Friday 19 April 2013

Day Five - We're heading home!

What an amazing week! It's been non-stop since we arrived on Monday and we've had such an adventure! Everyone has had a fantastic time and we have tried so many new things. We all have so much to be proud of ... from making our own beds to trying out the death swing! The children have been absolutely brilliant and have taken on the responsibility of being away from home for a week.

Year 5, we are all so proud of you! Each and every one of you has taken part with enthusiasm, tried your hardest and made the most of this amazing opportunity. It has been brilliant to share this adventure with you ... We have all faced personal challenges! Well done for all of your hard work and effort. Your behaviour has been outstanding and you have shown everyone what BB is all about. I'm sure you all have the best memories to share with everyone!

Miss Best, Mrs Norton and Mrs Tyson x

Day Four

Well the start of day four was quiet alarming ... literally! The fire alarm was set off at half 7 this morning but thankfully it was only deodorant being sprayed in the rooms which set it off. The teachers actually thought this was a great way to get the children out of bed!

Miss Best's group headed out for a walk to a local mine. We were on the hunt for lead! After walking through a farm and up a steep hill we eventually reached the mine. We peered into the darkness and weren't sure what to expect. Inside we slowly crept through the small, dark and damp space, stopping along the way to learn about the mine. It gave us a much more realistic idea of what life as a miner was like (something else we have studied earlier in the year). Once we reached the furthest point in the mine we stopped and turned off our torches .... It was pitch black!! It was amazing to experience complete darkness ... You couldn't see your own hand in front of you! What an experience! Afterwards we carefully made our way back out of the cave and back into the light. On the walk back to the minibus we went hunting for galena (the raw mineral for lead) and found some amazing examples when we smashed the rocks open .. We have some to bring back to show you!

After a brilliant morning and some delicious lunch we prepared ourselves for the biggest challenge yet ... The Death Swing! We were all feeling a bit anxious as we fastened our helmets and harnesses. Everyone was so brave and completed the challenge of swinging through the trees! Even Miss Best jumped off ... We have a video to prove it Mrs Thompson! This was definitely something which challenged us all but we absolutely loved it!

Mrs Tyson's group spent the morning climbing mountains, which proved a challenge for lots of us. We were very proud of ourselves when we reached the summit which blew us away (it was so windy). We walked back down quickly as our instructor told us we could get ice creams at the cafe ... imagine our disappointment when we arrived to find the ice cream fridge was actually filled with bacon! We had a fantastic day!

Mrs Norton's group spent the morning orienteering in the grounds of Derwent Hill. We had to look at the maps to figure out where we were positioned in the grounds. We then had to read a clue to pin point exactly what we were looking for. Once we got the hang of it, Nick decided to maximise the challenge by turning it into a competition. Jonny and Alex were the victorious champions. After all that running around we were ready for a hot chocolate and our lunch.

Once we had eaten we then got sorted ready to go to the mine. After a short ride on the mini bus we made our way across the farmer's land which led us to the base of the mine. We decided to go rock picking first and found lots of slate, quartz crystal and a small amount of lead. We had an amazing time and have filled our cases with some rocks!!! We then slowly made our way to the entrance of the mine. It looked damp, dark and spooky!!! Inside it was very cramped and the further we walked, the lower it became. We all had to stoop. Nick explained about the mine shafts and how miners used to take canaries down to see if there were any poisonous gases which harm their lungs. At the very end point we all turned off our torches. It was pitch black. You could not see a thing. It was horrible!! We were all relieved once we turned back and left the mine safely!

As you can imagine we are all well and truly exhausted! We are looking forward to our final morning of fun before heading back tomorrow. Can't wait to see you all.