Oliver keeps reminding me that I haven’t yet put up the Day 3 Hilltop pictures, so here they are with my apologies. Day 3 is always a bit of a whirlwind, with bag packing and room tidying and emptying being the priority before breakfast and immediately after. 

However, once all this has been done and all the left-over bits and pieces on the racks have been reunited with their owners, the focus turns, once again to having fun and pushing ourselves into the ‘Challenge Zone.’ For my group this meant leaping off an enormous tower onto a giant inflatable bag. The tower is so tall, it’s possible to see the sea from the top, but – as you can see from the photos – that didn’t stop our intrepid leapers. Meanwhile, others were completing the Tree Top Challenge and coping with the wobbly wires and bridges and other high obstacles whilst managing their own safety harnesses. And others still were embarking on the epic walk to the sea and back with their groups.  

A final lunch was followed by photos and goodbyes before we boarded the coach back to school. What a great adventure it has been and what a personal journey of taking on challenges and growth. Well done all.

Fressingfield and Charsfield Year 6 Visit to St Catherines College, Cambridge 4th July 2023

Our Year 6 pupils had a wonderful time at St Catherines College, Cambridge on Tuesday 4th July. The purpose of the trip was to give Year 6 children an idea of what studying at university is like, what can be studied and to discover what wider opportunities higher education can offer.

The day started at Fressingfield Primary School before the drive to Cambridge. Once at St Catherine’s the children were given a talk on universities in general and met some 3rd year students. The children were amazed at the range of subjects taught and the number of societies, everything from chocolate appreciation and tiddlywinks to the fine art society and sports.

Following lunch, the children were taken to the Sedgewick Museum to receive another talk about the large dinosaur exhibits, fossils, geology, evolution, and how current students use the collection for their studies. The pupils then had the opportunity to look around the museum and ask more questions.

The afternoon was spent touring St Catherine’s to gain a better understanding of the facilities, and how student’s live and study at university. During the tour the pupils were shown the libraries, lecture rooms, dining hall, gymnasium, chapel, laundry room, halls of residence and the student social areas.

All the children had a very enjoyable day, and the visit opened a lot of discussion about the possibility of going to university in the future.

“Growmeown, Growmeown, wherefore art thou Growmeown?” are, of course, Waterette’s famous lines from the allotment-based version of Shakespeare’s classic play. Let’s hope this weekend isn’t a tragedy though as the school’s Sensory Garden, featuring our two wonderful star-crossed scarecrows – Growmeown and Waterette –  is thrown open as part of Fressingfield Open Gardens Festival! The garden was developed initially by children in Year 6 who were keen, following the disruptions of Covid, to develop a space in the school where children could take time out – a calm space away from the busy playground. They wrote to local businesses and our district councillors and raised the money used to create the space. The bench in the centre of the garden was built by Mr Cossey and Ted earlier in the year, and we think it’s great. The shed in the corner of the garden is our Reflective Shed. This was provided by Rev Susan as a contemplative, spiritual space and the two spaces work very well together. On the right, the school gardeners are growing an area of swishy grass and wild flowers to provide colour and support for wildlife.

The scarecrows themselves were made by members of the Gardening Club who meet on Tuesday lunchtimes. They are supported by the wonderful Mrs Lyndsey and Ms Kalinauckas to whom we would like to say a huge, “Thank you!”