As Dr Seuss famously said, “ Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” This week’s Enrichment Programme for our Year 6 pupils has certainly provided opportunities for smiling, laughter and joy whilst enjoying learning beyond the normal classroom environment.
The week began with a workshop provided by the Young Film Academy where the children explored the history of film, beginning with a scene from the first ever Blockbuster ‘ Jaws’ which was released in 1975 (including the infamous mechanical shark). Following this, an important skill that the children mastered was how to construct a fight scene; something that definitely livened up the room. Before the children could film their ten shot movie, they explored the different types of shots that they would need to include: wide, close up and medium. To finish off their masterpiece, each group needed to edit, add filters and music to create the desired atmosphere. At the end of the session came the eagerly anticipated ‘Oscars’. With such a range of brilliant and unique films, it was a truly difficult decision to make. However, the winning film ‘The Witches Next Door’ pipped the other groups to claim the highly acclaimed award. It was evident that there were many budding filmmakers amongst the year group. Well done!
On Tuesday, amid the busy and exciting schedule of enrichment week, Year 6 took a quiet hour out to visit Chaplain. In Chapel, they had a time of spiritual reflection, which focussed on shining like stars in the sky. The children reflected on the things that help them to shine, and what they should do when they feel they are losing their sparkle. They wrote prayers on wooden stars and hung them up in Chapel as a Thanksgiving for their time at the School. For the rest of the day, the children took part in a carousel of activities, including presenting their Science Fair Projects to a panel of judges where pupils articulated their findings exceptionally well. A session with the British Military Martial Arts focused on self defence and non-violent conflict avoidance. The children were also visited by Hannah Irvine from Holroyd Howe (Blue Coat’s Catering Team) to learn about how the food we eat at school is sustainably sourced and how we can ensure we are eating healthy and safe food. Finally, the children enjoyed a fun swim session in the pool.
Wednesday and Thursday combined teamwork, communication and risk taking as the children enjoyed adventure-filled days at Aztec Adventure and Forest School. At Aztec Adventure, the children took part in a range of land and water based activities from bellboating to kayaking to taking on the dizzying heights of the climbing wall and mast. It was a race to the finish in the climbing activities to see whether the boys or the girls would reach the top of the mast first. In the forest, the pupils split into teams to build a rainproof settlement and an aqueduct using pipes to ensure the villagers could enjoy fresh water. The “unexpected” rain from Mrs Walker allowed the pupils to really test whether their shelter would protect in a downpour!
The final events of the week were the House Parties and Year 6 Leavers’ Disco where the children celebrated their friendships at The Blue Coat School.
Miss Stanford
