Activities Week 2019

Students have enjoyed a fantastic week of activities this week travelling far and wide.  Iceland, Belgium, Krakow, Paris  and the Gospel Choir Tour in Austria were the farther flung destinations, as well as Paignton Zoo, Longleat, Harry Potter Studios, Surfing in Cornwall, Drayton Manor, Splashdown, Cardiff Rib Ride and Haynes Motor Museum. Closer to home they've enjoyed clip & climb, paint balling, karting, clay pigeon shooting, rounders & cycling, golf, skiing, sports in school, lots of different craft activities, strawberry fun and cup cakes, photo shop, the age of mythology, movie day and much more!  Read some of their reports below. 

 Paris

After arriving in the late evening, after 12 hours of travelling, we gathered our room cards and settled into the hotel.  The first morning, we had an early start. We had a day of sightseeing in Paris planned. Given Paris traffic was extremely busy, it took over an hour to get to there, but it soon became worth it.

The start of our day trip consisted of a boat ride along the River Seine, here we got to take in lots of the famous landmarks in Paris – and take plenty of pictures of them too. Afterwards was a chance for us to get food and for the braver people to order their food in French. Despite messing up some of the French words, we were successful and everyone got the chips and the crêpes they wanted.

 Next we got to see the one thing we’d been waiting for – the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately we didn’t get to go up it, but we did wander around it; take numerous photos of it and buy some Eiffel Tower key rings from nearby as a souvenir of the visit.  Seeing all the landmarks was good, but it had to be put into perspective. In order to do this we went to a building called the Montparnasse Ttower. This skyscraper stands at a whopping 210 metres and at the top allowed us to see all of Paris in its beauty. We then enjoyed a walk around the Louvre and had some time for sunbathing in the French heat before finishing our evening off at a French restaurant.

The following day we awoke early in order to be first in line at Parc Astérix. After slathering ourselves in sun cream (more than once ) our day began with 42 attractions to choose from - even the teachers had a go. We arrived back to the hotel that evening, being rather soaked from the water rides, and had time to swim in the hotel’s pool. To finish the evening off we went out for another meal, at an Italian restaurant this time.

 The final day had dawned upon us, however it wasn’t time to leave yet. We spent our morning in an area of Paris called Montmartre. Here we could take in lots of french culture and enjoy some shopping too. Due to the large number of artists here also, lots of people had a chance to get self portraits done and buy some artwork from local painters too. C’était très beau.

 Back on the coach, some awards were given for the trip. These included best headwear, people who showed the most kindness and also awards for speaking (and not speaking) french. Now it was time to make our way back to England and say farewell to Paris.

Emma Cekaj, 9TEM

Krakow

Last week a group of students and 3 teachers traveled to the beautiful polish city that is Krakow. THe main square was impossible not to fall in love with at first sight. it had a mysterious and artistic flair. Our visit was jam packed with memorable visits and places; i will tell you about some of the places we saw. 

On Tuesday, our first full day, we went on a walking tour of Krakow during the tour we saw lots of different parts of the city including the old Jewish Ghettos restored monuments and the gorgeous Wawel Castle. After this we visited the salt mines which had only recently been opened to the public. Whilst we were there we were taken to the three different levels the last level was 135 meters under ground. During the visit we looked at a couple of old but still magnificent chapels. In addition to different parts of the levels some people chose to lick the salty walls! 

The following day we went to Auschwitz which was an unforgettable experience, I know i will take with me to the grave. Throughout the visit i could not shake off the overwhelming feeling of death pearing over your shoulder and the sadness wrapped around the place. We saw lots of different things on the visit and we were told stories about the people who were sent there. It was difficult to comprehend how  one key individual could make such a friendless impact on humanity. After we got back from Auschwitz we met a holocaust survivor Anita, she told us her story of escaping the Nazis which luckily had a happy ending for her. Anita was a true inspiration and i will never forget meeting her. As you can see our visit was truly was jam packed but i know i will never forget it. The whole experience was unforgettable and i immensely enjoyed it. 

Ceri Evans, 10SSP

Iceland

Iceland was amazing!  In the 5 days we were there we did so much!  We witnessed geothermal activity in the form of bubbling pools, hot springs, steam rising from the ground and two amazing geysers.  We experienced the power of three fantastic waterfalls - Seljandfoss, Skogafoss and Gulfoss. The students enjoyed walking behind them, getting wet and listening to the sheer power of the water.  We trekked on, and beside, enormous glaciers and icecaps, using ice picks and crampons, learning about glacial retreat and climate change. We sailed past icebergs floating in a glacial lagoon - an experience that cannot be adequately described. The list goes on - relaxing in the thermal waters of the famous Blue Lagoon, eating fresh Icelandic cod and smoked salmon, walking between tectonic plates, touring Reykjavk at night with the help of the midnight sun amongst so many, many other things.

 Cadbury World

Students enjoyed a day of learning about the origins of  Cadbury and chomped on lots of chocolate.  With a superb coach, a clear run and excellent weather we had a great time - particular highlights were the 4D cinema experience and of course eating melted chocolate with a choice of toppings!  The students' behaviour was exemplary, making the whole experience a pleasure.

Mrs Davey

Vivary Park High Ropes

Forty eight students (and a couple of staff who are old enough to know better!) enjoyed a fun-packed day at Taunton's Vivary Centre. A mega climbing wall, low ropes, high ropes, power fan descender and Gladiator Challenge were just some of the action adventures on offer.  All present had a great time and many pushed themselves beyond their comfort zone. Plenty of muscles got a work out and a few screams were heard from miles away from a select few. 

"It was brilliant! Loved it!" said one student. 

"I really challenged myself" said another.  

Roll on July 2020!