Thursday is here and with signifies our last full day at Fairthorne Manor. Only one more sleep until we are back home!
One thing that we have noticed this week is how well children are bonding together in dorms and activity groups. It is really lovely to see how they care and look after each other whilst coping with being away from home and facing new challenges.
Another impressive thing to comment on is how well they are conducting themselves around the dinner table. Everybody is being very polite and helpful (handing out cutlery, plates, napkins, etc.) Children are also eating good healthy portions of food (and sometimes multiple portions at that!)
Finally, in my thoughts of the week, we have also been incredibly pleased with the tidiness of their rooms and how they are generally looking after themselves. They are coping admirably!
Thursday’s activities included Team Challenge, where children had to work closely together to overcome different physical and mental challenges. They also had to face the low ropes course that demanded skill, patience, and again TEAMWORK! More heights were being conquered in the Towers and more Indy-style rope bridge crossing was being done by Group 18.
After a lovely lunch of a panini and soup it was off for more challenges. This time groups children had to face their fears in climbing up a wall, and then abseiling down another!
Disco
Tonight it was time to get our glad rags on and bust some moves! It was DISCO TIME! This night was simply an opportunity for the children to let their hair down and have a bit of time dancing or chatting with friends.
Then it was off to bed for our final sleep before returning back to Southampton a little grubbier, but hopefully with some brilliant memories as well!
Mr Iszatt
PS – I will pop a final blog on when we have returned back, adding a few pictures to wrap up the week.
PPS – Please can all parents be ready to collect their children at 2pm prompt! They will then need to be deposited in a bath and their clothes in a washing machine!
We're all home now, happy but exhausted after a totally brilliant week.
ReplyDeleteThis has been a unique opportunity for me that I am very glad that I grabbed with both hands.
Highfield school aims to be "A happy school with a family feel where learning is fun", and I think that was borne out very much in the atmosphere of this week.
For me this felt like all the good bits of a holiday with an extended family. Everyone is special, unique, valued and supported.
Whereas Mr Iszatt has been strenuously thanking me for my contribution, I would like to thank Highfield School parents, pupils and staff for the uplifting experience that this week has been for me.
No doubt much to his embarrassment, I would like to commend Mr Iszatt as an excellent teacher, experienced, dedicated, hard working and devoted to each pupil and the school. I was particularly grateful of his wise ear (that's the one on the right) debriefing the day's events each evening.
Would I like to go again - you bet, but perhaps not as early as next week. We all need time to recover, regroup and unpack the events of this unique trip.
Thank you parents, pupils and staff. Together we make an amazing school.
Leigh Taylor, Parent Helper.