Summer School 2012 Day Four

This morning, nearly all the students arrived at Summer School bright and early ready to start at 9am again. The Sharks and the Jets split into their groups, and some went with Mr. Botham to “Design a School” whilst other went with Mr. Diamond to play team games in the hall with the giant parachute. “Design a School” was really interesting, as the students thought hard about what features could go into their perfect school, after reading some Dr Seuss!

 

The parachute games were great fun, and really encouraged listening and communication skills, as there was a lot of physical negotiating to be done. After break, we all went back into the Art Rooms, where we were able to paint the dishes and models that we had made on Tuesday. Mr. Diamond, Miss Gillot, Miss Lord and Mrs. Morris were very keen to get their own dishes looking perfect, which meant that Miss Chumun and Mr. Botham were the experts who helped the students finish their work. In the end, even Mr. Botham couldn’t resist, and ended up painting his clay cricket ball. 

 

Once the acrylic paint was on the dishes, we sealed them with some PVA glue to make them strong. Although they can’t be used to eat from, the dishes are VERY decorative, and there was some lovely work produced. After lunch, the Sharks and the Jets divided up again, splitting between Miss Lord’s practical science lesson, and Mr. Diamond’s PE lesson.

 

In Miss Lord’s class, we learned about fire safety using methane gas and soapy water. Because methane gas is lighter than air, when it is lit, it creates a column of fire. The students (and Miss Chumun and Mrs. Morris) were very excited to hold a ball of gas bubbles which Miss Gillot set fire to, under Miss Lord’s watchful gaze. We learned about safety and the importance of behaving sensibly in a science lab, and wearing goggles – especially when dealing with flammable gas! The students then set about the process of making their own bouncy balls!

 

Mr. Diamond and Mr. Botham led a javelin masterclass on the school field. Some of the students had some really excellent technique and really managed to incorporate a great run-up with a strong throw. We don’t think they’ll be ready for THIS year’s Olympics – but maybe the next one? We sent Brendan all the way up the school field, so he could demonstrate how far the world record throw in the javelin is. At around 104 metres, it was a little bit further than we could manage, but we all still had great fun trying.

 

An action packed day at Summer School – week one finishes tomorrow, and so far, we’re all having a lot of fun!