Bewerley Park Day 1
It has been a whirlwind of organisation and activity since our arrival at a slightly soggy Bewerley Park.
Within minutes of getting here, children found their dormitories, had a quick tour of the site, were given their waterproofs (vital and, for some children, brand new) and made their beds. They all ate a good lunch and were ready for afternoon activities in record time.
Staff from school and the centre have adapted the learning this afternoon to match the conditions meaning that the children have had many chances to practise some of the aims of the week - not least being prepared for everything.
Two groups took part in a river study, seeing the power of water and its effects at first hand. Mrs Allenby's group were even able to measure water flow without losing any of the balls that they were using.
Two groups went canoeing showing great resilience as there were times when the atmosphere was similar to the mill pond in water content.
The mountain bike group all improved their skills - standing on the pedals was an achievement for at least one child.
Waterproofs were put to dry and everyone ate a well-deserved evening meal.
After the common room, we ran team challenges inside to allow more time for the drying rooms to do their work and to give some respite from the rain.
The children worked in their activity groups to undertake problem-solving challenges the required each member of the team to contribute. There were some excellent solutions to difficult problems. The most successful involved talking, listening and remaining positive - some of our aims for the week.
At bedtime, regardless of which dormitory they were in, the children were organised and got to sleep quickly (for the first night away) and had a restful night.
