Friday, 27 May 2011
Day 5 - Aurevoir La France!
Most rooms were tidied up last night before the children went to bed, so the usual last-minute rush was avoided (for the most part!). We had a leisurely breakfast, at which time teachers from a school who were also staying on our floor informed me that their students (all girls) would be crushed that our boys were leaving, as they were quite taken with our Foster's Lads.
We got onto the coach and headed off to the French Market in good time. The children were all very impressed with local fare, which included sheep's brains, veal tongue and a variety of live sea-food. One student made himself particularly popular with the fruitier by requesting one cherry, so a hasty departure was required. Another student attempted (unsuccessfully) to purchase an alcoholic pastry from a bakery.
There have been reports of a possible blockade at Calais as part of a protest (not the taxi drivers, I don't think), so hopefully we'll be able to get onto the ferry without incident, and might even make it home early!
It's been a very memorable trip for staff and students alike. We've worked well together as a team, been very encouraging to everyone (including one child who told a Disney employee that he spoke 'goooooood Eeeeeenglish!' when we entered the park). The children have overcome their fears of travelling without parents to a foreign country (admittedly, we did have to reassure one child that Malaria wasn't a known problem in Western Europe - the same child, as it happens!), and they've made us all very proud of them.
Well done, Foster's Year 6!
We're now pulling in to Dover, and very much looking forward to seeing all our loved ones at school.
Day 04 - Disneyland!
Today was the first day we've woken to cloud cover, and it looked like it might actually rain. Everyone was so excited about going to Disneyland, though, there would be nothing which could dampen our enthusiasm, or so we thought...
After a leisurely breakfast, we boarded the coach and began excitedly talking about experiences people had had at the various Disney and other theme parks around the world. It was surprising how well travelled some of the children were! We arrived with perfect timing at the Park just as it was opening - thanks again to Andy our driver - all very excited and looking forward to our day.
We passed security, and approached the entrance gates, where our attempts to use our tickets to gain entry were rejected. We discovered that PGL had made a mistake with our booking, and our tickets expired yesterday! I'm not sure who was more disappointed, the teachers or the children. It took a while to sort out the ticketing issues, during which time the children waited patiently and behved brilliantly. We finally got some valid tickets, and entered the park. Though we could have done without the delay, it actually made the experience of actually entering the park even more exciting.
We organised to have our dinner at the Chateau later than usual so that we could make up the lost time in Disneyland, and it was a good thing, too. We managed to go on all the rides people wanted to (Space Mountain was a firm favourite, with some children going on the ride 7 times!). One child was particularly nervous about riding the roller coaster, and pulled out at the last minute. After trying out a few of the other rides first, her friends convinced her to try the roller coaster again, and despite her feats, she did it. She came off the ride, her face lit up, saying that it was the best ride ever, and went on another few times. Great to see the children overcoming their fears and trying new experiences.
When we returned to the Chateau, completely exhilarated and exhausted, another new experience was waiting for us - snails as part of our evening meal. While not to everyone's taste, several children liked them so much, they went back for seconds, thirds, ... even fifteenths! One child said that he wanted to take some of the snails from the dinner hall and pack them in his suitcase so he could share the experience with his parents. Fortunately for those parents, we discovered the plan, and convinced him that it might be better to purchase snails in the UK, rather than trying to smuggle cooked snails across the boarder. Looks like you all have another staple to add to the shopping list next time you go to Asda!
Evening activity was a choice of different activities, ranging from Karaoke, games room, football, or tennis. After the full day at Disneyland and a selection of active games after dinner, I was confident the children would go stratight back to their rooms and fall into a deep sleep. How can one person get it so wrong? The children behaved really well and packed their rooms ready for the morning, but excitement levels were just too high for everyone to drop quickly off to sleep. They eventually quietened down out of respect for other people at the centre who might be trying to sleep (i.e., the teachers!), but I wonder how much sleep was had. I guess we'll find out in the morning...
After a leisurely breakfast, we boarded the coach and began excitedly talking about experiences people had had at the various Disney and other theme parks around the world. It was surprising how well travelled some of the children were! We arrived with perfect timing at the Park just as it was opening - thanks again to Andy our driver - all very excited and looking forward to our day.
We passed security, and approached the entrance gates, where our attempts to use our tickets to gain entry were rejected. We discovered that PGL had made a mistake with our booking, and our tickets expired yesterday! I'm not sure who was more disappointed, the teachers or the children. It took a while to sort out the ticketing issues, during which time the children waited patiently and behved brilliantly. We finally got some valid tickets, and entered the park. Though we could have done without the delay, it actually made the experience of actually entering the park even more exciting.
We organised to have our dinner at the Chateau later than usual so that we could make up the lost time in Disneyland, and it was a good thing, too. We managed to go on all the rides people wanted to (Space Mountain was a firm favourite, with some children going on the ride 7 times!). One child was particularly nervous about riding the roller coaster, and pulled out at the last minute. After trying out a few of the other rides first, her friends convinced her to try the roller coaster again, and despite her feats, she did it. She came off the ride, her face lit up, saying that it was the best ride ever, and went on another few times. Great to see the children overcoming their fears and trying new experiences.
When we returned to the Chateau, completely exhilarated and exhausted, another new experience was waiting for us - snails as part of our evening meal. While not to everyone's taste, several children liked them so much, they went back for seconds, thirds, ... even fifteenths! One child said that he wanted to take some of the snails from the dinner hall and pack them in his suitcase so he could share the experience with his parents. Fortunately for those parents, we discovered the plan, and convinced him that it might be better to purchase snails in the UK, rather than trying to smuggle cooked snails across the boarder. Looks like you all have another staple to add to the shopping list next time you go to Asda!
Evening activity was a choice of different activities, ranging from Karaoke, games room, football, or tennis. After the full day at Disneyland and a selection of active games after dinner, I was confident the children would go stratight back to their rooms and fall into a deep sleep. How can one person get it so wrong? The children behaved really well and packed their rooms ready for the morning, but excitement levels were just too high for everyone to drop quickly off to sleep. They eventually quietened down out of respect for other people at the centre who might be trying to sleep (i.e., the teachers!), but I wonder how much sleep was had. I guess we'll find out in the morning...
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
Day 03 - Dinner and Evening Activity
The driver assured me that our two hour return journey back to our chateau from Versailles wasn't due to the strike, but due to regular Parisian traffic. Considering my sat nav confidently informed me that it would take just over 30 minutes, the driver's assurance that the strike wasn't to blame was somehow not the comfort I felt he intended it to be. Still, after all our walking around Paris and Versailles, everyone was ravenous, and we arrived just in time to deposit the bags into the rooms, and into dinner. No waiting! The fact that it didn't take even longer was largely due to the skillful driving of Andy, our chauffeur. Driving in and around Paris is tricky at the best of times, but during rush hour with a group of 45 children entertaining themselves on a 2 hour trip, the job he did was nothing short of miraculous.
Dinner was a choice of kebabs or meat pie, with the usual salads, vegetables, bread, and desserts.
After dinner, we decided to start our evening activity at the slightly later time of 8:45, in order to give the chlidren the free time which they had requested. The evening activity was Eiffel Tower building, where the children had to use a vaiety of pieces of cardboard, sello tape, straws, and any natural items they could find around the grounds. Their task was not only to build a structure, but also to create an advertisement and sell the 'product' to an investor. Not an easy task in 45 minutes!
The children all took to the activity with great gusto, and worked well together as teams. Many of the ads were more intricate and structured than the actual buildings!
Everyone seems good and tired tonight, and barring any near death experiences tonight, I really do think everyone will sleep well, and be rested for our trip to Disneyland tomorrow.
Dinner was a choice of kebabs or meat pie, with the usual salads, vegetables, bread, and desserts.
After dinner, we decided to start our evening activity at the slightly later time of 8:45, in order to give the chlidren the free time which they had requested. The evening activity was Eiffel Tower building, where the children had to use a vaiety of pieces of cardboard, sello tape, straws, and any natural items they could find around the grounds. Their task was not only to build a structure, but also to create an advertisement and sell the 'product' to an investor. Not an easy task in 45 minutes!
The children all took to the activity with great gusto, and worked well together as teams. Many of the ads were more intricate and structured than the actual buildings!
Everyone seems good and tired tonight, and barring any near death experiences tonight, I really do think everyone will sleep well, and be rested for our trip to Disneyland tomorrow.
Day 03 - Eiffel Tower and Versailles
Well, that was a journey and a half! There was a French taxi driver strike, which blocked the roads and turned our 30 minute trip to Paris into something more like 90 minutes. We had our music and electronic devices, though, so we didn't really notice. It did, however, make us alter our plans slightly. We had intended to stroll around the Eiffel Tower after our boat crusie, then take in a leisurely lunch at the beautiful Versailles Gardens. Instead, we did our boat tour, ate our lunch at the Louvre Museum since we couldn't get a park outside the Eiffel Tower due to all the taxis parked there on protest over, well, something, and then raced around the Gardens at Versailles trying to 'collect' interesting features on our digital cameras. When presented with the majesty of the Versailles Estate, one hard-to-impress individual stated that, 'My Dad's mates back garden is bigger than this!' The rest of us thought it was pretty impressive, and though our time there was cut short, it was nice to be able to spend our lunch time with Mr Fletcher and fill him in on our adventures so far.
We are now all thoroughly exhausted, and looking forward to dinner tonight! Hopefully, the traffic won't be so affected by the strike this side of Paris!!!
We are now all thoroughly exhausted, and looking forward to dinner tonight! Hopefully, the traffic won't be so affected by the strike this side of Paris!!!
Day 03 - Paris
Well, it's official; the children were lulling us into a false sense of security by sleeping through the night on the first night. Don't get me wrong, their behaviour was very good, they were just concerned about each other's welfare. At 11:30 last night, a group of children woke me up with the pronouncement that one of the children in their room might be dead. Apparently, a child who shall remain nameless, moved slightly in her sleep, and this was mis-interpreted by her friends as some kind of fit. In addition, she's also a very deep sleeper, and was unresponsive to them calling her name. I entered the room and determined that she was fine, re-assured the children that she was fine, and returned to bed for a good nights sleep - or so I hoped. About 30 minutes later, the same girls returned, concerned that when another of their friends fell asleep and moved slightly, that she might be having a seizure as well. I was reasonably confident that she would also be fine, but thought it prudent to check. Fortunately, I was right. Since the children found sleep so scary, perhaps we were wrong in our assumption that they actually did it on the first night.
By this time, the other children had assumed that there was a major problem as the opening and closing of doors had woken them up, and the corridor was lined with sleepy (and some not-so-sleepy!) faces. Fortunately, after reassuring the children that everything was fine, they all slept through the night. Well, perhaps it would be more accurate to say they didn't wake me up, and by that point, I was happy with that outcome!
At breakfast, I expected the children to look at least as exhausted as the adults, but they were more energetic and excited than I'd seen them yet. After our usual breakfast, we all piled onto the coach to head into Paris. The plan for today is take a boat tour along the Seine, see Paris by coach, then have some fun activities in Versailles gardens.
We'll be meeting Mr Fletcher in Paris today after the river cruise. He is dedicated enough to your children to take a day out of school to come to Paris personally to ensure your children are having a good time. No sacrifice is too great ...
By this time, the other children had assumed that there was a major problem as the opening and closing of doors had woken them up, and the corridor was lined with sleepy (and some not-so-sleepy!) faces. Fortunately, after reassuring the children that everything was fine, they all slept through the night. Well, perhaps it would be more accurate to say they didn't wake me up, and by that point, I was happy with that outcome!
At breakfast, I expected the children to look at least as exhausted as the adults, but they were more energetic and excited than I'd seen them yet. After our usual breakfast, we all piled onto the coach to head into Paris. The plan for today is take a boat tour along the Seine, see Paris by coach, then have some fun activities in Versailles gardens.
We'll be meeting Mr Fletcher in Paris today after the river cruise. He is dedicated enough to your children to take a day out of school to come to Paris personally to ensure your children are having a good time. No sacrifice is too great ...
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
Day 02 - Dinner and Evening Activity
People didn't gorge themselves at the chocolate factory, so everyone was hungry tonight when they went to dinner. They had a nice selection of chicken or meatballs on rice or cous cous, or vegetables in a nice sauce. Again, the usual choices of salds and bread, and we had ice-cream and fruit for desert. Many children also enjoyed hot chocolate, but I guess that goes pretty much without saying at this point.
We had a few minutes after dinner before our evening activity starts, so the children returned to their rooms to write their post cards, ready for delivery to Mr Fletcher tomorrow.
Our evening activity is a selection of outdoor games, again designed to let the children burn up any last vestiges of energy to allow them to have a full night's sleep. It seemed to work last night, so if it 'aint broke, don't fix it! After a set of energetic out door activites, the children had a Bin Bag Fashion challenge, whereby they had to try to create a specific look using only bin bags plastic cups and string. The outfits were amazing, though some boys to be slightly more open-minded with their fashion sense than they otherwise may have been.
We had a few minutes after dinner before our evening activity starts, so the children returned to their rooms to write their post cards, ready for delivery to Mr Fletcher tomorrow.
Our evening activity is a selection of outdoor games, again designed to let the children burn up any last vestiges of energy to allow them to have a full night's sleep. It seemed to work last night, so if it 'aint broke, don't fix it! After a set of energetic out door activites, the children had a Bin Bag Fashion challenge, whereby they had to try to create a specific look using only bin bags plastic cups and string. The outfits were amazing, though some boys to be slightly more open-minded with their fashion sense than they otherwise may have been.
Day 2 - Chocolate Factory
We boarded the coach after lunch, and began our 1 hour journey to the chocolate factory. We started playing the children's favourite game ('Are We There Yet?'), but this time they were reluctant to believe Mr Adams' stock answer of 20 minutes. It took them rather longer than expected to figure out if anything WAS actually 20 minutes away, it was purely an accident, and not because Mr Adams knew where we were going! We learned some interesting facts about the history of chocolate in Europe, and how the different types of chocolate are made at the small factory. All this paled into insignificance when the children realised they were getting free samples of each type of chocolate discussed. Mrs Bartlett was more excited than the children!
While not cheap, the chocolates were beautifully presented and very high quality. The children got a 5% discount on top of the 'I've gotten to the counter with insufficient money and don't understand what you're asking me for' discount which the generous ladies at the counter also afforded the children when they were short by 50c or so. One student made a particularly good attempt to speak French. He wasn't sure of all the words, and actually caused some slight panic behind the counter, but with a little bit of help was able to communicate to non-English speaking French people. Very impressive!
It was a fantastic trip, and we're all thoroughly looking forward to our foray into Paris and Versailles tomorrow.
While not cheap, the chocolates were beautifully presented and very high quality. The children got a 5% discount on top of the 'I've gotten to the counter with insufficient money and don't understand what you're asking me for' discount which the generous ladies at the counter also afforded the children when they were short by 50c or so. One student made a particularly good attempt to speak French. He wasn't sure of all the words, and actually caused some slight panic behind the counter, but with a little bit of help was able to communicate to non-English speaking French people. Very impressive!
It was a fantastic trip, and we're all thoroughly looking forward to our foray into Paris and Versailles tomorrow.
Day 2 - Morning activities
In my experience on school trips, it takes children forever to wake up and get themselves organised for breakfast after the first night. To my shock, over half the children were already awake when we came to their rooms at 7:15. Breakfast was timetabled for 8:10, so I told the children that we needed to meet outside the Chateau at 7:50 for our morning meeting. The meeting normally only takes 5-10 minutes, but invariably children are still wandering down from their rooms 15 minutes after the scheduled meeting time. This morning, all the children were ready to meet at 7:45! We got our meeting over in record time, and the children had some free time before breakfast!
Breakfast was a very French affair, with cereals, bread, jams, cheese, yogurts, pain au chocolat and croissants. Again, the hot chocolate and juice machines got a good workout! After breakfast, the children made their own sandwiches for lunch with a great selection of ham, salami, tuna, eggs, cheese and salads. When told that they would be making their own sandwiches from baguettes, one child (who shall at this point remain nameless) proudly showed off the fruits of his almost 4 years of French study by asking, "What's a baguette?" Some work to be done, I think...
The children then separated into 4 groups for activities on site. The first activity I attended was team challenge, where the children had to collect sticks and hand them to their instructor. They then sat around on the grass answering challenges based on the arrangements of sticks. I was dubious about how engaged the children would be with a pile of sticks, considering the high-tech equipment they're used to using so far, but all children were completely absorbed and enthused by the activity. The children would have been more than happy to continue this activity for the entire 45 minutes, but this was only a warm-up! We walked into the forest, and had an activity where the entire group of 11 children had to stand on a see-saw and balance it for a minimum of 10 seconds. There was an activity where letters had to be placed on nodes on a web with no consecutive letters next to each other.
Archery was next for us. After deciding not to take one child's helpful suggestion that we play 'Arrow Roulette', whereby arrows are launched straight into the air, and the games continues until there is one person left standing (I'm a kill-joy, I know!), we began a competition based on hitting a target. The Silverbirch assembly on modesty clearly struck a chord with these children. When one particular child was congratulated on his aim, he responded with, 'I'm a legend, I know.'
We had a quick 10 minute break, after which we went to Trapeze. I was a little concerned with the boy who sang, 'I Believe I Can Fly' all the way to the top of the pole, 'cause just saying it doesn't make it so.
We then went straight to Abseiling, which the children really enjoyed. Some work to be done on maths, though. While children were descending the tower, their friends were trying to reassure them by letting them know how close they are to the ground. Unfortunately, the estimates varied for the child in one position from 1 cm to 100 feet. More worringly, the child on the ropes seemed equally reassured by both estimates!
We've just now eaten our lunch which we prepared earlier, and are about to board the coach for our trip to the chocolate factory!
Breakfast was a very French affair, with cereals, bread, jams, cheese, yogurts, pain au chocolat and croissants. Again, the hot chocolate and juice machines got a good workout! After breakfast, the children made their own sandwiches for lunch with a great selection of ham, salami, tuna, eggs, cheese and salads. When told that they would be making their own sandwiches from baguettes, one child (who shall at this point remain nameless) proudly showed off the fruits of his almost 4 years of French study by asking, "What's a baguette?" Some work to be done, I think...
The children then separated into 4 groups for activities on site. The first activity I attended was team challenge, where the children had to collect sticks and hand them to their instructor. They then sat around on the grass answering challenges based on the arrangements of sticks. I was dubious about how engaged the children would be with a pile of sticks, considering the high-tech equipment they're used to using so far, but all children were completely absorbed and enthused by the activity. The children would have been more than happy to continue this activity for the entire 45 minutes, but this was only a warm-up! We walked into the forest, and had an activity where the entire group of 11 children had to stand on a see-saw and balance it for a minimum of 10 seconds. There was an activity where letters had to be placed on nodes on a web with no consecutive letters next to each other.
Archery was next for us. After deciding not to take one child's helpful suggestion that we play 'Arrow Roulette', whereby arrows are launched straight into the air, and the games continues until there is one person left standing (I'm a kill-joy, I know!), we began a competition based on hitting a target. The Silverbirch assembly on modesty clearly struck a chord with these children. When one particular child was congratulated on his aim, he responded with, 'I'm a legend, I know.'
We had a quick 10 minute break, after which we went to Trapeze. I was a little concerned with the boy who sang, 'I Believe I Can Fly' all the way to the top of the pole, 'cause just saying it doesn't make it so.
We then went straight to Abseiling, which the children really enjoyed. Some work to be done on maths, though. While children were descending the tower, their friends were trying to reassure them by letting them know how close they are to the ground. Unfortunately, the estimates varied for the child in one position from 1 cm to 100 feet. More worringly, the child on the ropes seemed equally reassured by both estimates!
We've just now eaten our lunch which we prepared earlier, and are about to board the coach for our trip to the chocolate factory!
Day 01 - At the centre
We pulled into the centre two hours early and were greeted by our group leader. She showed the children to their rooms, each of which consisted of two sets of bunk beds and en-suite.
The children had 40 minutes to unpack and settle in to their rooms, as well as pop into all their friends' room just to make sure they weren't missing anything in their own, and then it was off for a site tour. I had been impressed with the amount of food that children had brought with them in their hand luggage onto the ferry, but that was nothing compared to the treasure trove of treats which emerged from the children's suitcases. Some of the rooms looked more like convenience stores than bedrooms!
We ate dinner in the Chateau, and the food was great, but for some reason a few of the children didn't have much of an appetite. We had a choice of baked potatos or pork chops, and a wide selection of salads and vegetables. There was also plenty of bread, and a choice a lemon tort or fruit for dessert. What the children most enjoyed about the meal, I think, was the hot chocolate machine. It certainly got a work out on our first day at the Chateau.
After dinner, the children had their first activity, which was 'wide games'. It basically involved playing a series of games over a large area which involved the children running around for 90 minutes in an attempt to let them burn off all the energy they accumulated through sitting down for such a long time, and make sure they're nice and tired so they have a restful first night here. We all agreed this was a good plan, but the chlldren enjoyed the games so much, they came back at the end of the session more energised than when they started! I was sure that it would be a long night for the teachers patrolling the corridors and making sure the children stayed in their rooms and got some sleep, but I was mistaken. The children were fantastic, and stayed in their rooms and turned out the lights when asked to do so. I could get used to this!
We'll be waking the children up in just over an hour to get them ready for breakfast and their first full day of activities, which will include abseiling, archery, team challenge and a trip to the chocolate factory. I can't wait!
The children had 40 minutes to unpack and settle in to their rooms, as well as pop into all their friends' room just to make sure they weren't missing anything in their own, and then it was off for a site tour. I had been impressed with the amount of food that children had brought with them in their hand luggage onto the ferry, but that was nothing compared to the treasure trove of treats which emerged from the children's suitcases. Some of the rooms looked more like convenience stores than bedrooms!
We ate dinner in the Chateau, and the food was great, but for some reason a few of the children didn't have much of an appetite. We had a choice of baked potatos or pork chops, and a wide selection of salads and vegetables. There was also plenty of bread, and a choice a lemon tort or fruit for dessert. What the children most enjoyed about the meal, I think, was the hot chocolate machine. It certainly got a work out on our first day at the Chateau.
After dinner, the children had their first activity, which was 'wide games'. It basically involved playing a series of games over a large area which involved the children running around for 90 minutes in an attempt to let them burn off all the energy they accumulated through sitting down for such a long time, and make sure they're nice and tired so they have a restful first night here. We all agreed this was a good plan, but the chlldren enjoyed the games so much, they came back at the end of the session more energised than when they started! I was sure that it would be a long night for the teachers patrolling the corridors and making sure the children stayed in their rooms and got some sleep, but I was mistaken. The children were fantastic, and stayed in their rooms and turned out the lights when asked to do so. I could get used to this!
We'll be waking the children up in just over an hour to get them ready for breakfast and their first full day of activities, which will include abseiling, archery, team challenge and a trip to the chocolate factory. I can't wait!
Monday, 23 May 2011
Day 1 - At the trenches (14:20)
We drove through a gorgeous tree-lined road off the motorway to visit
the Canadian site of Vimy Ridge. We all left the coach, and wandered
through the trenches where so many soldiers lost their lives in WWI.
the Canadian site of Vimy Ridge. We all left the coach, and wandered
through the trenches where so many soldiers lost their lives in WWI.
After a short break, we were back on the coach again, and on our way
to the Chateau. It was a calmer, more subdued atmosphere on the coach,
and eyelids began to droop. Mainly adults', but some children, too.
And it didn't take long before we were playing 'Are we nearly there?'.
A few children tried to mix it up and trick me by changing it to 'How
many more minutes' but I could tell it was the same game, really.
After all the excitement of our journey, I'm sure we'll all go to bed
early tonight and sleep all the way till our alarms wake us for
breakfast tomorrow morning. it is a day for firsts, after all...
Day 1 - On the Ferry (12:00)
We pulled in to Dover terminal very early, and managed to change our
departure time to 9:40. I'll bet you're all glad you got up so early
to do the school run this morning now! Still, being early on the ferry
means we get to stop off half-way to the Chateau and stretch our legs
around a well known WWII site and to explore the trenches.
departure time to 9:40. I'll bet you're all glad you got up so early
to do the school run this morning now! Still, being early on the ferry
means we get to stop off half-way to the Chateau and stretch our legs
around a well known WWII site and to explore the trenches.
There were nervous looks on some children's faces when we boarded (and
even more when we departed!), but we found a nice section on board
with loads of seating, ate some lunch, and wandered around the two
floors looking at duty free. Forget the chocolates and scents, it was
reading lights and tubs of putty (which makes impolite noises when you
stick your hands in - I can't see THAT joke wearing thin by Friday!)
which caught the children's imagination. Most children sensibly
decided to hold on their cash until the chocolate factory visit
tomorrow.
While children were eating lunches, it quickly became clear that
parents had taken my advice to pack big lunches to heart. There was a
wide array of healthy (and other) food being pulled from hand luggage.
The children behaved themselves beautifully, and were constantly
wandering around our group offerig to share their sweets with each
other and the staff. We were definitely the best-behaved group on
board!
Towards the end of the ferry trip, the children's passports were
handed out by a nervous Mr Feeney, with repeated instructions not to
loose them, as entry in France would not be permitted with out them.
Well, it seems my worry was unfounded - we drove away from the ferry
and through passport control without being checked! Still, it might be
quite handy to have them all for the return journey, just in case...
Day 1 - Leaving School
It was a day of firsts for us; all the families turned up on time,
which means we got away on time. I don't think this has happened on
any school trip I've been on before. Also, our coach was brand new,
and we were the first school group ever to sit on it. The
air-conditioning was superb, and you wouldn't believe how excited the
children were to discover foot rests and cup holders - what will they
be like at the Chocolate Factory and Disneyland???
Once children were over the foot rest thing, it didn't take long
for a dizzying array of electronic devices to make an appearance. We
had mp3 players, mp4 players, PSPs, DSs - in fact, if you pick any
random selection of letters and numbers and put them together, there's
a pretty good chance a device by that name made an appearance.
Though the children are really excited, behaviour is amazing and
the atmosphere is very calm. I'm really excited about taking this
group on the trip!
which means we got away on time. I don't think this has happened on
any school trip I've been on before. Also, our coach was brand new,
and we were the first school group ever to sit on it. The
air-conditioning was superb, and you wouldn't believe how excited the
children were to discover foot rests and cup holders - what will they
be like at the Chocolate Factory and Disneyland???
Once children were over the foot rest thing, it didn't take long
for a dizzying array of electronic devices to make an appearance. We
had mp3 players, mp4 players, PSPs, DSs - in fact, if you pick any
random selection of letters and numbers and put them together, there's
a pretty good chance a device by that name made an appearance.
Though the children are really excited, behaviour is amazing and
the atmosphere is very calm. I'm really excited about taking this
group on the trip!
Saturday, 21 May 2011
Foster's Year 6 Paris Adventure
Hello everyone and welcome to the Fosters Paris Year Six residential trip blog!
I'll be aiming to update this blog at the end of every day to keep you informed about what we've been up to, so, if you check in and it hasn't been updated for a little while don't panic – that just means we are still out doing fun things for me to write about!
The purpose of this blog is just to keep you informed about how much fun we're having. If there is anything urgent which we need to let you know about, I will be contacting you directly through the contact details that you gave us before we went on a trip.
This blog is intended to be a one-way communication. The children won't be logging on to the blog and reading it, because they'll be too busy doing the things that I'm writing about, so please don't record
comments on the blog.
Finally from me, because we follow good Internet safety procedures, I won't be posting up any pictures of children or mentioning them by name. Having said that, knowing your children as well as you do, you
may be able to figure out which children I'm talking about, even when the names aren't mentioned! If not, all will be revealed on our return to school...
I'll sign off now and get this adventure underway.
Mr Feeney.
I'll be aiming to update this blog at the end of every day to keep you informed about what we've been up to, so, if you check in and it hasn't been updated for a little while don't panic – that just means we are still out doing fun things for me to write about!
The purpose of this blog is just to keep you informed about how much fun we're having. If there is anything urgent which we need to let you know about, I will be contacting you directly through the contact details that you gave us before we went on a trip.
This blog is intended to be a one-way communication. The children won't be logging on to the blog and reading it, because they'll be too busy doing the things that I'm writing about, so please don't record
comments on the blog.
Finally from me, because we follow good Internet safety procedures, I won't be posting up any pictures of children or mentioning them by name. Having said that, knowing your children as well as you do, you
may be able to figure out which children I'm talking about, even when the names aren't mentioned! If not, all will be revealed on our return to school...
I'll sign off now and get this adventure underway.
Mr Feeney.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)