P7trip

Day 2 Photos

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Short video of the raft builders!

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Day 2 Loch Insh 2014

Loch Insh 2014

Day 2

 TODAY'S WATER COUNT: It wouldbe easiertolist those who were NOT in the water!!!

Today was an excellent day! The weather has been great and the children have really enjoyed the activities they were taking part in.

The children were wakened up at 7.30am as we are on late breakfast! Some of the rooms didn’t need wakened but some had to be ‘woken up’ – and we will be surprised if most of the rooms don’t need some prompting tomorrow morning to waken up!

After everyone was showered and dressed and rooms were tidied and juice made for the day we set off for breakfast! Breakfast is always fun. The children are quite quiet as they are still tired and they have to cope with getting breakfast and making their packed lunch. Watching the sandwich making is always fun – but the winner of the most ‘adventurous sandwich’ went to Mr Taylor!

So, once again we were back up the hill to drop off our lunches and to gather the kit they needed for the morning!

Two groups were off to ‘arch’ and they really enjoyed their session. The archery is always very popular with the children as for most it is the first time they have tried it. It is an activity that requires skill and perseverance but does not need the ability to run, jump or be physically strong to be good at it. You are really challenging yourself and for some hitting the target in the early stages is a great event. Then after a few turns you can see the ones who are really concentrating and trying hard to do as well as they can. Nothing beats the look on their faces when they get a bulls eye!

The other two groups were off to the ski slope. They were given the choice of snow boarding or skiing! A group of brave souls quickly opted for the snow boarding! They know it looks cool – but they perhaps did not realise how much effort and practice is required to really master it. Some became a bit disheartened early on but kept at it. They also started from the top of the slope which was quite an introduction for them! But some of them really stuck at it and did a great job.

The others went skiing and for some this was their first experience on a ski slope! It can be daunting the first time you are on skis and Mrs Forrest spent a lot of time working with one or two who were quite apprehensive. But, they too persevered and took on their fear and gave it a good go!

After a tiring morning, as snow boarding and skiing are hard work, it was back up the hill for lunch and time to change for the next activity.

Miss Clark’s and Mrs Forrest’s group were off kayaking in the afternoon and again one or two faced up to their fears and did really well. Some others who had kayaked before really enjoyed the challenge of developing their skills and had great fun with some of the games they played. By the end of the session most of them were soaking and had been out of their kayaks on a number of occasions!

Mr Taylor’s and Mr Donaldson’s groups were raft building and the two groups really set out enthusiastically with this. They spent some time working on designs in their little groups and then once they had a design they set off to build it! Each group got 6 logs, 4 barrels and 8 pieces of rope. They spent a good hour or so building their raft. They learnt about tying suitable knots, working together as a team and supporting each other. Once the rafts were set they went back to the boat house to get paddles and life jackets. Then they were ready for the big launch! The three rafts were lifted in to the water and the barrels were set in position. On the signal they launched themselves off and most were amazed to discover that their rafts held strong and they all managed to clear the area of the loch they were working in. Despite the success of their rafts the main aim for most of them was to get as wet as possible and it was not long before they were jumping off the raft in to the water! They had great fun and eventually they managed to get the rafts back to shore in one piece! However, they then had to dismantle the rafts and put all the equipment back to where they got it! This was hard work and again they all helped eachother. Once this was done they had one final run and jump into the water before we headed back to the boathouse to put back the paddles and life jackets. Then was the difficult part! Climbing back up the hill with soaking wet clothes! The extra weight of the water made the journey more difficult than usual! Then there was the fun of getting off all the wet layers and putting the items in to the drying room! We are not looking forward to going in their and trying to divvy out all the items!

After they showered, dried off and changed they had a well earned rest and enjoyed a drink and a biscuit before tea. Two groups made it to the shop and some worked ou to the penny what they could buy for their £10!!

Tea was eagerly awaited again they were all hungry! They had soup and bread, a choice of pizza or sausages and chips with salad and there were pancakes, ice cream and sauce for pudding! Everyone seemed well content!

The evening activity was ‘Way Finding’ which is similar to orienteering. They split into teams of 3 or 4 and were provided with maps and they had to search out each marker one by one round the site. They had to find each marker and go back to get a different map with the next one marked on it. Some teams were keen to do as well as they could and flew round trying to find each one as quickly as they could while some saw it as a leisurely stroll with finding the odd marker thrown in! However, it was a nice, easy activity and catered to their energy levels well!

After this we had 20 minutes in the play park before heading back to the hall for some quiet time and BIRTHDAY CAKE! Liam has a birthday tomorrow and so we decided to have his birthday cakes tonight! He blew out his candles and everyone was delighted to get a piece of cake along with their juice!

We hope he has a great day tomorrow and enjoys the activities!

A lot of the children were certainly tired tonight as a whole day of activities and fresh air does take its toll! But, with some rest we hope it will be easy going tomorrow!

Tomorrow all the groups will be cycling at some point along with archery, canoeing, raft building and skiing among some of the activities!

We will try and share more of today’s photos as well.

There was a high  number of hits on the blog site today and we hope everyone is enjoying keeping up to date with our trip!

More tomorrow!

Photos Day 1

Two slide shows of yesterday's photos. We hope these work!

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Loch Insh 2014 - Day 1

2014 Loch Insh Trip

Day 1

Well, after a bit of an odd start to the day we eventually made it to Loch Insh by noon! Apologies to all those left waiting for the bus early in the morning. As the bus left Strichen, having turned up with NO passengers from Mintlaw and Longside, we received a text from Longside to say they were on their way! To say this confused us was an understatement!

We met the other bus with the Longside and Mintlaw pupils at MintlawAcademy and then had to transfer all the luggage from one bus to the other! Not the start to the day we had intended.

We made our way to Banff, Keith and Aberlour where we stopped for a ‘comfort break’ and a caffeine intake for the staff!

We made it to Loch Insh by noon and then unloaded all the luggage and got the children to their rooms before having lunch and the introductory talk by one of the instructors. After a fire alarm practice we were off down to the boat house for the first activities.

Miss Clark’s and Mrs Forrest’s groups were going sailing while Mr Donaldson’s group were Canadian Canoeing and Mr Taylor’s were kayaking. There was a light rain but it was quite warm initially.

Everyone got decked out with a life jacket and a paddle if one was required. The two sailing groups had the chance of going out in small boats for two or one of the bigger boats in a group of six. 11 decided to go in the small boats while 12 opted for the larger boats. Miss Clark took six and headed off with their instructor to the first boat by speedboat. Mrs Forrest soon followed with another six. The ones left started clambering on board their little boats…and before they were all ready for the off we had ONE who ended up out of their boat and IN the water! Poor Clare soon realised how cold the loch’s water was and we got her out of the water as quickly as possible. Her boat was soon bobbing under the water!! So as the rest got into the boats and set off we took Clare back up the hill to the accommodation so she could get a warm shower and change!

The other two groups started off with some instruction on how to use their paddles for either kayaking or canoeing. This is done on land and they were shown how to hold the paddles correctly and how to use them to move in different ways in the water. Then it was their time to head out on the water. The canoeists were in groups of three and had to work together to ensure they went where they needed to go. The kayakers were on individual kayaks or in ones built for two. They spent the 20 – 30 minutes in the sheltered area learning how to handle the canoes or kayaks, how to turn in different directions and generally build their confidence. Once the instructor was happy they ventured out on to the loch.

The canoeists ventured up the loch before heading back down to play some games near the beach. The kayakers were quite bold and were soon out of site up at the bottom end of the loch and they made the trip round the island before heading back to the boat house! Considering they started late they did very well to make it so far!

Clare in the meantime had got dried out and changed and was soon offered the chance to go out on the speed boat with Johnny who was going to take some film of the grops out on the water. She jumped at the chance and with her life jacket back on she was soon speeding across the loch at top speed!

By the time they all made it back to shore they were quite wet! Some were very wet and the drying room is already full of items! We will soon find out how many did in fact put their initials on their clothes!!

After a bit of quiet time and a chance to ‘unpack’ (which for some meant tipping out their case!!) we were off for tea! We have scored this year and have got late breakfast AND late tea which is great!

Tea was soup, sweet and sour pork or baked potatoes and fruit icicles for pudding!

We were no longer back up the hill when it was time to head out for the evening activity! The Wide Game!

They were split into two teams and then chose their area to defend their flag in the woods and set up camp! The games then commenced! Each team had to defend their coloured buoy from being stolen by the other team and also make sure they did not loose their ‘tail’ to the opposition! If they lost their tale they were sent to prison until it was decided to release them once again!

Madness ensued as they chased about and Mr Donaldson and Mr Taylor took part VERY enthusiastically with their team!

To finish off the evening they got the chance to play in the play park or watch the football. To their credit only three ended up with the football option and the rest set off to run off more steam in the park!

We now have time for juice and biscuits before bed and hope that they will get to sleep quickly when it is light out time!!

A good day so far…..lets hope for more of the same today!

We will try and upload some photos along with this if we can get a good enough signal to share the photos.

 

 

Day 3 & 4 2013

An update on the last day will be added over the weekend!

Here are the photos for Thursday and a group photo!

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Day 3

We are having problems getting a connection and can not get the photos loaded as yet. We will put them up later today along with toady's ones!

Day Three - 2013 Thursday

Loch Insh 2013 Day 3

 

Day three is when the tiredness kicks in! Everyone is on the go from early morning till late and so eventually it catches up with you. However, it is interesting to see how the children go up and down according to what they are doing! Meal times were very quiet today as they appreciated a time to sit, eat and catch breath!

 

Again we were up early and down for breakfast by 7.30am. All of the boys from Strichen had to be woken up today...and you could tell they would have liked a bit longer in bed! Mind you...they weren't the only ones!

 

So...breakfast...packed lunches and posting the blog from yesterday was all ticked off the list. The weather was looking hopeful once again and we were keeping our fingers crossed that it would stay dry once again.

 

After returning from breakfast their next challenge was getting ready for the morning activities followed by....room inspection! Now this was beginning to become a bit more competitive and the Longside boys were the first to ask if they could use the hoover to help! Take note....THEY ASKED TO USE THE HOOVER!

 

Well, the ripple effect soon spread and one by one each room asked if they could use the hoover! Mrs Mitchell and Mr Taylor went on room inspection duty and to say they were pernickity was an understatement! However, MOST of the rooms were looking great and credit to the Longside boys who are in a room of 5 for getting FIVE points out of FIVE!

 

So...off we went down to the boathouse again. The pupils are now talking about the steps and counting how many times they still have to go up and down them. By this time.....we should be down to being up and down twice more before leaving.

 

The sharks were going off to Arch while the whales and the starfish were going skiing! Archery is easy to get ready for.....just collect a bow, get some arrows and off you go. The skiing is a bit more involved and with two groups at the same time makes it even more complicated! First.....what is your shoe size? Then they have to try on the boot and figure out how to do them up. Then they need to queue and get the boots fitted for the skis they are given. Then they need a helmet and gloves. Then they 'moonwalk' over to the slope where they then have to find out how to move on the slope before even thinking about going up the hill and come down!

 

Mr Taylor and Miss Stewart were keen to join in and so they fought with their boots and skis and were looking forward to the challenge! Miss Stewart was keeping it quiet that she had been skiing previously! Slowly but surely they all managed to get reasonably proficient at moving and walking with the skis and as time went on the were going higher up the slope. They had to learn various techniques like the pizza and how to stop at the bottom of the hill!

 

Everyone enjoyed the experience and they all gave it a good go. They even were using the ski-tow to get pulled up the slope. Once finished they then had the joy of getting skis off, getting back to the boathouse then getting their helmets and boots off and back to the instructors! You could see the ones who had been skiing before as they were more confident but the others all improved a lot over the session.

 

The archers were enjoying their fun and again there was a lot of competition between them to score the most or hit the balloons that were pinned on the targets.

 

Late in the morning we had a 'surprise' visit from the two primary 7 pupils from Strichen who did not come on the trip and the look of surprise on the faces of the others when they appeared was a sight to see. They enjoyed seeing what everyone was up to and joined us for lunch and took part in the raft building in the afternoon.

 

Lunch today was OUTSIDE! We managed to have a picnic outside the accommodation in the sun and it was great.

 

But soon we were off on the next activity – RAFT BUILDING. I think this has turned out to be a favourite for many of them! At the start of the activity they were taken in to the lecture room and were given some pointers about how to build a raft and were shown how to tie some 'proper' knots! ( I would have used granny knots.....but they are difficult to untie at the end!) After this they were split into four teams and got their materials and were off!

 

They were allowed:

Barrels (4 or 6 depending on size)

6 long wooden poles

8 pieces of rope

 

Slowly the rafts started to take shape and you could see the 'organisers' coming to the fore as they assigned different tasks to their group members. Occasionally there was a lively debate as to how they would best set about the task or complaints if people were not doing as instructed! However, after some hard work and good team work the rafts were ready for launching! But before this they had to go and get their life jackets and a paddle. Once everyone was back they man handled their rafts into the water and suddenly the air was awash with screams as they tried to get the raft to float, or tried to get on the raft or tried to stay on it once they did get on. The water soon turned white with all the splashing and the screams got louder as they got further out from the shore and they started to fall off into the deeper water!

 

One or two of the rafts were very solidly built and the 8 or 9 people on the raft sat quite happily ON the water. The other two got their...but one of them in particular was a bit rocky and more often than not they fell off one by one into the water!

 

The screams  of joy got louder and louder and the laughter never stopped! Not everyone went in the water but we all enjoyed watching.

 

However, it soon became apparent that their main aim was to end up IN the water! So the rafts were taken back on shore and then they all ran and jumped in on mass into the water. Some said it was  not cold at all! Some did look a little blue! One or two took little knocks and one from Strichen was taken back ashore in the 'safety canoe' and needed a few minutes just to get back on his feet after taking a knock and ended up feeling a little faint. However, after a few minutes he was soon back helping his team dismantle the raft and put the equipment away.

 

They were delighted, noisy and very WET! But they had a great time. However, the slog back up the steps to the hall was a little more challenging and taking off all their wet clothes before going into the hall was more challenging than normal.  Lets hope the drying room manages to at least dry the clothes off a little before tomorrow. However, I doubt it will and so expect some very damp, heavy clothes in the cases!

 

Tea was a B-B-Q – but it was held indoors due to the changeable weather. Soup, burgers in a bun, chicken, sweetcorn and salad was the order of the day. Again a hearty meal was had  by all and then it was back up to get ready for problem solving in the evening.

 

We also had to make it to the shop for the two groups that had not been and they managed to make a good go of spending all their money! Hopefully they have bought you something nice to take back!

 

We went down early before the evening activity and went to the park or played football for a while. The highlight was Miss Stewart scoring a goal in the game!

 

Problems solving was more fun that they had imagined and the groups took part in a variety of different games and problems round the site which challenged them and made them work as a team!

 

My group finally cracked their last problem at the ELEVENTH time of asking and it was only the 'treat' of losing their breakfast that focussed them to complete it eventually!

 

After this we went back up to the hall and after some quiet time we invaded the other school's disco to get their certificates from the instructors and to see the video of the week. However, the video di not run its full course and hopefully each school will get a copy of it tomorrow to take back to let them see it.

 

After this we had to start thinking about packing! We gave very good helpful hints and tips about packing – but I imagine you will end up with suitcases and bags with everything just stuffed in them!

 

Anyway, tomorrow we need to be up and out of the rooms by 9.15 ready to go and then we head of Canadian canoeing. We have told them we have to remain dry during this activity or it is going to be a long journey home on the bus!

 

 They are now all asleep and we will possibly need to be up early tomorrow to make syre we are tidied and packed before the last activity!

 

Here's hoping!

 

 

Day 2 Loch Insh 2013

The good bit about day 3 - you HAVE to waken them all this morning! They all want to sleep!

 

Loch Insh 2013 Day 2 – Wednesday

 

Well, a late night and an early morning! Never a good combination! The children now realise why not going to sleep at the right time has consequences at 6.50am!!

 

Early breakfast is a trial....up early, showered and dressed and down for breakfast and packed lunch duty! The children had a wide range of breakfast goodies – fruit juice, cereals, toast and bacon! While having breakfast they all 'made' their sandwiches, got fruit, yogurt, crisps and a biscuit they were ready! It was back up the hill AGAIN to tidy up, get ready for the first activity and.....room inspection! Cue the puzzled looks! 'Room Inspection????' they chorused?

 

So, the morning activities were archery for two groups and kayaking for one. The weather was quite overcast and windy and so the loch had transformed from its usual early morning calm to being quite rough!

 

So the kayakers dawned their waterproofs, life jackets and got a paddle and they were off!

They got the kayaks all lined up on the water side and then went through some exercises with the oars before being let loose on the water! They start off in a sheltered area so they get a chance to get acquainted with the kayak and the intricacies of using the paddle! They were having great fun and before long they were heading out of the sheltered area onto the loch and had soon disappeared round the headland on the way to the haunted shed!

 

The other two groups were honing their archery skills. Bows were collected and the arrow rack was taken over to the two archery areas. Each group had six targets to use and so worked in pairs. They received instruction – as this is potentially a dangerous activity – and before long they were discovering that it is not quite as easy as they think! At first it is ...lets try to hit the target or lets get enough power to get the arrow to stick in the target! Then it is trying to hit the bulls eye – a very tricky feat!

 

After a while they are then 'baking a cake' – trying to hit the different colours in order to bake a cake without hitting the black which means they have burnt it and have to start again!

 

So after two and a half hours the two groups were showing signs of improvement and were taking part in the set challenges with great gusto!

 

So it was back up the hill for lunch and a SHORT seat and then it was off to get changed for the afternoon session. The Sharks were going skiing and the whales and the starfish were going kayaking. So it was plenty of layers and waterproofs as the morning group all complained of getting very wet! The skiers needed long sleeves and jeans so that they would be 'protected' a little when they fell over!

 

The skiers spent the first part of the session getting kitted out! First they have to try and remember what size feet they have! Then they need to fight with a pair of ski boots! This is easier said than done....and then they needed to do their moon walk to get to the slope. They were given skis and then had to figure out how to get them on and attached to the boots! Next they have to move with the ski boots and skis attached to their feet. So within 5 minutes they have to contend with a whole range of new skills and experiences! Then they are told they are going to go up a hill and slide back down! On purpose!

 

Anyway, they had a great time and as happens every year some of them take to it like a duck to water while some find it a real challenge. For some fear is the main obstacle and I for one can fully understand that one.

 

The kayakers were all togged up and had their life jackets and paddles and had to get the kayaks down to the waters edge! Team work moving the kayaks was the order of the day and they were soon ready for the off.

 

Initial fear for some is quickly overcome and they are soon paddling round the sheltered bay getting the hang of propelling the kayak forward, stopping it (occasionally by crashing into someone else) and turning. They then spend some time in the fish pond and once they are all more confident they head out into the loch. The wind in the loch was strong and the waves would catch the kayak if you were side on to them. This caused some of them a little fear but they all rose to the challenge. Infact some of the girls did not venture far out initially but they all went out into the loch before the end of the session and really challenged themselves. This is the great thing about activities like this – you see the children begin to challenge themselves and begin to think they can do this!

 

So one group went to the shop after they had been skiing and of course they set the rest off because they saw some of the things they had bought! Watch out for the tiger print snake!!

 

Tea was tomato soup, pizza, sausages and chips followed by pancakes and ice-cream. Plates were empty and the chatter was loud! We then came back to the hall for a bit of quiet time before going down early to go to the park and to play football.

 

The evening activity was 'wayfinding'. They are put in teams of two or three and given a map to find 15 different locations round the setting. Many set off with great gusto and there was great competition to win. The two teachers from Longside only came in SECOND!

 

We came back for a bit of time in the hall and they had juice and a biscuit and by now all the children are mixing well from both schools, They played some games with Mr Taylor and some actually asked if they could go to bed!

 

So...time will tell if they get to sleep better tonight.

 

Tomorrow we are looking forward to Mr Imlah joining us at lunchtime. We have skiing, archery, raft building and problem solving tomorrow!

 

A GOOD DAY TODAY – AND THE CHILDREN REALLY SEEM TO BE ENJOYING IT.

 

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Loch Insh!