Cohesion Hike / Sports Day Coverage
The annual River Valley Sports Day came and went, bringing with it more fun and interesting times for all in 2018, with the Sports Carnival for juniors and Cohesion Hike for seniors. Whether you missed out on the events, want to know more about the activities, or simply wish to reminisce about the time you spent with your friends, let us look back at the activities again.
Cohesion Hike
This year, the senior high cohort (Y4-6s) started their adventure at VivoCity before exploring the Southern Ridges of Singapore.
From the starting point, the seniors headed towards their first checkpoint - Faber Deck, a beautiful high ground with vintage garden designs, coupled with small pavilions to rest and admire the scenery of Singapore. The path along Faber Deck was a relaxing walk covered with a green overhang of plants, which was made more pleasant with the cooling breeze.
After the Faber Deck was the Henderson Wave, a bridge named after its unique wave-like design, which was a hit as the seniors all scrambled to take class photos at the spot. At the end of the bridge, a resting point with restrooms and a vending machine was in sight, attracting long queues as people were desperate for a cool drink in the hot weather.
The road leading to the last part of the hike, Hort Park, was a metal grille pathway, high above the ground. The path was exciting but proved a challenge for acrophobes. The metal grille path was long and winding with beautiful scenes of lush greenery along the way, where photo-taking sessions started again.
After about an hour of walking, the seniors finally reached Hort Park. The place was overcrowded with all the classes trying to take their final class photos and boomerangs to mark the end of the cohesion hike.
Tips for future cohesion hikes
After the hike, we interviewed some of the seniors to give you (Y1-3) a heads-up on what to expect, what to enjoy, and what to eat, while on your very own Cohesion Hike.
From our survey, we discerned that many enjoyed the walk, the scenery and chatting with their friends throughout the hike. Many seniors recommended packing light for the trip, bringing water and sunblock, caps or fans, and finally bringing a portable speaker to play some background music while walking.
Finally, Cohesion Hike is never complete without a post-hike meal. We asked the seniors what they ate for lunch and whether they would recommend it.
Due to it being nearby and very accessible from the final destination of the hike, IKEA was a popular place for lunch among the seniors. Other than that, the Korean BBQ at JCube was another alternative for those willing to take the bus or train to get to Jurong East. The seniors generally praised the environment, accessibility, and the quality of food in both places, but they did find the prices above average - something to be aware of.
Note: For future hikes where the trail will be different, consider the ending point of the hike, as this affects the accessibility of various food places.
Sports Day
Roaring cheers, rounds of applause, sounds of bouncing balls and blaring music could be heard from the campus of River Valley High School on the 5th of April 2018 – such boisterousness was caused not by a party, but by the annual Sports Carnival that gathered Junior High students for a morning of sports games and activities. Its purpose? To build better school spirit and nurture a culture of active lifestyle. The Student Editorial Club brings to you in-depth coverage on the Sports Carnival and the happenings on that day.
To commemorate RV62, each Year 1 class had to run 62 kilometres, with each individual contributing to the class’s progress. The general response to the run was mixed, with many seeing it as “fun”, helpful in “building class spirit” and “a good form of exercise”. A significant number were touched by their friends who ran alongside them and encouraged them to push through when they felt exhausted during the run. A minority were a little envious of their seniors who got to play Sports which they found more interactive, but still enjoyed and derived pleasure from forming more robust bonds with their classmates. (Year 1s, you’ll get your chance at the Games next year, don’t worry!)
The Year 2s and 3s played interclass matches of soccer and basketball, which were generally liked by many. The pride of representing the class, the thrill of the sports, and the electrifying atmosphere created by the cheers sent adrenaline pumping through spectators and players alike, as they played and watched with bated breath. Winning teams pumped their fists in the air after savouring the sweet taste of victory, while losing teams, as disheartened as they were, graciously congratulated the victors and gave each other a pat on the back. As competitive as the games were, having fun and enjoying themselves to the fullest ultimately outweighed the importance of winning or losing.
Next up, the unprecedented Inter-House Kinball Games added surprise and anticipation to the Carnival. “Overall, the Kinball experience was indeed a refreshing and captivating one,” said Asher Pore, Captain of House Pegasus. “Many RVians were intrigued by the new game as little to none have heard of ‘Kinball’ before.” Seeing the Juniors hit the large Kinball with their body parts was certainly a sight to behold, and Asher ended off saying that he liked how Kinball “perks RVians into the House Spirit, as well as cultivating inter-level bonds”.
The Sports Carnival concluded with a cheering competition where everyone screamed their lungs out to earn points for their Houses as the House Captains waved the flags of the respective Houses, pushing the Carnival to its climax. With every cheer the flags fluttered even higher in pride, as if the mythical beasts representing the six houses had come to life – their might and prowess matched only by the powerful vibes of the enthusiasm of the crowd. The most inspiring moment was undoubtedly when everyone did the last cheer together as one RV, with a sense of camaraderie bubbling in the air.
With that, Sports Carnival 2018 came to an end. The day may have ended, but the sports and the school spirit live on, as students await the exciting experiences that Sports Day 2019 will have to offer.