Year 6 Residential Blog
This is the official blog page for our long-awaited Year 6 residential visit.
After leaving school this morning, we had a smooth coach journey to our destination - no-one was travel sick and everyone arrived absolutely starving - why is it that school trips make you at least three times more hungry than usual? We enjoyed our (thankfully very full) packed lunches and then had a bit of time for free play whilst the teachers sorted out some last minute changes that had to be made to our programme. By 2:30 we were in our activity groups and on our first activities.
Our groups are called groups 40, 41, 42, 43 and 44 (snappy names huh!)and there are 13 or 14 children in each group. Today's activities were problem solving and obstacle challenge for groups 40 and 41, problem solving and bushcraft - fire lighting for group 42 and archery and problem solving for groups 43 and 44. We rotate the activities across the time we are here so we all get the opportunity to try them all.
Dinner today was a delicious selection from pasta and meatballs, vegan chilli and macaroni cheese fishcakes (yes, they are a thing!) with potato wedges. There was also a salad bar and a selection of fruit - and we had ice-cream for dessert! Someone, who shall remain nameless, tried to go for a third tub of ice-cream - thank goodness for the sharp eyed Miss Wicks who swiftly moved in on this.
After dinner we found out who we were sharing rooms with - and everyone is very happy. These teachers - they know things.....although none of them remember putting fairy lights on the kit list.
After we unloaded our stuff into our rooms (we need to keep them tidy, room inspections start tomorrow) we had lots of fun playing mini-olympic relay games in the big hall.
Teachers are very pleased to report that children settled quickly tonight - possibly a record for the first night of a residential - with rooms quiet by 10pm. Let's see how breakfast at 7:15am goes......it's going to be a busy day tomorrow.
Day 2 - Thursday
Breakfast of Champions
Good morning everyone. The children slept brilliantly last night, meaning all the adults got almost a full nights sleep - although there were some early starts this morning. We're on the early breakfast shift - 7:15am - well, it certainly felt early! A breakfast of champions though - full English, American pancakes and syrup, cereals and pastries to choose from - some of us chose all of them.
Sorry some of the photos are a bit shaky - perhaps I need another coffee!
And a few pics from the girls' dorms - they are supposed to be getting ready for their room inspections! Promise we'll grab some snaps of the boys later.
Busy morning on the 3G swing, playing Aeroball, Orienteering and climbing Jacob's Ladder, followed by a delicious lunch - garlic bread, chicken nuggets, beef chilli, rice, vegetarian quiche and an impressive amount of salad and fruit eaten. Our year 6 children like some strange combinations - I'd never thought of chilli covered nuggets before!
A message from Olivia:
I'm having a great time. My favourite activity so far has been the 3G swing - I enjoyed it because it went really high and it made your tummy feel weird! I like our room - the beds are kind of comfortable. The room is quite spacious as it is meant for 8 people but there are only four of us sharing it. My favourite meal so far was the pancakes we had for breakfast - and the hash browns!
A message from Gala:
I really enjoy spending time with my friends here and having them in my room overnight is even more fun even if we can't talk. I really enjoyed the archery activity because I got loads of opportunities to practise and I felt that I was getting much better. I was disappointed that the chicken nuggets for lunch weren't halal as I liked the look of them but I had the vegetable quiche instead.
A message from Yash
I enjoyed Jacob's Ladder as it was very challenging and also great fun. I liked it that you could trust your friends to lower you down safely on your harness. I also liked the dinner last night as it was very strong flavoured - I had the fishcake. I recommend going to Kingswood!
A message from Hoger
I enjoyed Jacob's ladder as you can depend on people to pull you up and it is very physically challenging. I like the food as it has lots of texture and flavour. I'm happy in my room as they are quite big and there is enough space for all of us.
A message from Haaris:
I have enjoyed Jacob's Ladder because it is extremely tiring on your body and it just shows you that your friends can help you out without having to help you too much. Also I have enjoyed the rooms because they are very spacious and it is a nice experience sharing with your friends.
A message from Anthon:
I enjoyed Jacob's Ladder - it was really high and really enjoyable. The food here is really good - there are a lot of choices for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I would recommend everybody to come here. The bedrooms are quite big and you have a lot of privacy.
More activities this afternoon, this time with the Nightline and some Team Games added into the mix. I hope everyone heeded Mrs Wyman's advice about old clothes - there is some muddy kit in group 43 this afternoon - and the other groups will be enjoying this activity tomorrow.
A record bedtime for the children tonight - rooms silent before 10pm. We had a lovely evening taking part in the Kingswood Talent Competition - we had everything from a rap about the food, an interpretive dance about tornadoes, impressions of different members of staff (hilarious), a leapfrog contest and even a staff performance entitled 'Year 6 children going on a residential'; great fun for everyone.
Day 3 - Friday
Good Morning all. The children woke up (or were woken up) bleary eyed this morning after our busy day yesterday. A spot of breakfast soon livened everyone up ready for what might well prove to be the biggest challenge of the day. Abseiling is a doddle when compared to packing! The children are doing pretty well though - stripping their beds is proving much easier than making them - provided that you can resist the temptation of a pillow fight of course!
"Riad, I can't seem to find my slippers"
I wonder how many items of clothing we'll be able to find once their rooms are supposedly empty!
Even though we are leaving today, we have a packed day in store first, with groups taking part in Bushcraft, Abseiling, Archery, Nightline, Team Games and the Obstacle Challenge.
We have to be out of our accommodation block by 9:15 - I will try to find somewhere to set the laptop up later to upload some pics from our morning - I'm thinking I might be able to do some at lunchtime - but if I can't I will share them with you over the next few days.
We will let you know via Classlist when we leave and will update via Classlist and Twitter for arrival times if they change from our prediction on departure. Have a fab Friday everyone.
All in a morning's work here at Kingswood. After a baked potato/sausage roll lunch everyone is back out on activities this afternoon. We are all packed and ready to go and the kitchen staff are making us some sandwiches to eat just before we leave to tide the children over until they get home for dinner.
We've been asking some of them what the first thing they are going to do when they get home is. Predictably, Roblox featured in a couple of cases, but we have also had cuddle my dog, tell my family all about it and just put my feet up on the sofa! The vote from the grown ups mainly involves warm baths and something tasty to drink!
Remember we will be in touch via Classlist later with a departure time and an ETA. If the ETA changes we will send another Classlist and update the school's Twitter account (@DorchesterP)
To make it quicker for everyone, please do not interfere with the children's luggage or the system as we get them off the coach. It is much more efficient for everyone if parents can stand back and wait for us to dismiss their child. We will ask the children to take a case (not necessarily theirs - just the first one that comes out of the coach) into the staff car park, where we can reunite them with their own case, and dismiss to you with any medication etc. Even if your child is first off the coach please do not try to grab them or their luggage. We do need to speak to a couple of parents about things that have happened (nothing major - don't worry - a few lost teeth etc) so it really helps us to be organised if everyone follows the system.
Any photos from this afternoon that don't make it onto the blog later today will be uploaded over the weekend.
See you later.