Month: May 2014

Apparently we need to be taking the racing line. Even if it includes squashing the cones!

And it wasn’t even sweet induced!

3 children have departed the site due to sickness but our remaining contingent are going strong. Breakfast has given them all needed boost and they are all currently enjoying stacking, or Abseiling or quad biking.

They’re beginning to flag!

On a separate note they did ask fantastic job of tidying up but I do have a large bag of un claimed clothes. These will be in the music room after School on Wednesday.

Mr O.

When children hear music something just takes over.  I’m sure you’ve all witnessed this.  In a group of 36 it is no different!  What some movers you’ve made!

We had shakers, groovers, rockers, rollers and gliders!  All looked fabulous and just had no inhibitions! Fantastic time had by all!

 

Including the adults!

  

(Miss Whitehead is doing the Harlem Shake.  Not convulsing.)

Guess the song…..

As I write, the children are packing! Sadly it is our final night! (In more ways than one)

They will be judging best pyjamas and best teddy any minute.  I must get back!

I hope to blog tomorrow but maybe not in as much length.

We look forward to seeing you all and I know you’re looking forward to hearing more about it from a different perspective!

Thanks for reading!

Mr O.

Wow! What a watery afternoon!

Raft building was just fantastic!  All groups began by planning their rafts and learning the figure of 8 knot that would prove to be very important later in the afternoon.

 

Cags, life aids and helmets on and with paddles in hand we were off to build.  It took a while….I must say.  Shorts and a running vest weren’t the warmest.  Team work and great encouragement was needed.  They all played a part in creating what I can honestly say were some of the finest rafts I’ve ever seen (my attempts at sabotage whilst on the water were futile).

Once on the water the fun began.  Splashing galore! With gust of wind reaching upwards of 25 mph trying to get anywhere on the lake was difficult….so we reverted to walking IN water.  My, oh my, that was a shock to the system!

Piracy, heroism and destruction ensued!  It was genuinely one of the most enjoyable rafting session I’ve had and fitting that it should be my last!  The children were adamant I get wet and so a certain Mr Morriarty was to blame for a head first entry to the water.  (in fact it was seconds after that final picture was taken….you can even see him moving forward to shove!)

Children hung on for dear life and others chose to stay dry.  We all thoroughly enjoyed it and were quick to get showered and changed.  If only to get warm!

A full roast followed and we were ready for the D.I.S.C.O!

 

 

 

Well, a good night’s sleep was had by all.

We started the morning with a bit of Frozen blasting down the corridor and a near garrotting as I left my bedroom!  Thanks for all the Birthday wishes.

Room inspections have been going well.  They are managing to keep their rooms pleasingly tidy. Well done to room 204 who won on Friday night (girls) and to room 210 (boys) who were quite clearly regimented with their sleeping bags laid completely flat on each bed!

A breakfast of sausages, veggie sausages, beans, hash browns, cereal, yoghurt or fruit was devoured quickly (sweets aren’t that filling, apparently) and we moved directly on to the day’s activities.

Team Chillax were trying to beat the 12 levels of previous years on Crate Challenge and gave it a good shot with some awesome teamwork.  I think the cold wind was inspiring them to keep moving!  Their second activity of quad biking was keenly ‘attacked’ with no thought for their own safety or that of the cones marking out the course!

Team Rootin Tootin (who are apparently from the Wild Wild West) shot up the vertical challenge without blinking! The sheer determination of so many of these children astounds me.  These activities, for a good number, are brand new but they approach them with no fear.  Equally astounding is the noise level of a few children who could be heard chanting ‘TOP, TOP, TOP’ on the Giant Swing!  Brilliant.

The Giant Swing is always a test….not just for the riders, but the group as a whole is required to work together and hoist each pair of ‘riders’ to the top.  Once again the team element comes into play here.  Team AAARRRRIIIIBBBBBAAAA demonstrated these qualities well, although the cold wind is biting when stood still.  They were spurred on by Team Rootin Tootin who laid down the gauntlet as they crossed paths en route to the Vertical challenge.

I’ve just seen them go across to the lunch hall…they know what’s coming next.  PIZZA!!!!! (and salad and bread and squash and pasta and fruit…the list goes on)

Oh, and rafting, who could foget rafting!  A highlight of all my years at PGL and this maybe my last chance to enjoy the activity so Mrs Aurelius will be chief photographer later and Mrs Hough and I, along with Team Chillax will head out on to the lake in search of other vessels to sink!

 

Mr.O

 

Quad biking is another hit!

 

Never a  dull moment!

They went up in search of the blue bits.

But found nothing! They actually reached 9! Go Team Chillax!

Just in case you weren’t sure what the parts of a chicken were!

Mr. O

And ready for bed they sit, intently listening to Miss Tonner reading a bed time story!

Yawn!