Brunel Autumn 2019

Why are we called Brunel class?

Brunel Class was named after Isambard Kingdom Brunel who was an English mechanical and civil engineer who is still considered as “one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history”. We have found out more about his many feats of engineering including The Box Tunnel, The Great Western Railway and The Clifton Suspension Bridge.

DARTMOOR RESIDENTIAL September/October 2019

This year’s residential trip has occurred much earlier in the school year, and is a fantastic way for pupils and teachers to REALLY get to know each other – snores, quirky habits, warts and all!

We arrived on Monday morning and after a quick stop for lunch we headed out onto the moor where all children braved the elements, and demonstrated their hardcore try-all attitudes. Every child pushed themselves to the limits in extreme weather and we could not be more proud of the Duchy Spirit! After dinner the children attempted a Team Challenge to build the tallest tower out of newspaper and Sellotape, with mixed, yet imaginative, results!

On Tuesday we all woke up refreshed and ready to go (hmmm….. Mrs Dunning has “No comment!”) and travelled to Sousson Woods where we took part in a gruelling orienteering course, and a mountain bike trek through the forest. In the evening the weather was kind to us, meaning we could play games outside in the grounds of the Activity Centre.

Wednesday was a day full of adventures: archery tournaments, crawling through underground caverns, wading through rivers, torch lit night-time hikes, marshmallows by firelight and a thousand memories made! Mrs Dunning and the other ladies cannot sing the praises of Brunel class enough, for overcoming nerves in the caves, supporting classmates through difficult climbs and taking risks though challenging passageways. After a delicious Mexican dinner the children went for a night hike and even made a wish on a shooting star! Then we all gathered around a campfire to toast marshmallows and make s-mores before bed (after brushing teeth of course).

On Thursday we drove to Woodlands and had the whole park to ourselves! Some future naval heroes were born on the boating arena, as well as marine commandos with no fears at the Triple Drop Slide. You would think we blew off enough steam in the indoor play areas, but there were still some very energetic dancers at the evening’s disco. We calmed down before bed with our traditional awards ceremony, celebrating notable memories and achievements over the week.

NB. Ms Hunt is trying her best to upload some fabulous photos of your children, but the wildness of the area is not lending itself to strong WiFi. Watch this space on our return …..

Gymnastics

We have been working hard with our new Premier Sport coach Miss Lindsey. We have been practicing both partner and individual balances and combining these to make short routines. We have also been practicing our safe landing when performing dismounts from different equipment.