Ashford Adventure - All good things must come to an end!

Lunch is over now, we're all packed up and on the coach, and pulling
out of the centre. We have all had an amazing time at Ashford. The
children were a credit to themselves, their parents, and the school.
They behaved themselves beautifully, and I have NEVER seen such a tidy
group of children on a residential trip before! Choosing the room
inspections competition winner was a real struggle this year.

Whether it be through activities like the zip wire and 3G swing, or
simply staying so far away from home for the first time, the children
have all faced their own personal challenges, and overcome them.

We have had a great time, but now we're looking forward to heading
back home and seeing our families again. See you all soon!

Adventure Adventure- Day 3 (AM)

We have moved on from the 3G swing now, and have moved to our second
(and final!) activity of the day – rock climbing.

After donning their safety equipment, the children must climb an
artificial rock face as high as they possibly can.

Bellys are growling, and we're off to lunch soon...

Activity Course - Rock Climbing

Activity Course - 3G Swing

Ashford Adventure - Day 3 (AM)

Breakfast this morning was the usual selection of cereals, fruit,
toast, egg and sausages. Appetites were certainly healthy this
morning!

We are now sitting in the safety shelter while the first two children
are being strapped into the 3G swing. Surprisingly there is very
little concern from the children about going on the ride, but even
those who said they are afraid are overcoming their fears and having a
go anyway. I hope there's enough time for me to have a go!

The first two children have just been released, and their faces seem
to indicate it was a good ride!

Ashford Adventure - Day 3 (AM)

Guess who...
... Was still packing and repacking their suitcase long after everyone
else had already taken their cases outside to be loaded on the coach ?

Ashford Adventure - Day 3 (AM)

It's looking like another beautiful day at the Kingswood Centre. The
children slept well last night, and will be getting up soon to go to
breakfast and their final activities. For my group, that consists of
the 3G Swing, and indoor climbing.

After breakfast this morning, we will have the final judging for the
prestigious room inspection competition. The children have all worked
very hard at this, and I know the judges jobs will be very difficult!

For now, though, the sun is shining, birds are singing, we have lots
of really good activities still to go, and we're heading home to see
our families today. What could be better?

Ashford Adventure - Day 2 (PM)

Guess who...
... Was confidently making friends with a group of French teenagers
who were also staying at the centre?

Ashford Adventure - Day 2 (PM)

The children are now in a huge hall doing 'Scrap Heap Challenge'. The
idea is to use scrap material (card board, sellotape, etc) to build a
structure which will protect a water balloon when thrown into the air.

The children win scrap through a series of competitive games. The
ultimate prize is that any balloons which survive will be smashed over
the instructor's head. Motivation indeed!

P.S. Any trace of tiredness which children were showing 20 minutes ago
has well and truly left the building! Perhaps cocoa at 9 will restore
it...?

Activity Course - Aero ball

Ashford Adventure - Day 2 (PM)

Tonight's dinner was the best one ever! Lasagne, potatoes, and salad,
or sausages, Yorkshire pudding, and vegetables.

There was some time for a quick free play activity outside, and then
we all went down to the indoor Aero ball courts where even as we speak
there is a competitive match going on! We've got a game on the courts,
and games are happening off the courts simultaneously, so everybody is
doing something the whole time.

The children were foolish enough to challenge me to a competition in
Aero ball not once, but twice! Needless to say they beat me both
times!

Ashford Adventure - Day 2 (PM)

Well, talk about your disappointments! While the children tripped off
happily to shoot each other with laser guns, I was called to a meeting
by one of the activities centre managers. These meetings happen for
every activity centre which we stay, so that we can feel better than
areas they have done very well in and areas we think they need to
improve on. So, after arranging with Mr Scottow and one of the camp
activity leaders to supervise the children, I went off to the meeting
and gave a favourable report. I never got nearer laser gun, so I guess
the children will live to battle another day...

In the words of one student laser was 'cool', in the words of another
student, 'I killed everyone'!

'Nuff said!

Ashford Adventure - Day 2 (PM)

The children enjoyed lunch today, with a choice of sausage rolls,
baked potatoes, or Cajun chicken with chips and the ever-present salad
bar and fruit.

After lunch, we visited the shop to splash the cash. This turned out
to be one of our more time-consuming activities! Every one came away
with a staggering array of goodies.

We then took our spoils to the Curricular Maze. Children worked in
groups, with one group solving problems related to different
curricular areas in a room monitored by CCTV, with help from children
sitting in a different room and offering advice / questions through a
microphone and observing the reactions.

I think the next activity is one I'll really be able to sink my teeth
into - a laser battle with the children. Don't worry parents, they
assure me the lasers are not the lethal variety... :-(

Ashford Adventure - Day 2 (AM￡

Our second activity of the day was Nightline, where the children are
blindfolded and asked to complete an obstacle course by using their
strong communication skills. Frankly, the children seemed a little
underwhelmed, but to be fair, the zip wire is a hard act to follow!

We can smell lunch from where we are, and it seems to be the main
focus of the children's strong communication skills!

Ashford Adventure - Day 2 (AM)

As we started walking down to our first activity at 9:30 AM, the zip
wire, it's fair to say that there was some feelings of trepidation
among the students. Despite their understandable nervousness, everyone
decided that they would like to challenge themselves and have a go. In
fact, one of our students who thought it was quite scary, seemed to
love it so much, she almost didn't stop at the end of the zip wire!

I think it's fair to say that all the children thoroughly enjoyed the
zip wire, which is quite a compliment, considering that there was a
big distraction (namely the 3G swing) which was going on right behind
them. I know they are REALLY looking forward to doing that...

Activity Course - Zip Wire

Ashford Adventure - Day 2 (AM)

Guess who...
... decided they couldn't make the arduous journey back up to the top bunk after waking up at about five o'clock in the morning , so fell asleep on the floor?

Guess who...
... woke Miss Riley in a panic at six o'clock in the morning because she thought she had missed breakfast?

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Activity Course - Quad Bikes

Ashford Adventure – Day 2 (AM)

Good morning everyone. Perhaps 'restful' is not quite right word to use to describe sleeping patterns last night. All traces of fatigue seemed to disappear as the teachers came around saying it was time for lights out at 10pm last night. The children were well behaved, they weren't quite ready to sleep just yet.

Still, at least if they went to sleep late, they would sleep all the way through until it was time to get up for breakfast time - wouldn't they? The answer is generally not! Certainly in my corridor, there's lots of torchlight visible underneath doors, and quiet conversations and laughter escaping from the rooms.

I'm sure they'll be sleeping a lot better tonight. We have a very full day ahead of us today with activities such as curricular maze, zip wire, nightline, outdoor laser, indoor aeroball, indoor climbing, 3G swings, and quad biking. It's making me tired just thinking about it!

The first activity of the day, though, is breakfast. While telling the children yesterday that we need to be in the dining hall at 7:25 AM for breakfast, I was calmly told by one child that this would be a problem for her, as she doesn't get up until 8 AM! To be honest, I'm kind of with her on this one...

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Ashford Adventure - Day 2 (AM)

Guess who...
... decided they couldn't make the arduous journey back up to the top
bunk after waking up at about five o'clock in the morning , so fell
asleep on the floor?

Guess who...
... woke Miss Riley in a panic at six o'clock in the morning because
she thought she had missed breakfast?

Ashford Adventure - Day 2 (AM)

Good morning everyone. Perhaps 'restful' is not quite right word to use to describe sleeping patterns last night. All traces of fatigue seemed to disappear as the teachers came around saying it was time for lights out at 10pm last night. The children were well behaved, they weren't quite ready to sleep just yet. 

Still, at least if they went to sleep late, they would sleep all the way through until it was time to get up for breakfast time - wouldn't they? The answer is generally not! Certainly in my corridor, there's lots of torchlight visible underneath doors, and quiet conversations and laughter escaping from the rooms.

I'm sure they'll be sleeping a lot better tonight. We have a very full day ahead of us today with activities such as curricular maze, zip wire, nightline, outdoor laser, indoor aeroball, indoor climbing, 3G swings, and quad biking. It's making me tired just thinking about it!

The first activity of the day, though, is breakfast. While telling the children yesterday that we need to be in the dining hall at 7:25 AM for breakfast, I was calmly told by one child that this would be a problem for her, as she doesn't get up until 8 AM! To be honest, I'm kind of with her on this one...

Ashford Adventure - Day 1 (PM)

We all trooped down to the dining hall at 5:25 PM for dinner, which
consisted of fish and chips or hotdogs, with muffins for desert! There
was also a nice salad bar available, and loads of fruit.

As soon as dinner was finished we all went off to our first
activities. One group went to quad biking first of all. There were
certainly some very 'crazy drivers' amongst the Year Fours!

Other groups were doing outdoor laser, and indoor climbing, but more
about these activities later...

I'm really looking forward to the mini Olympics at 7:45 PM!

Ashford Adventure - Day 1 (PM)

The weather was beautiful as we got on the coach this afternoon, and
reports say that this will continue for the next three days!
The children were in a very good mood as the coach pulled away from
the school. One of the adults helpfully suggested that as the
afternoon would be so busy, perhaps the children would like to have a
rest and close their eyes. As you may well imagine, the children had
other ideas! They enjoyed themselves singing songs, playing games, or
reading books. You'd be amazed at the number of variations which are
possible in the verses of 'The wheels on the bus', and for how long
that song keeps entertaining!
We arrived safely shortly after three o'clock, and the children are
now settled happily into their rooms, learning how to make a bed for
the first time!
Mr Feeney

Ashford Adventure - Day 1 (PM)

The mini Olympics consisted of the children being split into three separate teams and competing against each other in a variety of games. I never realised before tonight just how competitive the children were! A good time was had by all.

The Olympics was then followed by hot chocolate, and we are now back in our rooms and getting ready to shower and go to bed.

My hopes are high – I even had a couple of children asking during the final activity if they could go back to their rooms because they were so tired! A restful first night to be had by all...?

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Ashford Adventure - Introduction

Good morning everyone and welcome to the Fosters Ashford Year Four
residential trip blog!

I'll be aiming to update this blog several times a day, but, if you
check in and it hasn't been updated for a little while don't panic –
that just means we are having too much fun at the moment!

The purpose of this blog is just to keep you informed about how much
fun way 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.