trip was very successful.” Although both the Hokkaido trip and the canyoning trip were successful and thrilling, students have varying opinions on whether staying with canyons as a destination would have been a better option. Yejie L. (12) voiced her opinion, "I think Canyons is more enjoyable if you're a fan of extreme physical involvement, whereas Hokkaido was more of the ‘last blast of high school’ kind of trip.”
The activities at Hokkaido were not limited to typical, tourist experiences, such as visiting the "shiroi-koibito" cookie park, where students were able to decorate their own cookies, but also included a wide range of bonding activities, such as playing paintball, making music boxes, and exploring the Blue Caves. “My favourite activity was playing paintball because it was stress-relieving and competitive at the same time," Alisha S. (12) reflected. Mr. Skulmoski, a supervisor of the trip, also expressed his satisfaction with the trip as it allowed students and teachers to experience new Japanese cultures and interact with nature.
Overall, the Hokkaido trip helped strengthen student relationships and provided seniors with a break from stressful college applications and IB studies, allowing them to kick off their final year of high school life with an unforgettable adventure.
- Seniors
- Trip
- features
- hokkaido