The weather on our final full day at Avon Tyrrell has been fantastic! Woohoo! The children started the day by watching a deer and stag roam the grounds of Avon Tyrrell before we ate breakfast – it was really wonderful to see how mesmerised they were. Again, they all settled into bed beautifully and slept well through the night. Each group completed their remaining activities for the week and were very grateful for the encouragement of the instructors and their peers. It has been lovely to watch their teamwork and communication skills improve as the week has gone on and we look forward to seeing these being implemented when we are back at school. The children are currently bubbling with excitement for the awesome disco we are having this evening and are looking forward to one more night in their rooms before returning back home tomorrow.

Some quotes from your lovely children:

- Izzy B – “Canoeing was extremely fun and I would definitely do it again!”

- Julia – “When I did the tree climbing, my heart was beating so fast! It was terrifying but I felt amazing when I realised I reached my goal.”

- Olivia – “The canoeing was really fun as we played lots of games including water football.”

- Rocco – “The zipline was exhilarating but when I got to the top I was quite nervous to let go. When I achieved my goal, I felt proud that I was able to do it!”

- Grace – “The zipline is probably the best thing I’ve ever done in my life!”

- Emily – Tree climbing was difficult, especially when I reached the slippery blocks but I persevered and got all of the way to the top. I am really proud of myself.”

We shall inform the school of our departure time tomorrow so that you can come and collect your children. See you tomorrow! We are going to boogie the night away 😊

After another hearty breakfast (their second full English), the children embarked upon a soggy morning full of adventure. Again, we have witnessed some incredibly brave and courageous children who have achieved more success than they originally thought was possible. Lots of children have conquered their fear of heights and are now grinning from ear to ear with pride. Miss Rendall also arrived at Avon Tyrrell today to get stuck in (the mud!) and enjoy the wonderful activities on offer.  This evening we are looking forward to enjoying a warm and toasty campfire and will enjoy singing camp songs with roasted marshmallows to top it all off.

Here are some quotes from the children themselves:

“The best part of my week has been the zip wire. Despite the challenging climb up, it was so worth it when I zoomed down across the lake” Emily J

“I really enjoyed the canoeing experience because we played lots of fun games such as: football (the canoeing version) and different races. I was in a canoe with Dulcie and she managed to keep us on track. Although we did crash into a bush!” Kian L

“The zip wire was really scary at the top because it was really high up. But then when you slide down it was fun, and all of my nerves disappeared” Izzy B

“Today I made it right to the top of the tree during tree climbing. I was so proud of myself because I set myself a goal that was only halfway up. I needed to use my growth mindset and determination, but I did it!” Keira

I have to say though, your children have been absolutely incredible so far! We count ourselves so lucky to be able to take such wonderful little people away on residential.

Take a look at a selection of our photos from today.

The children slept fantastically during their first night at Avon Tyrrell! All of the children settled into bed brilliantly after sensibly watching a cosy film in their pyjamas. It may have been the awesome night walk around the camp site that helped them to drift off so quickly. We learnt about the history of the grounds that we are staying on and conducted a few light experiments, including ripping a sealed envelope open. Did you know that when our surroundings are completely pitch black, it causes a reaction that creates a spark of light?

Today the children took part in activities such as: canoeing, bush craft, mountain biking and high ropes. All of the adults have been blown away by the sheer grit, determination and courage that the children have displayed today. Some children have reached heights and personal achievements that they never thought were possible.

- “I have conquered my fear of heights today!” Dominik.

- “I liked doing the canoeing because it was really fun! Maisie had to be a little bossy as she kept trying to capsize our boat!” Chloe M.

- “This has been the best day of my life!” Lauren C.

- “At first, I was quite nervous about completing the zip wire because the tree was really wobbly and it was the first time I had ever done it. When I got to the top, I realised it was really fun and I started singing I believe I can fly!” Chloe H

- “I really enjoyed the mountain biking because the team at Avon Tyrrell were very inclusive of my needs and it meant that I had great time! We were flying around at full speed!" Loman S-S 

Miss Lyddon also joined us for the day and was very impressed with how the children have settled into their routines at our home away from home. We also had a birthday today – Happy Birthday Chloe. She is one lucky lady as her room mates were so kind and decorated the room beautifully to help celebrate her special day. We are having a slightly quieter evening this evening so that the children can enjoy some free time and digest the day's activities. 

Take a look at a selection of our photos from the day's events...

Wow, what a start to our Year 6 residential! It has been a wet and muddy start but that has not dampened our spirits in the slightest. After a successful journey on the coach, we arrived just before lunchtime. The children were incredibly excited to find out who they would be sharing a room with; however, the excitement soon passed as they realised that they then had to make their own beds! With a little help, all of the children have a cosy bed to sleep in tonight. Our afternoon was then jam packed with fun as we all participated in a variety of different activities including: pioneering, archery, shelter building and the egg drop challenge. We all enjoyed a tasty dinner of shepherds pie or vegetarian sausage casserole with ice-cream for pudding to top it all off. All of the children are in high spirits and are looking forward to our night walk experience this evening. Keep checking in throughout the week to see what your wonderful children are getting up to. Take a look at a selection of photographs from today, more will be uploaded throughout the week.

This morning Ash and Pine went on their library visits. We walked down to Chineham Library had a look at the fiction and non fiction books and also learnt about the new Winter Challenge. Lots of the children brought their library cards and took out a book. We had a great time and the library staff commented on how well behaved the children were. Thank you to our helper and to Chineham Library for the informative visit! 

This morning Ash and Pine Class had the chance to try the delicious food they made yesterday for their Greek Day. They all tried flat breads, koftas and tzatziki. Everyone was really adventurous and gave it a go. Have a read of the feedback they gave:

"One of the best food ever!" 

"One of the best foods I have tried."

"The flatbread tasted like heaven."

"I was not expecting it to be this good."

"The Koftas were a bit weird at first but tasty by the end."

"When I tried it, I thought that the lamb koftas were going to be nicer but actually the tzatziki was nicer."

"The flatbread was the best bit."

"Flatbread has never tasted this good."

"I could tell a lot of effort went in."

Over the last two weeks, Year Four have enjoyed their Topic Launch day and their Ancient Greek dress up day. The children looked brilliant in their costumes - togas may be the way forward! Both days were full of all sorts of activities ranging from food tasting (Goats cheese and figs were a first for many), wreath making, Gorgon inspired mask making, exploring patterns in the Ancient Greek alphabet, using Art straws to create Ancient Greek inspired columns as well as cooking lamb koftas and flat bread. One activity that particularly got us thinking was creating a replacement for Zeus as King of the Gods. The children worked in groups to think about the powers and personalities that would make a suitable new leader. Another highlight was singing a Greek inspired song that the children have been learning in Music - Mrs Irons would be very proud. 

We know Year Four have thoroughly enjoyed their History research into Ancient Greek life as well as hearing the gripping tales of Greek Mythology. We look forward to what the rest of the topic has in store for us.