Navigation
Home Page

PGL

PGL Thursday 2024

 

Good evening.

 

We have come to end of another very successful week where we have experienced a massive range of emotions.  There has been the odd tear that has been shed but mostly at the end of the day when the children are tired and missing their families.  I tell the children not to worry because you (the parents) are all having a lovely time without them and that seems to brighten them right up.

 

I love this week.  It's a fantastic opportunity for the children to bond and become Winter Class and not Year 5 and Year 6.  I am fortunate to witness experiences and events that sadly you as parents might not see.  Their levels of confidence grow and they become that little bit more independent.  Some of them even learn to tie their shoe laces.  Some of them.

 

Today we have scaled the heights of the climbing wall, dropped from the heavens at the abseiling tower, roamed the grounds during orienteering and irrigated the soil around the archery targets.  We've even invented a new game called 'Rich Tea Frisbee.'  I hurl a biscuit into the air and if the children catch it and eat before the circling sea gulls, we win a point.  If the circling sea gulls catch one of our smaller children and carry them off, then they win a point.  We won 5 v 2.  Some of these sea gulls are larger than dogs.

 

Mr Dee challenged AL to a climbing race up the climbing tower.  AL beat him at least twice.  I know this because AL told me.  Apparently, it's really hard to climb the left hand side of the tower.  I know this because Mr Dee told me.

 

Thanks to ED and her excellent climbing, I was able to navigate my way up to top of the climbing tower.  I had been successful in ascending to the top on the shorter tower but failed at my first attempt at the second tower.  The holds at the top seemed miles apart and supporting your body weight after eating a double cheese burger, twisty fries, a bowl of tomato soup, a large salad bowl and a chocolate sponge cake is not easy.  However, when the blood had returned to my limbs and I had watched how ED had navigated a path to the top, I too was able to climb my Everest.

 

The children are enjoy their final evening activity.  Passport to the World is a giant orienteering quiz game.  Hopefully, they will all return tired and ready for bed.

 

In the morning, we finish packing, tackle the mighty Jacob's Ladder and finish our PGL experience with some gentle problem solving activities.  After lunch we'll load up the coach and head home.  Hopefully, we'll be back around 3.15.

 

Please remember that your children will be extremely tired and probably a little unresponsive when you come to pick them up.  Some of them might need to be hosed down.  The showers have been very popular but I can't guarantee that everyone has seen the inside of one.

 

I'll keep the school informed with our progress home so watch out for text alerts.

 

See you tomorrow.

 

Mr Price

PGL Wednesday 2024

 

Evening.

 

Todays activities included fencing, trapeze, vertical challenge and the very exciting and ridiculously competitive laser tag.

 

Let me set the scene:

 

A gentle mist had descended upon Osmington Bay.  The sun hadn't been seen for days, sweety rations had been depleted and only the flapjacks of Mrs M remained to maintain the moral of A Company.  Sergeant Price, a battle hardened veteran of over 27 campaigns (who occasionally cries during Disney films), stood on the beach and surveyed his loyal troops and the meagre defenses he had been given to protect them.  

 

"Please Sir, will we see our mummies and daddies again?" whimpered one of the smaller privates.

"I hope so, LED. I hope so."

 

At the far end of the beach, General Dee had amassed some of the most terrifying individuals seen in the Dorset area.  Not since Craig Revell Horwood had performed pantomime at the Weymouth Pavilion, had something so disturbing been seen.  General Dee's minions hollered and hooted at the tired (and tiny) troopers tasked with maintaining the honour of PGL.  And some of the things they said were really mean.

 

"Your feeble children are no match for my hungry warriors, Price!" spat the General.  "Surrender or prepare to die and then respawn and then die again."

 

"Never!  I promised these children fun and endless food and silly songs and sweets and late nights and ghost stories that aren't particularly scary and climbing walls and a coach journey that takes you on a magical mystery tour of Andover.  We will never surrender!  FREEEEEEEEEEEEDOM!"

 

The battle raged for approximately seven and half minutes although it felt like almost ten.  Much beeping ensued.  

 

Sergeant Price was killed and respawned ten times in the first battle.  His gung ho approach and large head made him an easy target for the sharp shooters of General Dee (who had taken to hiding behind barriers that resembled giant slabs of Swiss Cheese - just look at the photographic evidence)

 

The first battle had been lost.

 

To cut a long story short, because I'm limited to the number of words I can type, my team made a dramatic comeback and won the next 3 battles.  PGL was saved and the children refilled on their sweets at the shop.  Hurrah!

 

The two climbing activities proved to be very challenging.  However, the vast majority of the children reached the summit and those that didn't, were able to progress past their first attempts which will always make me happy.

 

Fencing was fascinating.  The session started with the children wildly waving their foils (swords) around.  But by the end of the session, techniques had definitely improved and they were able to engage in some healthy competition.

 

This evening the children are enjoying 'camp fire.'  Mr Dee loves a sing-song.

 

Mr Price

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

PGL Tuesday 2024

 

The children engaged with a their first full day of activities: zip wire, aeroball, survivor and the mighty giant swing.

 

For a Monday night the children were generally very good at bedtime and most were asleep by 9.30.  Obviously there were a couple of individuals who were missing mummy and daddy, but just a few tears.  More surprisingly, I didn't hear a peep from the children until about 6.45 in the morning.

 

Everyone was dressed and ready for a breakfast of bacon, hash browns, beans, tomato, toast, yoghurt, cereal and a freshly brewed americano.  MS has an interesting way of preparing his toast.  He spreads the jam on first and then attempts to put on the butter.

 

The zip wire was a huge success.  Very few children said no to leaping off a twenty foot high tower before speeding down into a valley suspended by some metal work and a few bits of string.  (They did have helmets on.)

 

Likewise, the giant swing was a tremendous success.  But I'll save those videos for our outcome event next week.  Bring your ear defenders.

 

You'll be pleased to hear that they've spent the vast majority of their pocket money on their first trip to the shop.  I think it's lovely that they're all bringing you home lots of sweets.

 

The children are currently competing in a game of ambush (mass hide and seek in the dark).  Then we are off to the nearest hill so we can watch the firework display in Weymouth.

 

Mr Price

 

How to eat toast.

Still image for this video

Good evening.

 

Monday is drawing to a conclusion.  Our morning was spent with some team building exercises and a few games.  TC is particularly talented at Woosa Woosa Woosa and Splat.  He also won both of his Moo offs.

 

My group failed in their attempts at completing the baby elephant walk.  ED reminded me that FAIL means First Attempt In Learning.  I reminded ED that they had had three attempts.

 

The coach journey was very uneventful.  Nobody started singing which is always a result.  JP, TH, AF and LHE played out a draw in their Top Trumps game.

 

We've had a lovely guided tour from our group leader, Tilly and everybody seemed to enjoy their evening meal.  I ate 10 fish fingers (thanks AE).

 

The children are currently enjoying their evening activity and then we'll finish the day with a silly story before settling down for bed.

 

Tomorrow evening, we get to sit on the hill and watch Weymouth's firework display.

 

Enjoy the photographs.  (Sorry about the fuzzy photographs.)

PGL Monday 2024

Top