CLASS EMAIL ADDRESS:- MilkyWay@wincantonprimaryschool.co.uk

Year 6 Camp Blog

Day One in the big Victorian train shed!

We arrived at Okehampton Youth Hostel at 11:45 eager and excited to see where we will call home for the next 5 days. The sun was shining and all that some of us could think about was – “When are we having our lunch?”

So, once we had been told our room allocation and then found our new rooms, the first challenge of the day was how to fit a duvet inside a duvet cover! After 10 minutes of trying, we resorted to helping each other  - though some were lucky to have Miss Williamson and Mrs Perry help!!! Cheats!!

After the much needed lunch, we got ready for our afternoon of team building activities. As observers, the teachers loved it! Those who came forward and told everyone what to do, those who just followed, for an easy life and those who reasoned and shared this with the group – were the teams/ individuals who were most successful.  

Activity 1 – tyres 1-5 have to move them from one post to another – yet you are not allowed to stack a large number on top of a smaller number.  Ruby the Logical Queen came into her own here.

Activity 2 – Gutter ball! There were two components – some guttering and ……. a ball! So, the team has a range of guttering lengths and the ball has to travel along the channel to place it in 5 different locations. Children have to run to the end to catch the ball once it had passed them then drop it into the buckets. Isla the Balance Queen, was able to slow things down and gain control by her ability to keep the ball still in her guttering to buy the team time!

Activity 3 – Alien invasion – a wooden disk with 16 ropes tied to it. Each person holds a rope and pulls it which moves the disk (Spaceship) across the area. Underneath the disk is a tracking beam (hook) that when hovered over you have to hook some poles with string on it and transport them to the mother ship (a bucket!). This was really interesting to see who knows their left/right, up and down!

Activity 4 – The Box – a box with poles and tyres to climb through and under – simple?!? So you would think – until you are holding hands with one other person, then four, then 8 then the whole group. Not able to break the chain people were in fits trying to crawl on their fronts with their faces in the mud. Apparently, that is really good fun! Jacob and Riley loved it – Sophie less so – though the photos and laughter state otherwise – mud is soon to be her new friend!

Activity 5 – The duck pond – another team game where the quietest children were picked to control the group. In the square pond were a range of plastic ducks, some of whom had magnets on.  The children had to control the magnet to swing over and attach the duck and then bring to the front.  This was great fun as the pond was filled with pondweed and some ducks couldn’t get out, but the force of the up-thrust meant water and weed flew through the air! Whole of Team D- who suddenly realised the point of the afternoon at this station, whilst they the magnet dive bombed the ducks!

Activity 6 – Shark infested water – 6 crates, 6 planks and 14 children to move from one side of the area to the other. All feet had to be off the ground, and anyone who fell in had to be rescued – unless you  were in Team A, who decided they didn’t want to rescue their team mates and only went back for them at the end! Jackson, Riley and Charlie are still stranded out there even now!

After team games – the best part of the day – FREE TIME!!!  Time was spent in the rooms, common room and playing outside. Some were getting ready for room inspection and thinking about the way they will present their rooms, others were just glad to chill, whilst one group of boys went for a power nap!

Dinner was spag bol.  It was very popular with many clear plates. Apple crumble for pudding made it a well stocked stomach for the evening activity of moorland walk.  We walked up to the top of Dartmoor and saw where a WW2 viewing tower once stood, and the most spectacular view from Plymouth to Bristol in the evening sun. Then the joy of the night - Dartmoor ponies and their babies!!!

Hot chocolate and a change in to our PJs signified the end of day 1. We are still not fully asleep at midnight, but hoping it is not going to be tooooooo much longer!

Tomorrow, we have the lake day with kayaking, canoeing and raft building – bring on the wet suits!!!

Night all.

Day 2 – “Best Day Ever!!!!”

The morning started early despite the last bedtime! 5:45am voices could be heard and 6am bodies were seen! Though for some staff, visitors at 2am and 4am made it a very short night! Everyone was fine they just wanted to tidy their rooms!! Bet they don’t do that at home!!!!!!?

Breakfast was at 8:30 which meant there was a lot of time to fill, so Mr Wilson started the “let’s pack for the day” – hoping that with 2 hour’s notice everyone will have all they need. Guess what….7 had to return!

However, after a Full English Breakfast, with cereal and toast, we were packed and ready to collect our wetsuits at 9:30am.  Jumping in to the minibuses and off we go – wetsuit in hand - to the lake for our first activity.  Minibuses had the full spectrum of musical entertainment, with Miss Bowles bus singing the greatest showman, Taylor Swift, whilst others were stuck with a political debate with Vernon Kay! Then came the annual challenge of getting everyone in to their wet suits. Many were stuck in with arms in one direction, legs in another and having to be pulled into them and jumping around to make them fit! The group was split into three groups and rotated between Kayaking, Canoeing and Raft building.

Water confidence was the goal of the day. Despite Josh feeling worried about completing the water activities, Miss Bowles provided him with a promise. If he was able to complete all the activities, he was allowed her to push her into the lake. What do you think happened? We have an amazing group of children who just loved their day on the water in the sun, being together and supporting one another. Just lovely to see!

Each session consisted of paddle practice, games of chase, splashing, capture, splashing, manoeuvres, splashing, avoiding each other, splashing! The end of the sessions always involved jumping in, falling in and sliding into the water.  Amazing fun!

Raft building had a mixture of success! The children had 4/6 drums, 6 ropes and two poles.  This constructed a raft that did float for all – well all except Spencer, Riley, George, Henry, Warren and Mrs Williamson’s group, who’s knots were just not able to sustain the journey from the bank to the water. It was the sound of laughter that roused everyone’s notice for their need of rescue, though if they put their feet down, they could stand up! 

We have had so many people laughing – Jasmine, Charlie, Felicity just to say a few.

We came back from the lake and entered the land of the drying room! The joy of having wet clothes, towels, shoes, socks and swimsuits on hangers hung up to dry. We pray that they will be dry for the morning.  

Following showers and a roast dinner, it was camp fire and low ropes for half the children and bingo/quiz and postcards for the other half.  We mastered the roasting of marshmallows and shared stories, whilst the other group tackled the low ropes course, which consisted of obstacles including: chain logs, beams, under and over pits, and the seesaw of doom!

Whilst the other group had a civilised evening of general knowledge quiz, bingo and prizes!

There were many, many yawning faces come 8:30pm so earlier hot chocolate and bed this evening with the majority out of the count come 10pm! 

Night – see you tomorrow for a day in the gorge!

Day 3:  The Day of the Gorge!

The sun has shone on us all! What a gorgeous gorge-ous day! 7am wake up! Result!

Get the worst job over first – we entered the drying room! Guess how dry the clothes were…… soggy. Word with the management I think! Anyway, they are all going to get wet again, so we packed our bags with the help of the job list and got ready for breakfast.  

Okehampton version of a Mcmuffin with yoghurts, blue berry muffins and cereal/toast. There has been so much food – no one has gone hungry.  Breakfast was eaten and bags double checked. We felt so proud!

Outside to meet the instructors and pick up our wetsuits, mountain bike and lunches – luckily there was a minibus to take the food, wetsuits and the odd rucksack! Our non-riders went in the minibus to the gorge, whilst the rest of us started with a warm up lap of the carpark and then off along the Granite Way (cycle path) through the most gorgeous scenery and disused railway line.  Everyone had a great time; those who were not fully confident, grew in confidence and got used to the gear shifts. They did a great job and proved to the instructors just how trust worthy they were. Overtaking was allowed and the bells rang out across the valley like the chorus from the Sound of Music.

We arrived at the gorge and split in to two large groups. A+B went in to the gorge, C+D went on a walk over to the hyro-dam/reservoir.  

First thing first – the battle of the wet suits began for the final time! Each group loved getting in and the pulling and pushing was perfected meaning we were ready in 18 minutes rather than the 32 minutes from yesterday – small wins!

Wetsuit, helmet and buoyance-aid on and the first step in sent shivers up the spine! Man it was chilly! We got straight into the water and splashed us all to get adjusted to the temperature then we were off. Up the waterfalls learning that walking in the water is much better and safer than walking up the dry areas as water takes the least line of resistance so gives more grip (big rocks slippy, little rocks grippy).

Diving into the pools and bombing the instructors allowed confidence and fun to be shared. Team photos was taken with a surprise avalanche cascading over the unsuspecting children in the front row! Finishing off in the washing machine - as we put our heads back against the wall getting covered in a final gush of water from above!  Not going to lie – there were many stumbles and falls, and likely to be a few bruises – but there was a lot of fun getting them!

Lunch was delivered and the amazing cookies were devoured as Mr Wilson ran away with them and looked like the pied piper with a line of children literally running after him for one.  Then the groups  swapped activities.

On the walk, the children got engrossed in the environment and the stories of the area. Finding carnivorous plants (similar to a Venus Fly Trap) called Sundews in the bog areas of the moor surrounded by the cotton plants.   The children could see the flies being eaten by the plants.

The views were incredible across the reservoir with Palomino Dartmoor Ponies and their foals – there was a spontaneous AHH when they were seen.   Whilst we thought there would be a constant moan about walking – there was not one bad word – so get them out!!!  Honestly it was lovely to see them so engaged in being outside and enjoying the sights and area. They enjoyed walking with the instructors and hearing their information.

When we got back we jumped on the bikes and cycled back on to base. It was such a brilliant day.

Chicken or vegetable pie followed by chocolate brownie for dinner – then the reverse of last night.

Almost forgot our 10-star jumpers! Those who bombed the instructors so well in the gorge, and soaking them, that they got to chose what they wanted from the canteen at night (without alerting the staff to this – apparently, it’s a common occurrence! -  these included: Noah, Lois, Riley, Sophie, Esme, Oliver, and Emily aka Savanah, to name a few! Therefore they got to choose their piece of chocolate brownie first – which they were pleased with (I personally would have wanted something more! But maybe that’s just me!)

Group A+B Quiz, postcards and bingo; whilst C+D had low ropes and campfire. Who doesn't love a giant marshmallow on a retractable fork! Happy days!

Bedtime 9:30 and no arguments at lights out! Though as I write I hear some chatting going on! Room 23!!!

Sadly the weather is due to turn tomorrow so we can’t go on to the moor and the Tor to go weaselling – so axe throwing it is instead!! (with grass sledging too!) we wait to see what happens there! I’m off to type a risk assessment and book our audition slot on next year’s Britain’s Got Talent!

Night everyone.

Day 4: High Ropes, High Hopes

Why is it on day 4 when they have had two full on active days are they awake at 6am!!! And so day four begins!

Get up and hurrah it’s a dry activity day – not a wetsuit in sight!   The agenda is High Ropes, Grass sledging and let’s become a Viking and throw axes! (which they loved and did with style!)

So, getting ready was simple! Dress in long sleeves, trousers and a waterproof. Only three had to go back to change in to trousers, jumper and water bottles!

Breakfast was full English mark 2! Sausage, bacon, hash browns, beans and scrambled eggs, with the usual toast and cereal options. Food has just been fab!

We walked from our site to Bracken Tor, the sister site, having crossed the A30 foot bridge and successfully getting four long loud honks from the passing truckers.  There looming over the site like the golden gate bridge stood the High Ropes course.  

We split into our groups and met our fears! Staff too!

On the high ropes there were three activities – 1- Leap of Faith, 2-Power of Three and 3 – The Nest.

Leap of Faith – Climb up a high pole (20 ft), walk out onto a platform (no hand rail) and jump off into mid-air like superman to high five a plastic Buoy called Benji! Bella, Oliver, Tom, Noah and May smashed it and left it swinging in the air!

Power of Three – three levels where two children zig zagged up the course passing mid-point on each level. Level 1 – ropes one to stand on and one to hold on to and side step along, Level 2 – walk across a swinging log with level three – broken foot bridge that had to be crossed. Then at the top, sit down in to the harness and jump off and float down like a fairy! Oliver, Henry, Ben, Summer,  Savanah,  Esme and Kaylen zipped up and down.

The Nest – a single pole 30 ft in the air with a small platform that you had to pull yourself on to and stand at the top (even the old man of the group managed this! – with wobbly knees in toe!) All the teachers!!!! Fern, Aimee, Harrison, Sophie, Isla and Charlie LK.

Grass sledging was a hoot. Sitting in a grass sledge, hurtling down the hill, trying not to topple out and roll down the rest! Then drag it back up and start again! Those who went super fast (Ruby, Jacob and Lucy) and those who went to a grinding halt (Esme and Cole) or stylish dismount into a pile of tyres (Mr Wilson!!!)

Then came our surprise – Axe Throwing! Whilst very simple – there is a pile of targets and two axes each to throw – the opportunity to scream like a Viking and throw the axes was loved so much.  Children were hurtling axes through the air, scoring points and screaming like they were attacking their worst enemy.  Jackson, Daisy, Francesca, Jacob, Sash-May, Milly and Zak all demonstrated their Scandinavian roots!

Despite the wet weather for most of the day, the children kept their spirits up and did not let some rain dampen their spirits or determination. Just brilliant.

Before dinner we started the epic task of packing ready to go home! This was a task in itself! We can’t promise that they have everything neatly folded in their case, but they should have everything they came with.  After packing, we had time to go and play cricket – What a special moment! We played standing inside a rainbow - literally!

Next, it’s final dinnertime - the legendary Okehampton Pizza and potato wedges followed by Sticky Toffee pudding and a huge thank you to Joe and Charlie in the kitchen for all our fabulous dinners.

Final clear of the canteen and party night began. Balloon Games followed by Chocolate, dice and knife and fork game, despite the dice app having to stop for adverts! We powered through and had a great time.

Final night’s sleep begins and you are all in for an early night tomorrow as they are all very tired and ready for a recharge!

It has been a wonderful week with your fabulous children and hope when they recharge you get to share in all the news, adventures and tales of Okehampton 2024.

Signing off – Mr Wilson, Miss Bowles, Mrs Hiscock, Mrs Williamson, Mrs Perry and all the children at Okehampton.

Curriculum Newsletter

Welcome to Milky Way Class!

Welcome Year 6,  

The adults that work in this class are Miss Bowles, Mrs Noake and Mrs Chapman.

Our PE days after Easter will be on a Wednesday and Friday.  Please ensure children come to school in the correct kit on these days and that long hair is tied back. We do not allow the children to wear earrings for PE so please can they be removed on these days or taped over. 

Our Learning Experience this term is Evacuate

Curriculum knowledge organisers 

Autumn 1- Under Threat 

Autumn 2- Earth Shattering

On our first year 6 Hook Day, the amazing Dave from Rainforest Roadshow visited our school. During the day, the children had the opportunity to: look at some live invertebrates, explored tribal artefacts and made tribal jewellery. 

Earth Shattering 

To help inspire the children at the start of this Learning Experience, the children took part in a Hook Day that focused on what tornadoes are. The children began to understand why these natural disasters occur and created a brilliant tornado piece of artwork. 

Parkour 

A massive thank you to Alex Grinter from the company Actualise Parkour for providing the year 6s with a parkour taster session. The children had a fantastic morning and enjoyed taking part in the session. 

Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door trip

Race course trip

Year 6 had a fantastic trip at the Wincanton Race Course. 

Nothe Fort 

Milky Way Class had a fantastic trip to Weymouth visiting Nothe Fort. The children got to experience what life was like during World War 2 (WW2) as an evacuee. The children visited WW2 themed rooms including: a shop, laundry room, kitchen and an air rad shelter. 

Thank you to all the amazing staff at Nothe Fort for making us feel welcomed and for creating an amazing theatrical day, that allowed the children to fully immerse themselves into a war themed history day. 

Year 6 Camp