 |
| Golden Eagle |
|
Summer Trips 2010 Each year group goes on an expedition as part of the Golden Eagle Programme and the following blogs tell you more. To find out what is going on during the trip week click on the appropriate Year Group:
The Golden Eagle Program aims to offer opportunities and experiences through activities which are outside the normal school curriculum to:-
Pupils will be divided into small groups and over the course of their school career will tackle a variety of challenges and activities. Golden Eagle is timetabled for 70 minutes a week. Each activity will run for up to 4 weeks. At the end of the academic year, each year group from Year 3-8, are also given the opportunity to spend time away from home on residential courses. The range of activities during timetabled Golden Eagle lessons is planned so that pupils experience a wide variety of activites that have been divided into the following areas:
Examples of activities include: basic first-aid and water safety, initiative exercises, DIY, road safety and bike maintenance, bushcraft, navigation/orienteering, ballroom dancing, setting up a campsite, writing a C.V., debating, archery, self-defence, cooking and much much more.
Golden Eagle Trips 2009 Year 3 15/06/09 - arrived safely. When Mr & Mrs Barnard arrived, the tents were still standing and the children were tucking into pasta sauce and cheese, masterminded by the new Jamie Oliver, Mr Ross, but cooked by the children themselves. Washing up was a hoot! They were all lining up to volunteer! We challenge you to get them to do that at home! A bonfire was lit for toasting marshmallows before settling down for the night. Year 4 15/06/09 - arrived safely. Spent yesterday enjoying activities in the newly-built shelters before tucking into a hearty meal provided by Kirsty, followed by donuts. Then off for more activities before snuggling into bed for the night and having Mr & Mrs Barnard singing lullabies! Mrs Phillips didn't get much sleep as she was cold, so got dressed for the night! Everyone else slept like logs. Year 5 15/06/09 - Arrived safely and without the need for passports to enter Wales, bus quickly unloaded and a quick tour of the Manor Adventure Hotel. We drove through a couple of showers, but now it is brilliantly sunny, and the group has entered upon the mini-Olympics- dinner is at 1730. 2100 - Children all fed, washed (even teeth brushed) and now settled down (look, a flying pig!). Group 1 fought each other with epees, group 2 abseiled, and group 3 led by CPW shot.177 air rifles. 16/06/09 - A good night's sleep had by all, although some started to study the inside of their eyelides a little earlier than others! Up nice and early before a hearty breakfast. Everyone enjoyed the water of the Llyn (lake in Welsh under beautiful blue skies (with a few fluffy white clouds to go with the sheep) and many fell in/off/under/over/off the canoes and kayaks! Health and Safety Rules!! This afternoon, some biking, assault courses etc 17/06/09 - Wales, the country of windy weather and 'worizontal wain' is living up to its name. It was a good evening yesterday and the children settled down well, washed and ready to refresh their bodies from the trials of Tuesday's activities. The mountain bikers covered just under nine miles (apologies to parents for muddy shirts) and the other groups enjoyed the shooting and obstacle course. It was a little bit disappointing that a couple of children did not realise that suncream should be put on before going into the sun despite requests from staff and put it on when they returned. Group two has headed off on their bike rid e(group 3 this afternoon-oh great! so if no update tomorrow, please send out air sea rescue), but the forecast is better for tomorrow. Everybody on good form otherwise. PM - The rain has (at last) stopped and the children are running around packing up sleeping bags, pillows, toothbrushes, midge repellent, hair driers etc in preparation for their camp out tonight. It will be interesting to see how they work together pitching their tents, building a camp fire, roasting marsh mellows, singing, and eventually sleeping. Group 3 had a slightly curtailed ride this pm as it was horrible weather, but they still covered just under eight miles, up and down hills which seemed to grow and grow, but it was pleasing how they worked together. The other groups climbed up the wall with various degrees of success. The forecast for tomorrow is better by all accounts, but I will let you know around 0430 . . . Wednesday pm / Thursday 18/06/09 – After a good dinner, we loaded the minibus with sleeping bags, pillows, teddies, before walking down past the lake. The rain had stopped, and the clouds had broken to reveal the evening sun. Midges came out in their thousands to compete with the fun and games as we set up their tents in threes and fours. Splat and wizards and dragons games took us through to the lighting of the bonfire, hot chocolate, marsh mellows, a midnight walk round the fields and down to the river., Matthew’s birthday cake, more stories and scary stories, tents, taking time, and ‘night, night’. Some slept through to a rude awakening, others awoke with the dawn chorus, pack up, walk, back, and another hearty breakfast. Thursday evening - Our last full day is over, an interesting variety of showers and sun. Groups built rafts and took to the water(few returned dry)tried working in pairs on the low ropes and one group ended the evening under rainy skies on the long zip wire. A barbeque supper and then showers, teeth and the dreaded packing. It is here that a Health and Safety warning is to be given. All care should be taken when opening the children's bags as many of the clothes will move with great celerity towards the wachine machine. It would be foolish to stand between the clothes and the washing machine because of the speed of clothing movement. It has been a wet and muddy week and though we have tried to dry clothes in the specially designed drying room, it rained again today.It has been a good week overall
Year 6 15/06/09 - Bright sunshine. Children were mountain biking, body boarding, orienteering and entering into a very wet and muddy challenge course. All well in great facilities with very helpful staff. 16/06/09 - It's raining today, but the body boarding and wake boarding have been exciting on the big waves. Everyone has overcome their fear of heights on the high ropes course and their fear of the 'jungle' in their Survivor, or Bushcraft training. They will be having a camp fire tonight even though the food at the centre is excellent and there's loads of it! The children are eating volumes. The children have welcomed the letters from their parents and some have sent postcards home. Ben Mono was like a child with a new toy, having been mountain-biking, then again when he'd been wake-boarding. We're all wondering when he's going to buy and install some high ropes at home! 18/06/09 - All the children have been very tired and getting off to sleep within 10 seconds of contact with the pillow, apart from those who listen to Mr Mono's bedtime stories, which, of course, he makes up as he goes along! Great stuff. Today is much brighter, with good surf. In fact, the children don't want to come out of the water. A group has done a coastal walk this morning, which they have thoroughly enjoyed and now everyone is lining up for a fish & chip lunch. The staff at the centre are very involved - getting camp fires going, singing and generally entertaining the children. More survivor training today for some - going into the woods, buildiing shelters, fires and getting together for problem solving. Good team work, hopefully! 19/06/09 - Sophie Corner tells me she did a 4-mile coastal walk this morning which was amazing and led them to Westward Ho. Last night they had a disco with another school group which was great fun. Adam Bailey also said the disco was really good fun - he had thought the music would be bad but it was actually pretty good! On the walk this morning they saw Mr Kellogg's house and David Beckham's parents' house, then at the end of the walk Mr Taylor bought everyone an ice cream, which was really nice of him!
Year 7 16/06/09 - Tim Calvey has had to get to the western-most point of a cliff to get reception on his phone! When he spoke to me, he was overlooking the bay watching half of the group surfing (I don't believe they are shark-infested waters and that our New Zealander is off to tackle the beasts). The other half of the group is abseiling this morning and the groups will swap around after lunch. On Wednesday night they plan to sleep on the beach around a camp fire. 18/06/09 - I receive a phone message from over the border in Wales from a lonely-sounding tourist who has had to climb a mountain in order to be able to phone us. Having only sheep and Welsh to keep him company (apparently trying to learn a bit of the lingo has been something of a pastime this week), he recounts the adventures of Wednesday in shocking rain, when they paddled downriver into eventual glorious sunshine. The overnight bivvy on Wednesday was accompanied by a huge camp fire in the sand dunes, where everyone watched a stunning sunset. Some children woke at 4am, thinking that another gathering round the camp fire was called for, but they were soon ushered back to their sleeping bags. Later that morning, everyone toured a Life Boat Station then went Coast Steering, by holding on to rocks (you'll have to ask the children the details of that one!). Parents are warned that wet clothes are all packed into plastic bags, so you will discover the slightly old scent of Wales when your children return after their six-and-a-half hour journey home today.
Year 8 12/06/09 - Leaving Eagle House for the long journey to Mimosa on the French Mediterranean coast all the kids are excited and sure enough not much sleep is had. The warmth of the hot sun at our destination is enough to clear the sleepy heads. 13/06/09 - We arrived safely, and once settled all of us set out to enjoy the brilliant sun and cooling sea. Tired? probably, but so much fun ahead! The PGL staff have laid on a splash session in the sea and then some sailing for the afternoon. The sun is hot and sun screen is needed for all. An evening of Robot Wars and then we hit the disco and as usual Eagle House lead the way on the dance floor! 14/06/09 - A cloudier day and we set out on open kayaks into the ocean. The afternoon sees us splashing behind a speed boat on ringos (doughnuts) much to the delight of all. Beach Olympics are on the cards for the evening and then more disco! 15/06/09 - Today the clouds still linger but it is warm. The morning sees us take a trip into Cape D'Agde for a wander around the harbour and the chance to spend more euros. The henna tatooist makes a healthy profit! The afternoon we are back on the water for banana boating - a real hit. The evening is a series of games called Get your own Back and it is one of the teachers who is drenched by the winning team - nice! More disco and there is no doubt that Eagle House has the very best dancers! 16/06/09 - Today we leave Mimosa and drive to Segries for the second part of our adventure. We stop in sunny Avignon, lunch by the side of the Rhone and then into the town to explore. The drive up into the Ardeche Gorge takes us to the centre where our river team greet us. A swim in the pool and then our evening activity is the Great Egg Race. 17/06/09 - After a wet River talk (!) we drive to the Ardeche for the first part of our descent. The first rapid is exciting and the sun is beating down. Getting wet is the name of the game and the rock jump is a real hit. We finish by canoeing under the awesome Pont D'Arc. What a great day. Back at the centre our evening activity is Mr & Mrs Segs - boys dress up as girls and vice versa - you had to be there! Another chance to strut our stuff on the dance floor! 18/06/09 - After packing up our barrels with the things we need for the overnight bivouac we stop by a supermarket to get some supplies for the night. A French market is also in full swing. Back on the river - warm sun, stunning scenery and more rapids and rock jumping. As the afternoon draws to a close we pull up to our bivouac site, already busy with fellow river travellers. We set up camp and eat a very tasty supper before gathering to listen to stories and gaze up at the sky to see shjooting stars. The night is warm and still and no one spies the wild boar that roam the hillside. 19/06/09 - Final day on the river, the sun is still shining. A rather quiet journey to start off with as tiredness begins to hit home. The river is stunning today and soon the group are in full voice, savouring the magic before reaching the end of the journey. Back to the centre to shower and pack and then onto the coach for the overnight journey back to UK. Many thanks to the superb river team who gave us such a great experience. 20/06/09 - all arrive safely back at Eagle House. Home. Sleep. What a week. Time to do the laundry Mum!
The Golden Eagle Programme continues to develop and grow. It aims to provide pupils with opportunities and challenges outside the normal curriculum, to learn new skills that increase self-confidence, self-reliance and an ability to work as part of a team. The programme also aims to develop a sense of community.
What an action summer we all had during Golden Eagle week in June 2008:
We had groups in Wales, Southern France, Lincolnshire and Berkshire. Our first Golden Eagle week was a huge success. See our latest developments for the Golden Eagle Programme by viewing this pdf. Golden Eagle Look at some of the things we get up to on Saturday morning in Golden Eagle
|
