Form 5 Overnight Camp

Date: Friday 10 July 2009

Having experienced their first overnight camp a year ago when they were in Form 4, the boys and girls of Form 5 were keenly anticipating this year’s overnight camp in June. Doubtless there was a spectrum of emotions ranging from high excitement to anxiety as the day drew nearer, but everyone was in fine form as we set off in the minibuses for the beach at Minnis Bay for the early part of the evening. And what a fantastic time we all had there!

After exploring the rock pools for interesting sea life, there was a hotly contested sandcastle-building competition – and boy, were the sandcastles and sculptures brilliant! There was some serious art and design work on show and a distinct difference emerged between the female-inspired sandcastles with their fine decorative features and attention to detail, and the male-inspired fortresses with their giant and elaborate defences. Great was the urgency in building flood defences when the tide surged in and laid siege to the ramparts. There were some valiant efforts at defence but in the end the outcome was inevitable!

Supper was cooked on the beach whilst fending off the a voracious flock of seagulls that was intent on stealing as much food as possible at the slightest opportunity.

Returning to school we put up the tents on the grass outside Junior School: the business of wrestling with poles and fabric well remembered by some and less well by others. Then sleeping bags were rolled out and teddies emerged form bags and before long everyone had a cosy sleeping place. Then the reward: a swim in the pool in water deliciously warmer than the evening air outside, and back at Junior School a cup of hot chocolate and a bed-time story before crawling into sleeping bags and settling down for the night. There were midnight feasts in some tents but the children were so careful to make them almost inaudible that we staff just couldn’t quite hear them!

Although it was already light by 5am, we managed to stay in bed until nearly 7am, when we began the arduous task of breaking camp and tidying up before going for breakfast in school.

The children were excellent throughout the exercise – well done everyone! Many thanks to Mrs Surridge, Mr Reames and William Bacon for their help at the beach and to Mr and Mrs Yearsley and Mr Bacon for sleeping out over night as well.