Classes

Today, our last day, we were greeted with rain; cold rain. Still, I think everyone had had a decent night’s sleep, and was looking forward to the final day, despite the weather. 

Packing to go home really is the hardest thing, especially if you’re only eight. But, with the help of a few really awesome lads who, not only packed themselves up very quickly, but also helped carry other people’s luggage to the storage points, the job soon got done.  

After another delicious cooked breakfast, we set off for our final activities; team games and the Super Swing. The Swing involved being harnessed and hard-hatted (again), and was not for everyone. However, everyone loved running up to the viewpoint in the shelter, and watching children’s faces, as a strange 3-person contraption swung through the clearing in the forest. Apologies for the lack of photos; the school camera memory card was full!

To finish, we played an intriguing team game involving squares and trapdoors. That’s when the sun finally began to shine. In between activities, we sneaked in for a quick, warming hot chocolate, which hit the spot perfectly. 

After a nippy, but yummy, pit stop (homemade pizzas), it was time to say goodbye and thank you to everyone. The entire Hilltop team was so complimentary about everybody. ‘You are all such a great school’ Mrs Tooley and I heard, time and time again. 

We are all so proud of you, Congo Class, for being a real credit to us all. We hope you all had a fantastic time, and will take home some great memories. 

Many thanks to everybody who made this (the first of many, we hope) happen. 

This morning, we all woke up and it was still mild and dry. Everybody had finally got to sleep, including Mrs Tooley and I. Table football, pool and ‘playing’ the piano all seem to be popular activities when we can squeeze in some common room time. It was so great seeing some of the confident pool players teaching other children how to shoot with a pool cue; yet another skill learned at Hilltop!
Breakfast was delicious – a hot one, with bacon and waffles, as well as cereal and toast. We needed plenty of fuel in our tummies for our first activities. 

Today was the day when Mrs Tooley and I felt most proud of Congo Class. They all received so many compliments, for their politeness, their team spirit, their camaraderie and their just being able to push themselves past their comfort zone. Mr Taylor was also here today – I bet he felt so proud!

In the morning, we were either on the power fan (like a bungee jump) or the climbing wall. For these activities, children needed to be aware of a lot of safety aspects, and all donned harnesses and hard hats. The climbing wall involved a lot of teamwork and trust – the children all rise to it. 

After an energy-filled lunch of jacket potatoes and chocolate crunch, we honed our skills at bushcraft. Toasting marshmallows by a cosy fire on a February afternoon is great fun. 

As a contrast, our final afternoon activity was the zip wire. This was an activity which wouldn’t have worked without collaboration and mutual support. If you want to use a high zip wire, you need a harness and helpers to undo you. So many thanks to all of you who helped to hold the zip wire in place for us. 
Right now we’ve had a huge, but lovely, tea and are all in the throes of Year 4 disco. The walls are vibrating with cheesy tunes, and the children are just having fun. Flossie seems to be tonight’s dancing queen! (We do also have a chill out quiet area to take a break). 

Today, the word ‘home’ has barely been mentioned, if at all. The children have all formed a great bond. They seem to be growing in independence by the minute. They will be very tired when they get home, but also quietly confident about the way they’ve coped. 

Bedtime today, as with yesterday, will probably be nine!