Category: Summer School

By Harry

On Tuesday, we got together to play 5-a-side football for an activity session.

After playing some matches, Jon our staff member decided that we should play a game to help us get used to passing.

What I found best was when we all had to use the ball on our team, without it being intercepted, before we could score.

By the end, instead of everybody running in and trying to score for themselves everyone started passing.

I asked Jon how he thought we’d improved after the hour. “The boys trained excellently. That routine is used by many premiership clubs and I see bright futures ahead for many of these players.”

The teams were made up of Tade, Elliot, Javan, Alfie, Harry, Jed, Ryan, Oliver, Tim and Alastair (a.k.a Alioop).

“It was fun to be outside in the sun playing with our friends,” added Tim.

By Kirsten, Katie and Alice

The trash fashion parade was a highlight of the week filled with creative chaos and colourful costumes. Everyone was involved with creating ridiculous outfits from junk and taking part in challenges to win first choice of terrific trash!

In base groups the competitors competed competitively at a series of crazy challenges including a dizzy race and spaghetti marshmallow towers both of which left spectators surprised at the range of results. Teams were scored out of ten at each challenge with the lowest and highest scores awarded on the spaghetti marshmallow challenge. Coming out victorious were base groups three and eight with themes of the Wild West and vegetables and so they were awarded first choice of materials consisting of egg boxes, tissue paper and bubble wrap.

Then costume creation began. Martha from base group three was dressed as a horse being ridden by Selma the cowgirl. She said it was ‘Swag, the horse comfortable was really uncostume [sic].’ And Kirsten from base group one whose group theme was the sea said ‘it was really good fun dressing up Jesse in tinfoil and Clingfilm’. Jesse ended up as Poseidon therefore incorporating the disco theme of myths and legends. Sam from base group six said ‘It was hard to believe it wasn’t a real elephant’. The elephant costume included four people with a complex headpiece and tail.

At the end of designing, a classy catwalk took place – rivalling Paris, Milan and Cambridge – which could also be described as chaotic but gave a chance for each base group to show off their amazing creations and strut their stuff. Favourites included peas in a pod, a remote controlled robot and a moon walking space woman. This proved to be highly amusing to crowds, however most base groups reached the end without costumes falling apart.

Other themes included vehicles, circus and weddings and the whole evening was a great success with even the staff dressing themselves up in old junk. Participants hope that something similar will happen again next year due to popularity and hilarity.

 

By Matthew

We caught up with Summer School coordinator Bethany “Boop” Aquarone to get her views on life, the universe and Imran.

Matt: Hi, how are you?

Boop: Fine thanks.

M: How would you describe Summer School this year?

B: A smorgasbord of possibilities. I’ve got cheese on my mind so yeah, a smorgasbord.

M: What’s been your favourite bit of summer school so far?

B: I liked hearing about Michael’s favourite computer, mine’s the same.

M: What was it?

B: You know, a ram, core processor Intel thingy right? And I really enjoyed the disco.

M: What was summer school like when you were young?

B: We were so much naughtier than you lot, we were swinging on the chandeliers and everything. It was very formative; it changed me as a person. Summer school friends are friends for life; they don’t go away like a bad smell, caring and other horrible stuff like that.

M: What made you decide to staff?

B: I was quite young when I started staffing, just 20 but I needed a reminder of what it was like to have fun, and to be young again. Oh and I missed the barn dance.

M: How long have we had the same people for the barn dance?

B: Years and years, the lead person is the chair of governors here. Whenever we try to get them something he says, ‘I’ve been here for more years than you can count, I don’t need anything.’

M: Which is better: Summer School now or when you were young?

B: Summer School future is my answer.

M: Come on.

B: Fine, now because it feels more complete, more effective, more people, everything is just slicker.

M: Have you got any staff gossip to tell us about?

B: Not that you all don’t know. Actually this is the first Summer school I’ve been on staff when I haven’t kissed another member of staff. There you go, I’ve just realised that.

M: Now what we all want to know. Is Imran back next year?

B: Ooh, all I can tell you is Imran is as predictable as the weather.

M: Can we pay him to come back?

B: (laughs) Yeah, you can pay him or kidnap him if he tries to go to Conference.

M: What can we expect from Summer School 2014?

B: Expect the unexpected.