Paragon Outdoor Learning Blog

Open morning

2012-01-27T16:13:00.001Z

Today we worked with a selection of Year 5 pupils who had been selected from the 2 Year 5 classes by random. I had set up a small bell tent with some of them the day before and today I heated it with a nice stove, together with a fire in the basket outside. The activities were to make a small bamboo woven fence and to decorate small branches.
The skills involved were: sawing, using the hatchet, using loppers, the mallet and imagination, to complete the tasks. Those who choose to use the tools showed dexterity. In 2 hours the task was completed by 2 groups of 8 eager students. In this time they kept the fire going, finding firewood, ate marshmallows and custard creams.
I hope that visiting families enjoyed what they saw and captured some of the essence of an education at the Paragon School: outdoors and in!

A wonderfully keen pupil with Rachel, making the decorative branch

How to use the hatchet

On the shave horse, preparing a fence post

Inside the tent chair and stove...cosy warm

3G /H....exploring like Romans

2012-01-25T15:22:00.000Z

Today we set off with the idea we were roaming Romans, exploring this new land. It was most exciting as we climbed out of the school grounds onto the old railway line (no trains since 1966 or so). The land pressed us in and we thought that there may be some Celt / Boudicea led attack. We scrambled up a bank, through fencing, then down again sliding on leaves and mud, to go and collect some bamboo to make Roman forts. Everyone had a lot of fun, reenacting this historical event! Imaginations were very vivid and I hope that the students will study the Romans with even more passion in the classroom!

Some ingenious designs the Romans would have liked! Good teams and individuals too!

2G/o'C...Super hero expedition and base

2012-01-18T15:31:00.000Z

2G/o'C 's turn to explore up the Paragon valley to see what we could find. We talked of the heroes they'd been thinking about in class and set off through the gate! Everyone was rather excited and the imaginary clues started to be noticed; half nibbled hazelnuts (bat nuts), poisonous red berries along the ground, a crooked stick turned into a hook hand. The super sleuths felt the danger of the "evil explorer." Along the lane to the hidden valley, via a small archway. He had daubed the walls with his special language. A tumbled down wall, his power, more writing (graffiti)...a message to us. Along we went, feeling oppressed by the walls of the valley, like Jason and the Argonauts in the Dardanelles (I think). Louis was really excited about this. On we went and talked and talked; 2 robodogs approached us a few times.

After break we built a trap for the robodogs up in the beech lands, alongside our dens and a couple of small fires, to cook our marshmallows. Pascalle was pleased to eat custard creams too! We ran out of time to cook the popcorn, but we had a lot of fun!

trip wire cover-up

planning

Playwalk term 3 2012, meeting at the Paragon School

2012-01-11T14:31:00.002Z

Playwalks is an outdoor playgroup for parents and their pre-school children. This Playwalk meets on Tuesdays at the Paragon School, 10.15 - 12.15 and is led by Barney.

Tuesday 10th January 2012-01-11
On the way to “Beech Camp”, we identified Ear Fungus (Auricularia auricula-judae). Will said it was his ear.
Anna and her two children made their own confident way up the hill and they showed us a photo they’d taken of the same ear fungus that we’d seen. GREAT EXPLORING Anna. We soon made a lovely camp. Everyone helped collect the different sizes of wood for the FIRE; STRING, PENCIL and THUMB. When we put fuel on, we approached the fire CALMLY, FROM THE BACK, with the smoke and flames blowing away from us. Anna made a grill from tied-together hazel, splaying one end to do some FIRE-SIDE COOKERY on the white hot embers of our lovely winter blaze. We noticed how different the area was; muddy pathways now having been made through the carpet of beech leaves. Bethan played hide and seek in the branches of a large Beech (Fagus Sylvatica). Mayah and her sister Ava were involved in everything, equally, with their Dad, John, enjoying helping them and watching them PLAY.
There were more adult men today than adult women. WONDERFUL TIME for the children. The adults helped the young ones to strip bark off hazel sticks using VEG PEELERS. Nice designs, leaving some bark on. Asha sat happily on the earth and played with some small hazel twigs. We felt the moisture on the sticks and spoke about the way water travels up the tree. We put up a ROPE SWING and I showed Noah’s Dad, Andy, the CONSTRICTOR KNOT, a really effective double hitch that’s strong but also easy to take out when packing up your ROPE. Will helped me pull it down at the end, HAND OVER HAND.
We all helped PUT OUT THE FIRE and enjoyed “descending the mountain”. We emerged on the road and felt like we DISCOVERED a nice quick way back to the cars. The young ones had some WATER PLAY in a pipe that gushed out onto the road. Bethan was brave and nearly slipped in. Emma, Will’s nanny, was great at keeping Will SAFE at the same time as offering him FREEDOM to PLAY.

2G...winter superhero walk with superhero bases

2012-01-11T14:09:00.000Z

Welcome back to the Paragon Outdoor learning blog. This year may well see quite a few changes to the outdoor learning programme, together with the staff learning about Forest School, from the Bridgewater training.
Today Year 2 went on a walk spinning a story of superheros, following a villain named "nobody knows his name!" We found that he had been into the railway arch and,"our powering up base," said Alex, drew pictures on the wall ,and left. We followed a trail, asked a dog walker if he had seen the villain. Everyone was engaged for awhile in the story; lots of evidence, footsteps, claw marks, broken perspex...part of a puzzle, then down the field with sheep in it. This bit, we practised twice, walking and silence. Break time, then out again to build superhero dens, so our search could start again tomorrow. Some good collaborative play, investigation, problem solving and fun was had by all. After popcorn and marshmallows it was time for lunch back at school.

Oliver, log rolling...

How do I get this over?

Superhero den!

Teacher art

Not quite finished

Everyone gave me a nice welcome and it was lovely to see my first snowdrops of the year at the Paragon exit...on the bank of the Western Wetlands.

5G...some Tudor cob and woodwork

2011-11-16T14:07:00.000Z

We had a good time today with a variety of activities to do. I had made a "Nativity" crib earlier on out of reclaimed wood. So from this example there was an evolution of ideas which the children copied, from boxes, post boxes, A4 intrays, a bird box and a few redesigned Nativity buildings. Others practised their cob skills and pop corn making skills.
Everyone was good at the sawing, but nailing was rather more difficult, with more practise needed! Popcorn cooking is an art that they are learning, again realising that the pan can get too hot and burn the contents.
Lots of learning opportunities and lines of enquiry followed...this kept us all very busy, totally ignoring the fact it was quite cold. When everyone had gone, a little robin came along to inspect and hopefully enjoyed pop corn too!! (We were meant to be eating pheasant, but no butcher had any...anyone reading this know of a good source of them?)

Pictures later...

5R...Woodwork

2011-11-09T10:13:00.000Z

dragging material

driving in wedges

close attention to detail

m mallows

action!

the workshop

shavehorse and chopping block

IMY's

Jemima's

A beautiful November morning; falling leaves, musty smells, humid, warm air. A good morning to look around the Paragon grounds with the Year 5 class, check the steps we made with Year 3 last week, cut some material to work with and then enjoy the work shop. We practised sawing the fire wood on the saw horses and using vices. Some used the shave horses to make wedges for splitting a great log, others used the chisels to practise carving out their initials in wood. The brazier was kept going so we could cook popcorn and marshmallows. Everyone worked well together and I hope became more confident in using the various tools.

3G...building steps and a walk way

2011-11-02T18:49:00.000Z

We had a great time working together making a slippery bank in the Paragon grounds much safer to walk on. In 2 teams we made spikers, weavers, steppers and worked quickly building our steps and walkway. Everyone got into the swing of the team ethos creating a much safer walkway for Paragon students and visitors. No doubt there would be more costly solutions, but this will work...and everyone in 3G is part of it!

A marshmallow reward!!

You can see the basic steps and woven walk way. Better still, see if you can find it in the school and tell me!

3I...working with hazel

2011-10-19T17:00:00.000+01:00

Today we were learning to saw safely, using 2 hands on the saw grip, with the wood held in a vice or sawhorse. 3 children helped me make a three legged chair; their main job was to saw to hazel wood to length. They did some nail hammering too. Another small group sawed ash to size, starting a chair.
Earlier we had walked around the grounds looking for suitable material to cut; great fun as we had all added a animal name to our own. We had a T Rex, lions, jaguars, tigers and an elephant (Edward!)
We all peeled sticks and wrapped around bread dough, cooking it on the fire basket. We also ate the prerequiste marshmallows too.
Reflecting on this session, I think everyone had a good, instructive lesson, some using a saw for the first time, others learning about fire, self motivated learning, listening and doing, exploratory learning, experiential learning.

2 hands

nailing/ team work

am I through yet!

good bread

let's have this in our den!

All of a sudden it was lunch time....

ps sorry that the photos are so dark, I had the flash on.

6I- Rabbits...skinning and cooking

2011-10-12T16:41:00.000+01:00

This week 6I had the opportunity to try their hand at skinning a rabbit or three and cooking the meat on a fire. The class came out to the Explorer shelter in 2 halves to send 90 minutes working with Barney and me. Whilst I worked on the rabbits, Barney introduced the craft of magic string which is really fun to learn and a useful thing to be able to do. Ethan was very keen to work with the rabbit, as I taught how them a little about rabbits...how to capture/ kill, when they came to this island etc. The anatomy lesson was enjoyed to, going through the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and whether it was a boy or girl. The photos below show some of the fun we had. (There were good hand washing facilities, anti bac stuff and warm water.)

Enjoying cooking

I think that the learning opportunities today were aplenty; from the biology and history of the rabbits, to the personal decision making whether or not to engage with something so "yucky," to the campfire cookery issues of how to cook meat safely. On the other hand so good fun learning a new craft, which involved a certain dextrality. On this point one particular student did very well.
No more rabbits for me until I learn how to turn their cuts into a furry waistcoat!

Heart and lungs

Magic string

I've got the heart!

We also did some work with the draw knife, making some butter knives.

6A Rabbits and pigeons

2011-10-05T15:00:00.000+01:00

6A spent a morning learning about rabbits: from the warren to the fire...With 2 groups doing identical activities, we learned about rabbits in the UK, the Romans introducing them, their anatomy-heart, lungs, diaphram, liver, kidneys, the fur, how to keep it, the legs and the saddle/ rump. We also looked at the wood pigeon, plucking the breast and removing the "squabs." We talked about cooking meat thoroughly, handwashing and general cleanliness, before eating the well cooked meat. Whilst we weren't working on the game, we were making magic string, which Barney (Explorer leader) taught.

Everyone got involved with the rabbits, before one or two very politely asked to be excused through feeling a little squeamish, which was quite understandable. We had some good conversations about rabbit birthrate (expontential....maths!) to morals of meat eating (ethics!) Well done everyone...

All hands on!

Magic string making

Serious cooking

Removing the pelt/ skin

2 paunched rabbits

Cooking

Reception in the Paragon woods

2011-09-28T15:49:00.002+01:00

This Wednesday, both Reception classes took turns in exploring the woods to the east of the front lawn. We investigated different smelling leaves, looked at the soil beneath our feet, climbed a bank, holding onto a rope and reached the Swainswick base camp. There we talked about the fire and then went onto make quick shelters from some tarps I had. We also practised using a storm shelter, as I told them of a survival story in Scotland. After this we gathered round the fire to cook marshmallows...nothing beats them!
The session afforded good opportunities for the children to look around, use all their senses, find their feet on the terrain, experience fire, practice working together making their shelters and following instructions. The teachers were able to make some observations of their students at work.

1G and 1W/L: Wilderness walk with shelters and fire

2011-09-21T13:13:00.001+01:00

The year 1 classes spent a good hour each in the Paragon grounds, exploring, den building and enjoying a campfire. Firstly, Mrs Williams' class walked up to the beech woods, then back through the secret gate onto the zigzag track, which descends into the far end of the grounds near the potential outside classroom. We then divided into 3 groups to make small shelters with tarps and ropes. This was great fun; the children were inventive in their approach and the exercise was a good exercise in team building, open ended exploration with the materials provided and a good opportunity for the teachers to observe their students. Meanwhile Marcus (Swainswick Explorer) kept a good campfire going producing popcorn, followed by marshmallows.

Following breaktime, Mrs Gibbons' class came out. We walked along the lane looking for any unusal snail activity...we saw at least 3 types, up stalks, on leaves, on pieces of grass etc. We also saw some poisonous snakefood berries. We explored along the railway line (defunct!) and descended back into the den building area. The same exercise of shelter day followed with popcorn and mallows.

Really good to facilitate experiential learning with Year 1; I look forward to their next session in the New Year.

4S Wild jams and threads

2011-09-14T14:35:00.001+01:00

Scroll down for photos.
Much better weather this week as we went for a walk around the Paragon grounds (and beyond!). The purpose was to look for wild berries to make jam with and to show Miss Scott the land too! We enjoyed hunting for blackberries and found enough to make some jam with. We saw other berries en route, including snow berries, sloe berries, deadly nightshade, laurel berries, hawthorn and elder berries. There was great excitement about the himalayan balsam flower and the way its seed case sprung open. At the end of the first session we had a sloe berry eating competition...who could keep a straight face the longest...I didn't record the winner.
After break Edward started the jam making process and Marcus started the weaving/ braiding session with the boys. The girls making jam first, enjoyed stirring the pots on the fire. We had raspberry, blackberry and blackcurrant on the go. Miss Scott was very good at discussing the science of the fire and the cooking.
Meanwhile everyone had a go at finger looping weaving, which is a difficult technique to grasp (literally) but with enough help from Marcus, Miss Scott and I everyone managed a braid.
This outdoor learning session was a great springboard into science, maths, nature, team work, self-organisation, as well as physically demanding. So well done Year 4...hope you enjoyed the jam you made.

4H: Wild jams and Weaving

2011-09-07T21:17:00.001+01:00

Scroll down for photos.

Aim: to show how to make jam from edible berries collected (mainly) from the Paragon grounds.

We had a good walk around some of the grounds of the school, up across a field behind the railway cutting, looking for blackberries. We played with a dog who was great fun. Quite a few berries, but it felt like we were a few weeks too late. The children were very industrious. Then we went up passed Honeysuckle Farm gate back towards a small gap in the hedge to a track taking us down to the school. So much Himalayan balsam, mixed with nettles and brambles...a real jungle. Elderberries, sloes and blackberries. We started the cooking process, with Marcus (assistant), keeping the fire going and preparing the threads for weaving. Mixing sugar to the berries we saw how the ingredients reduced as they were cooked. Some boys concocted their own "poisonous" mix, whilst others tried the raspberries and blackcurrants.
Learning: finding edible food, fire (and all that is learned from fire), cooking- seeing the mixture change to jam, eating it. Questions about changing ingredients, what else can we cook? Teamwork, keeping the fire going,

The other activity was finger looping, which is a form of weaving with loops of wool around your fingers, remembering a pattern, to produce a length of woven threads. Everyone worked in pairs to help each other. Lots to learn in a short while and quite difficult for 8/9 year olds.

Well done everyone for such a good outdoor learning session...a bread and jam session!

Through the hidden valley, in the bracken and balsam.

Year 4B, Wattle and daub---Tudor Style

2011-06-08T07:05:00.005+01:00

Today was fantastic though the weather wasn't the best. We had two groups of eight children. Everyone was happy to do some construction work with clay, constructing the walls of the workshop. Marcus employed some people to be 'chefs'. Everyone wanted to be chef so Marcus devised a competition - asked the children some question about the Bible and those who gave the best answer were employed to be chefs. Construction work and cooking was going on at the same time. We cooked puff-puff, popcorn, and made a cone sweet from burning sugar before it was time for everyone to get back to class. Edward talked about the use of cob throughout Africa, South America and indeed England as a very good means of building structures. Some of the children remembered Felix from Kenya who really did have mud huts where he lived in Eldoret.

Year 5I

2011-05-18T18:27:00.002+01:00

Written by Edward. The class were working on buildings, angles and walls. So I decided that we class should learn about early building techniques of wattle and daub. We made a cob mix from material in the school grounds, and weaving a wall from bamboo (from the grounds), we built a small wall. The mixing was fun with everyone (eventually) agreeing to mix with their bare feet. Some danced as we mixed the clay, sand and straw on the tarp and in the mixing pit. Great fun.

The first group made time to make butter knives, improving their skill with the tools. All of us cooked puff puff with Marcus around the fire. Finally the Inspector of Schools visited us and seemed to like the work going on.

Year 5R

2011-05-12T09:47:00.009+01:00

A hungry caterpillar made by a Year 5 boy. Some good work by the group, also enjoying puff puffs from the Cameroon made by Marcus.

Year 4, Mr Hinde

2011-05-11T09:31:00.000+01:00

We had a good session of creativity and cooking; from Tilly's dog to the peeled sticks by some of the boys.

Reception

2011-05-05T09:27:00.001+01:00

We had two groups of nine today. Hazel sticks were cut into sizes for the children. Rachel taught them the various working tools and how they are used. sticks were handed to the children and they peeled off bark using peelers. thereafter, the children decorated their sticks with coloured threads and some flag materials. Other children and some visitors enjoyed their work. It was a wonderful moment as they were also supervised by their classroom teachers.

Year 6, Mrs Allen's class

2011-05-04T09:26:00.000+01:00

Wed 4th May 2011, year 6:

On a lovely sunny morning we walked our way into the woods, set out a work area. We paired ourselves in two groups. Marcus being the leader of the fire making group and Rachel led the other group making bracelets from coloured threads. The children were taught how to start a fire, the useful and harmful effects of fire. Following all instructions, they were able to start their own fire. Rachel taught the five finger weaving techniques. We then swapped groups and each moment was enjoyable as they toasted marshmallows at the end.

Year 6G

2011-04-27T10:00:00.000+01:00

The new term started with Mr Guest's class. We worked with wood; drilling, sawing, chiselling and working on the shave horse; together with a cosy campfire, on which we cooked puff puffs. I encouraged them to keep up an interest in greenwood working and the outdoors when they were all older...as this was my last session with them.

Pilgrimage, Year 4, Mr Boyce

2011-03-30T16:30:00.001+01:00

We talked about Pilgrimage and went on one ourselves through the Paragon grounds. We made up a story as we walked coming across various imaginative dangers. To remember our journey we collected items en route and once back at base, we strung the items to our staffs, thus creating a "story stick." Everyone was very attentive and imaginative. After this we cooked on the fire and reminisced! The journey continues today...

Reception

2011-03-23T11:25:00.002Z

On a lovely Spring morning we wandered into the Paragon woods and made dens and had a campfire. We all had a lot of fun and found it difficult to return to school!

Nursery, Mrs Williams

2011-03-22T16:30:00.001Z

The Nursery enjoyed a small adventure in the Paragon woods. We made small dens had a campfire and cooked marshmallows. I told some stories as the children sat around the fire. It was a special morning!

Year 5, Mr Isherwood's class, survival

2011-03-16T15:00:00.000Z

Drawing on the terrible devastation in Japan, we imagined the school building had been flattened. What would we do? We talked about the food and water we could salvage and materials needed to make a shelter. We found high ground, divided into 3 groups and built shelters. They had to have a wall and roof, to make them protected from the elements. We had fire, marshmallows, biscuits and Marcus (our volunteer from the Cameroon) made popcorn. In all 6 shelters were constructed, all having their different merits. I showed the first group the basics of firemaking using a firedrill.

Year 3, Mrs O'Connor and Miss Hucks, Spring watch

2011-03-02T15:30:00.000Z

Another cold morning! Some keen Year 3s came out, looking for different rock types and soils. We found limestone, pebbles, clay, sandy soil, muddy soil and broken down leaf mould. It was amazing to find the different soils and rocks in the school grounds. Marcus, from the Cameroon, came with us today, his first time. The children enjoyed getting to know him asking some good questions. Some very sensible questions were asked. After this we ended with den building and a small fire to keep us warm, cook popcorn and melt marshmallows. Thankfully the sun came out and warmed us up!

Spring watch, Year 3,Mrs May

2011-02-09T18:57:00.000Z

The whole class of 15 children went on a slow walk out beyond the “blue line”, in to unexplored territory. We were on a search for signs of Spring and anything else which caught the eye. We found all sorts of shoots, a shell with a plant growing from it, a broken egg, a bike frame, a motor bike chassis and interesting bits of moss and lichen. We practised using descriptive words...adjectives.
We tried a minutes silence, listening to the birds and the scurrying of a mammal somewhere close by. (The adjective for that was “ scary”.) We used our noses to smell spring, especially some sawdust, some leaves and other things.
Later we made a small camp, complete with fire. Whilst that was established, the boys made a den and the girls too. (The girls’ was alittle more sophisticated!) After marshmallows and biscuits, we packed up and went back to school. A happy session.

Year 5, Mrs Robbetts

2011-02-02T19:30:00.000Z

This week the weather had changed; a little warmer and not so gray! Arriving at the school I spotted my first snow drops of the year, together with the willow animal sculptures...spring is in the air? I met up with 5R, very keen to do some woodwork, make mountainside shelters and cook puff puffs, aka doughnuts (African style!) Like Year 6, everyone is making good progress with safe tool use, coupled with good imagination. This week I showed how to make a butter spreader, using an end of a length of hazel, a draw knife and a shave horse.
We cooked puff puffs and marshmallows. Well done everyone!

Year 6, 19/1/11 and 26/1/11

2011-01-26T18:58:00.000Z

It was great to work with the year 6 students, who have made such good progress with using the different tools in the woodworking sessions. This time I had in mind to create small boxes, practising sawing wood to length and hammering small nails to hold the objects together. We had a campfire too, on which we cooked puff puffs, pop corn and marshmallows. Not everyone made a box. Some were more inventive, creating other objects. One boy made a heart shape for St Valentine’s day. (He said it was for his mum!) I really liked the creativity and camaraderie the Paragon students show. I asked them what they liked about the sessions and they came up with “being out of school”, “being free”. I was then held to a few promises to finish off a few items whilst they went back in for lunch.

An invention!

Year 1, Mrs James and Mrs Glass, 12 Jan 2011

2011-01-12T18:54:00.001Z

Year 1 Mrs Sarah James and Mrs Glass

The first outing of the New Year was marked with the threat of huge downpours. Thankfully this didn’t happen, (but parts of Australia were at this time flooded.) We walked a half circuit of the school grounds, climbing the banks, reaching a high spot, where we made a den, together with campfire and popcorn. On our journey we thought about the Australians effected by flooding...seeking higher ground...provisions needed....shelter.... friends.... family. Mrs Glass’s class did much the same route, but we did experience a little rain. Both groups were full of enthusiasm and imagination. Great fun!

Paragon school year 4, Weds 1st Dec 2010

2010-12-01T14:56:00.001Z

Today's session was more of a weather challenge, as it was freezing. The fire we had made was indeed very helpful as we kept on warming ourselves. The activity was similar to that of last week as we continued with bird box and hazel stick chair making. There was much development in the use of tools as the children did different tasks such as measuring length with tapes and marking with pencils, sawing of planks and sticks, nailing, chiseling and carving of names on planks. The level of team work was great, no doubt at the end of the day, we had made two hazel stick chairs and six bird boxes. There was also some time for frying and eating puffpuff. It was the last paragon session for the year 2010 and it was a good way to end it.

Paragon school year 4, Weds 24th Nov 2010

2010-11-30T09:57:00.002Z

It was a dry but very cold day. So we made some fire to provide our shelter some warmth. At the start of each session Edward did some skill building on the different tools before getting into some construction. Everyone was allowed the freedom to build or create whatever they like, with supervision from the leaders. Others that didn't have an idea of what to make, team up with either Edward or Nelson to build a hazel stick chair or bird nest respectively. It was a very busy morning with different construction going on at the same time. Because of the cold weather, we had to stop working from time to time so as to warm our hands on the fire. Prior to the end of sessions 1 and 2, some of the children had made giraffes, wooden knives, bow and arrow; while those that teamed up with Edward made a hazel stick chair, though not fully completed, while those with Nelson made 2 bird boxes. There was high level of team work in group 1 than in group 2. At the end, we fried some puffpuff, ate and return to the classroom.

Paragon school year 5, Weds 17th Nov 2010

2010-11-17T16:30:00.005Z

A weekly outdoor learning session.
Just like last week, today's objective was making a bird house and chairs from hazel sticks and woodfrom pallets. The table was set up with different tools necessary for the jobs and a fire was made inside a metal fire basket to provide us with some heat, as it was a rainy day. At the start of both sessions, Edward gave a short talk on the use of the different tools and keeping safe while working. The children were asked what they wished to do and then given tasks based on their answers. Some team up with Edward to make a hazel stick chair. Others team up with Nelson to make a bird nest, wooden stool and a chair. Others spent some time shaving teams and picking dry sticks for the fire. There was a high level of team work between the children and so much improvement on the use of tools. Some of the tasks on the making of the chairs included measuring sticks with a tape, marking spots to be cut with a pencil, sawing sticks or planks to specified dimensions, drilling and nailing; all these under the supervision and guidance from Edward and Nelson. At the end of both sessions, we toasted some marshmallows and then carried the chairs we made to the classroom. It was a wonderful session and even though one of our objective was to make a bird house, we ended up with a stool and two chairs which was still an achievement for us.

Paragon school year 5, Weds 10th Nov 2010

2010-11-12T15:20:00.002Z

Today's session was about woodworking; making of mallet, chairs, wooden knifes, racks etc. After the arrival of both groups, as it is often the case, Edward gave some talks about using tools and how to keep safe while using them. Every child in the group was given the choice of doing or making any object of their choice. Some of the children team up with Edward to make a lovely chair; a good number made mallets of different shapes and sizes; some made wooden knifes and spears while others enjoyed drilling holes in sticks and cutting them in different sizes. We were kept dry by the nice little shelter as it was rainy. Edward and Nelson made some extension to the roof of the shelter, by adding a tapulin, providing more space for our wood working. At the end of each session, we toasted marshmellow on a fire that kept going through the rainy day as a result of a lovely tree canopy above it.

Fire of London, Year 2

2010-11-03T14:44:00.000Z

In today's session we did a demonstration of the great fire of London. Every child in the group had made a house and they all came out with it. Just like groups in the past, we had two sessions. In both sessions, Edward began by giving a brief talk about the fire of London. He went on to share with us some good fire safety practices. We all had a chance to provide answers to some questions about fire safety. After the talk, we made our own London by aligning our houses, leaning them to each other and also pushed to the side all the leaves on the ground to form the Roman wall. We made two rows of houses, separated by a very narrow street. Nelson then set the first house on both rows on fire. We watched as the fire spread from house to the other. We gave the fire some fanning to make it spread much better and to learn the role of the wind during the incident. In session one, 2 houses in each row were left unburnt as houses next to them collapsed, while in session two, the whole city was burnt. We however tried to save St Paul's cathedral by detaching it from the line of houses, but the wind brought the fire from another house in a different row. After their session, both groups toasted marshmallows and return to their classroom.

Cob building with a year 3 class, Paragon School, Wed 20th Oct 2010

2010-10-21T10:58:00.000+01:00

It was a very cold morning and again another session of cob building. Nelson made some fire just next to the building site. Before the start of the session, we went on a snail search, to be used by the class for some experiments. It was a tough search as only one snail was found. After this exercise, we proceed with the cob exercise, making all sort of stuffs. In small groups and even working sometimes individually, we made an owl, pyramid, mouse and others without an identity. We had a brief break, and after resuming, we all participated in learning and making of cob, with Edward leading the session. With more cob, there was plenty to do and the creatures we've began to be completed. Finally, we toasted some marshmallows on the fire and ate some custard cream. Edward and Nelson helped transported the pyramid to the front of our class and will do the same for the owl when it must have been dry and less heavy. The day's exercise was much fun. We had our hands warmed on the fire when ever it was getting cold.

Cob building with reception, Paragon School, Wed 13th Oct 2010

2010-10-13T15:06:00.002+01:00

The day started with an adventure walk around the paragon; walking in the little bushes and learning about the wild. We noticed how rude badgers were to our premises as we found lots of their poos. However we learn form Nelson that we could know which animal lives near by, by identifying their poos. we spent some time picking conkers, leaves and backs of trees. After the walk we came to the Swainswick camp and toasted some marshmellows, and later warmed our hands on the fire as it was a bit chilly.
The next session was about cob building, but we had some guests during the second phase. Mr Mills and some photographers paid us a visit. The photographers took some lovely photos while we were roasting marshmellows and doing a bit of wood working. While this was going on, Nelson led some of the children to do a cob wall just infront of the class. while we were having fun in doing this, Edward, Mr Mills, the photographers and the rest of the class joined us. It was a nice time and once again we had lots of snap shots.

Cob building with Nursery, Paragon School, Wed 6th Oct 2010

2010-10-09T12:25:00.005+01:00

During the first part of our session, the children were given flowers to appreciate the scent. Edward later shared with them how useful flowers could be to us. We rubbed the grains in our palms and enjoyed the scent of it on our palms. Next, we went on wandering around "The Paragon Jungle". While walking, we found a few mushrooms and old tyres. As we wandered, we kept chatting about our two discoveries. We then came to the tough part of our walk, that is ascending and descending some gentle slopes. Good enough, we all made it, and then became hungry. So we separated to have our food before returning for the last part of the day.
Upon arrival, Nelson had made a fire, so we spent some time watching while listening to his wonderful jungle stories about fires and about protecting animals in the jungle. In other to keep the fire going, we went around collecting more sticks. After this session, we moved to the cob building site, and made a good amount of cob. We rolled bits of cob into balls and and began building our on wild creature, "A Spiky Snake". It was easy to make because of the team work, and the spikes were bamboos collected from near by. It was fun to see Edward taking off his welly and socks, and trampled on the cob to get a good mix. At the end, we cleaned our hands from a near by water source and returned to our class.

Cob building, Year 1 classes, Wed 29th Sept 2010

2010-09-29T11:22:00.001+01:00

A weekly outdoor learning session with Paragon school. Scroll down for photos.

This term we are building 'earth sculptures' around the school. We continued this with 2 year one classes, they built a snake and centipede respectively. The process was to collect stones from stream and wheel-barrow them to the site, collect clay from the Paragon's very own 'clay bit' and carry that to the site. Then the children arranged the 'foundation stones' of the sculpture along the side of their herb garden. Edward tipped the mixture of clay, sand (sharp sand delivered to the school earlier) and some straw onto a tarpaulin and we mixed the cob together with our feet. Occasionally we'd roll the mixture using the tarp. Once the cob had the right consistency it was ready for building and we picked up rounds of it with our hands and pushed it onto the sculptures. There was a great team spirit - "Come on everyone, we're nearly done" exclaimed some of the encouragers! Alex from the Art department gave us some shiny little tiles to decorate the cob. One or two of the children in each group were very absorbed in this part, others in the actually building. One of the children was engrossed in the project and was the very last to finally wash her hands and go in for lunch.

Cob building with a year 6 class, Carolyn Allen's class, Wed 22nd Sept 2010

2010-09-24T12:37:00.000+01:00

A weekly session on outdoor learning. Scroll down for photos.
There were two groups for the exercise. Group 1 started the day by adjusting the position of the head and legs of the crocodile made by the other yr 6 class last week. The job was easily done. The next task was to get on with another creature. It was a hard choice but we finally agreed to build a giant scorpion. This was quite a challenge but we were up for it. Unfortunately group 1 time was up but they were able to lay out the body and the big arms. Group 2 then continued from here, completing the legs, head, eyes and sting. It was such a well made scorpion and we were very pleased with the job done. The result was due to the team work of both groups 1 and 2, with support and coordination from Edward and Nelson. Both groups were very receptive to the instructions on cob making and building, and were also very participative, doing the collection of clay from a near by clay mound, transporting sand, cutting straw into smaller sizes and doing the mixing of the above three to obtain the cob needed for the building. Both groups had their hands and feet washed at the end of the building. Interestingly, the crocodile and scorpion seem to face each other, giving a possibility of a fight of the giants creatures some day. Guess which of the two will remain standing after the battle? Written by Nelson.

Year 6, Mr Guest's Class, Cob building

2010-09-16T11:38:00.001+01:00

We started the new term with an introduction to cob building. Cob is a material made from clay, sand and straw. Earlier Nelson and I collected "holy" clay from Bathampton church graveyard and took it to the Paragon. Meanwhile sand was delivered and the straw came from Eric Pullin in Marshfield. On the day we showed how to mix the ingredients together, making our building material. We started making a bench, but the second group thought it should be a crocodile! As a result the school now has a cob crocodile, which will eventually dry out and become a bench! A fun first day, where everyone joined in with the mix eventually!

Year 6, 30th June 2010

2010-07-02T11:08:00.001+01:00

It was a very special day as it was going to be our last session with this class, as they look forward to moving on with their studies in different schools. The class was split into two groups, so that there were 2 sessions. The same activity was carried out for both groups. We had lots of wood working, sawing, making guns from sticks, making rags for plate and cups, making a stand for pens and pencils, peeling skin of sticks and decorating them with different coloured threads and making colourful beads. All these were led and coordinated by Edward. There was also practice on fire making (developing skills) and deep fat frying of puff puff ("African donuts") led and coordinated by Nelson. All activities and sessions went well. Beside doing all the above activities, there was lots of chatting about the new schools most of the kids will be going to and what their expectations are for these new schools. Written by Nelson Fawoh, a volunteer from the Cameroon.

Year 5, Miss Robbets class

2010-06-23T18:41:00.002+01:00

The group started with a talk about the importance of the environment we live in, water, trees, and clean air, how the Swainswick lessons were important to their understanding of the natural world around. The Prior Park land team were building new play equipment at the back of the lawn so we explored some of the old tracks in the grounds, finding a good place to make a den. The children set to, clearing a small dead tree out the way, helping Nelson set up a fireplace and Edward (myself) cut some wood for working with. Nelson had lots of stories for everyone to listen to around the fire, stories from the Cameroon. Edward helped knife work and walking stick decoration. Everyone is making good progress with their tool safety and use and it's good to see a rhythm to this work. A good time spent in the woods.

Year 6, Mr Guest's Class, June 16th 2010

2010-06-16T21:37:00.002+01:00

Nelson and I arrived at the beautiful grounds of the Paragon School grounds this morning. We watched the School Orchestra being photographed. Year 6 students met us and we walked around the grounds, following the water of the fountain, up the lane, sampling nettles, and cutting a few poles for some woodwork. We got back to base, having chatted about some of the trees, the flowers, humidity, gravity of rocks falling from a fox quarry, the equal day lengths at the equator, compared to here at 50 degrees north, and the Antarctic. We talked about the water flowing from the spring, ending in the Atlantic and then back again with the rain.

At base we worked with wood and cooked Cameroonian puff puffs. Both groups did similar things and we bade each other farewell as they all move on to their senior schools and that was the last time I'll see them within the Paragon School.

Year 3, Mrs Grinyer's Class, Walking sticks and fire

2010-06-09T14:27:00.004+01:00

Nelson and I worked with the 2 halves of Mrs Grinyer's class in the outdoor wood working area of the Paragon grounds. The first group went for a short walk to collect hazel poles and sycamore shoots. On return Edward taught how the bench vice worked, together with the saw. Everyone had a go sawing with 2 hands on the saw, leaving a friend and the vice to clamp the wood. Soon everyone was whittling around the fire, listening to Nelson's stories from the Cameroon. The sticks were decorated with wool threads. Nelson also tried some name carving for school desks. (See picture below)

Time flew, as the second group appeared. We repeated the pattern but without the walk. A good morning with students who I felt have made good progress in their outdoor learning and ready for Year 4. Well done! Next time puff puffs!

Paragon School, Year 3, Mrs May, Intro to woodwork

2010-05-26T10:26:00.001+01:00

Nelson and I had a full class today, really keen to learn about woodwork and how to work with small fires. The wood workers learned about sawing safely, peeling bark, drilling holes and whittling sticks to get them to fit the holes. We made 1 whole plate rack and another half! Everyone was very enthusiastic to learn and we were blessed by the weather.

A Paragon governor visited us, a retired Head Mistress, who seemed to be impressed with everyones' work, together with Mr Mills.

Year 2, Mrs Gibbon and Mrs Glass's class, Wed 19th May 2010

2010-05-19T14:51:00.002+01:00

Both classes came out to the Paragon woods, to beyond the blue line to explore. We concentrated on den building and sitting around the fire cooking toast and marshmallows. Both groups had a different style. The first liked building dens, the second transporting material across the site to assist in building one den.

I enjoyed the enthusiasm of both groups and we had fun creating a story of dragons breathing fire, coupled with a journey looking for the last wolf in England...close to the borders of the Paragon.

Water Works, Yr 1 classes, 12th May 2010

2010-05-13T16:30:00.004+01:00

A weekly outdoor learning session in the school grounds, each class having a session a term with Swainswick Explorers.

Today was one of the most memorable water work days we've ever had since the start of this year. It was full of creativities and team work. All what Edward, Nelson and the teachers did was to organise the kids into groups of 4, pass on the instructions, allocate each team to a specific working site along the small stream opposite the motor way and assisted in the water works. We were out there for business and the objective was to build a dam. Each group was assigned to hold back as much water as possible, so that the next group wouldn't get any! There was collection and piling of stones, sticks, fresh grasses, mud and any thing we lay hands on! It was a bit chilly but the mission kept us warm. All the team did an amazing job, but the water was smarter than us, as it kept penetrating through all tiny holes in our dams. However we did well as we held back a huge volume of water. Group 2 kids got the best bit of the day as they were more industrious and channeled water across two dams using available pipes. It was a master piece, as we kept staring at it. Written by Nelson Farwoh, our Careforce volunteer from Cameroon.

Reception Year, both classes, Wed 5th May 2010

2010-05-05T14:19:00.006+01:00

Today, we did lots of water works with the nearby spring, and played around the pond. We followed the water channel to see where it was leading to. Pipes of different sizes and dimensions were used by the children to create their own water channel making the surrounding area very muddy. However it made the play interesting. In doing this (water works) there was lots of team work as well as individual brilliance. Edward and the teachers enjoyed watching the creativity of the little ones. Some of the kids got muddy and wet, and were rescued by the heat of a near by fire Nelson had made. While seated around the fire, warming up our bodies, we started toasting bread. However the best part of the cooking was toasting custard cream. "It is so delicious", was the overall comment. By sitting on the shave horses in the wood working house, the children provided their transportation means to different countries. The children of group 2, besides being the muddiest, had charcoal on their faces. The charcoal on their faces was the best bit of both session, in my opinion. Written by Nelson Fawoh, from the Cameroon.

Paragon School, Nursey, Wednesday 28 April 2010

2010-04-28T14:50:00.005+01:00

Today we had alot of fun investigating water. We used pipes, gutters and tubes, together with bottles and funnels. The children experimented with all the bits and pieces to see what would happen. Some of them were great organisers, using the funnel as a megaphone...ingenious! The teachers made lots of observations and were pleased with the time. Play was cut short with the school photographer taking portraits!
I was also shown some birds' nests by one of the nursery members which I enjoyed. Thank you Nursery!
Edward and Ndiana

Year 4, Mr Boyce's class, Importance of trees and knowing where you are, 24th March 10

2010-03-24T19:11:00.004Z

Today was mainly dry with short sunny spells. The first group of students explored the hidden zig-zag tracks in the Paragon grounds. Exciting to imagine them how they were created and what they may have been planted with...exotic ferns maybe...We talked about how the tree roots keep together the soil to stop erosion. We also talked about direction, North, East, South, West...the sun and stars. Back at the Explorer Base we cooked popcorn and practised using chisels.
The second group did the same, although we looked more at the railway cuttings and embankments, the trees and the lay of the land. Nelson and I had a good time with the children. We wished everyone a Happy Easter.

Year 4, Mr Hinde, 17 March 2010.

2010-03-17T18:37:00.003Z

A beautiful spring day. We stood outside the school and surveyed the wonderful bare trees and also the conifers and other trees like ash, horse chestnut, hazel, acacia and silver birch. We went over the Explorer workshop to find Nelson preparing the fire for some cooking. He told us about life in the Cameroonian jungle. We then walked off to explore the zigzag tracks hidden in the Paragon jungle from 100 years ago. With saws we slowly cut through some laurel bushes, rolled old logs away and had fun finding the way. After awhile we ate camp food...popcorn, custard creams, puff puffs and toast.
Edward demonstrated how to make spoons from some holly we had cut. I felt that both groups listened fairly well to what we had to say, and all abounded in energy. "This is really fun!" someone said as we clambered through an old path. I really hope the grounds will be restored to something new for the children of the Paragon. Written by Edward.

Frogs', toads' and newts' spawn

2010-03-15T19:07:00.001Z

We wondered what newt spawn looked liked, when toads' lay in long lines and frogs' in clouds, newts lay eggs which are about 1.5mm in diameter, in a 3mm capsule usually misty yellow or cream, laid mainly on the underside of submerged plant leafs which is curled around the egg, or on water grass. Great crested eggs are about 2mm surrounded by a 4.5mm capsule of jelly and are generally a lot brighter in colour.

This discussion arose in the reception class explorer outing on the 15 March, looking into the Paragon pond.

Paragon School, Reception, Mrs Hart's class, Mon 15 March 2010

2010-03-15T18:32:00.001Z

Ndiana and I took small groups of reception on a walk around the Paragon school grounds. They were very excited to be going out exploring. We went firstly down to the Eastern dell, Dingley Dell, where we saw midges hovering over the stream. We talked about them and that they look like mosquitoes. I told them how Ndiana had had malaria last September, from mosquitoes in Nigeria.

We discovered lots of snail shells, which the group were excellent in finding, being closer to the ground! Across the lane to the slippery bank where we discovered an animal hole. Lots of scrambling on the bank; eventually we ended up in the storm shelter tent on the lawn, sharing custard creams. So much energy and good ideas from everyone, and a beautiful day. Thank the Lord!

Paragon Open Day and yr 5, Mrs Garrett's class, Friday 12th March 2010

2010-03-13T02:00:00.002Z

Having set up the woodland shelter on the Paragon lawn, complete with flag and fire, we were ready to receive visiting parents and of course the year five team from Mrs Garrett's class. We quickly settled into a pattern of cooking, finger looping and woodworking. Cooking was run by Nelson (Cameroonian), finger looping by Rachel and Ndiana, and the woodwork by Edward. The main idea was to practice using a chisel, chiselling out material from small pieces of wood to make boat like objects. Others made small plate racks, using a brace and bit to augur the holes...lots of new vocabulary for all to learn. Everyone enjoyed the activity and freedom to choose between what to do. The parents seemed impressed too, which was good! The Swainswick Explorer team certainly enjoyed themselves...a good team effort. Thanks everyone...

Paragon School, Trails, Nursery, 10th March 10

2010-03-10T17:14:00.001Z

Today we followed a trail made with flour, finding a variety of animals on the route. Nelson, from the Cameroon, told us a little about the chimpanzees he knows about. We all tried to make chimpanzee sounds. We followed a trail of rope which led to buried treasure, by the yew tree. We then used fir cones to make a trail; this was great fun as the children hid their cones for the others to find. After break we explored up the western side of the school, again following a trail of animals. We visited the top field and then came back down the zig zag pathways onto the front lawn. A bit chilly but a fun adventure.

Yr 5, Mrs Robbetts class, Wed 3rd March 2010

2010-03-04T14:35:00.000Z

The overall topic was mountains and we talked together about mountains. Nelson told us about the mountains in Cameroon and Edward related his stories of the Alps in the mid 70s and how the roads were, and looking up for the first time to snow topped mountains. Meanwhile we practised how to use chisels and beatalls (mallets, hammers) and the bar augur (for making holes). The group also heard about exploring the Cameroonian jungle and the different animals they might find there. We had a visit from a Paragon governor, Michael King with Titus Mills, who seemed to be pleased to see everything in action. The children were industrious and some managed to make mini tables. Meanwhile there was a campfire going on with the famous PUFF PUFFS (African doughnuts). Written by Edward.

Year 6, Mrs Allen's class, Wed 24th February 2010

2010-02-25T13:09:00.000Z

Nine year six children from Mrs Allen's class came out to Paragon base camp to learn from Nelson, a Cameroon wildlife expert, about gorillas, chimpanzees and the finer art of puff puff cooking. Edward furthered their woodwork skills using the new workbench and shave horses. They made a variety of small items including bench legs, small bath boats and spears. The children used chisels for the first time and enjoyed chiseling out small bits of hazel. This was repeated with the second group and everyone had a good time making and eating food together. Thankfully the temperature was a few degrees warmer this week which made all the difference.

Paragon School, yr6, Wed 9th feb 2010

2010-02-11T21:45:00.000Z

Edward got to the Paragon on a bicycle whereas Nelson was given a lift by David (a friend). We had much to carry as there was much to do. The weather was bright at the time of departure and the same upon arrival. We emptied our bags containing the wood working equipment, cooking utensils, flour mixture for "puffpuffs" (African donuts), popcorn etc. A typical african fire was made. Minutes after, the first group of kids arrived. They exclaimed,"Wow what a fire, it is star shaped!". Nelson, the new volunteer from Cameroon, was introduced to the kids. He shared with the kids experiences in the jungle in Cameroon were he has been working; Experiences like observing and hearing the sounds of gorillas, chimpanzees, elephants, birds etc. This was followed by wood working as the kids were giving tasks to drill, chisel or saw wood and planks for bench making. Some kids also had fun playing on the swing while others slept on hammocks! It became interesting when it got to the time of cooking, with puffpuffs topping the list. We had the puffpuffs fried in deep oil; the frying done by the group. "Hmmm it tastes really good", was the remark. Hot chocolate, marshmallows and biscuits followed. Finally the parts of the bench the kids were working on were fitted together giving a nice looking bench. This now added to the other that was made by the kids.
Then it was time to go. Bye and see you next time, from each party. Minutes later came the second group. The above was repeated except that there was no bench making, but there was pop corn frying. Puffpuff reserved for this group was shared. "We would like to do our own frying", they said. "Sorry, the mixture was not much, but we would do more in our next session", replied Nelson. The snow came heavily on us as we were frying the pop corn and kept on. Thanks to the bench made by the other group, we had more seating space around the fire to keep ourselves warm. This is like surviving in the wild. There were more stories to tell as we stirred at the fire. Others kept themselves warm by doing some sawing, chiseling and making of hammers. While others played around. The interaction between the kids and us was so good. "I'm so full, I won't be needing any food at lunch", a kid voiced out. Once again it was good bye. Written by Nelson Fawoh.

Habitat Hunt, yr 3, group B, Mrs Grinyer's class, Wed 3rd Feb 09

2010-02-03T15:02:00.000Z

It has warmed up a bit after the break so group B didn't have to dress up quite so warmly. We set off in a different direction, going past the front lawn and up by the ponds which are fenced off. There is a group of bamboo which we imagined would be a good habitat for a panda. We looked in a little stream for creatures, undamed a bit to let the water flow more freely. There was great excitement when one boy thought he saw something in the water. "It's a ring, it's a ring!". It was a black, shiny round object. Someone suggested a hand grenade, an atomic bomb. We popped it in our collecting dish. One log had white finger-like fungi growing out of it. Edward found an 'ear fungus' and we had fun pretending someone had lost their ear. On the children led up the paths to the furthest part of the school grounds, where the ground is almost flat. The earth was all roughed up, looking like some wild boars had been rooting around. The children named a tree arched over as the "Gate of Happiness". When you walk through the other way, it is the "Gate of Unhappiness"! We walked along the fence, coming down on the old railway path. Edward showed us a view which you could imagine was the African savannah. See what you think. We talked about what deers need for their habitat. We walked back along the railway path, under a bridge. We spotted a 'cave'. It looked dry and well used, the path to it having no leaves on it. Some children threw sticks into it to bring out the monster.....We overturned a stone to find a beetle, very shy, it scuttled away at the camera flash. Back in the school grounds we stoked up the fire and Rachel set to cooking 'puff puffs' which are African doughnuts. It is a dough you cook in hot oil. They are delicious, especially with a sprinking of suger. The children practiced getting into the survival tent. See the pictures. They told stories in it. At the fire we told riddles, waiting for the doughnuts to brown. Edward finished off by showing the children some rocks and shells he has brought back from various countries.

Habitat Hunt, yr 3, group A, Mrs Grinyer, Wed 3rd Feb 10

2010-02-03T14:32:00.000Z

Mrs Grinyer's class are studying habitats and so we decided to use the grounds for a habitat hunt. Another cold morning with some sleet even but we bravely got ourselves dressed in our wamest outdoor clothes, some borrowing extra hats and gloves from our spare stock. We set off, looking forward to what we might find. Billy volunteered to go into the stream to pick up a stone for us to look at. There was instead a squirming, shrimpish creature on the underside of it. Tom went in and chose a brick - it too had a creature underneath which uses shells and little stones to gather around itself for protection. We pocked some rotting logs but didn't find anything.....except a large spider in a web...then we realised it was a picture on someone's boots! We crossed the bridge and explored some mud at the entrance to the school. We found a creature in its element - a worm! It was picked up and displayed and then covered with leaves. We hunted through a pile of leaves and found the smallest mite-looking creature, very pale and shy. It quickly got away, being so small. We went on along paths into the wood, finding foxes, badgers and mouse holes, and joy, a jaw with removable teeth in it! A meat eater we think because of its sharp teeth! We were delighted with that. We ended up at the fire and house site. Edward had got it going earlier so it was nice to arrive to a welcoming fire. We cooked popcorn followed by 'puff puffs', which are African doughnuts, a new cooking idea brought to us by Nelson, our volunteer from the Cameroon. Rachel cooked the food while Edward showed the children some rocks and shells from his travels around the world. We finished off with some peeling freshly cut sticks with peelers and trying out the orange survival tent - practicing for a downpour one day!

Jungle adventure, Year 3m, Mrs May

2010-01-27T14:44:00.000Z

We arrived in the Landrover with planks on the top of it for the outdoor workshop roof, larch planking from the Cherrywood project near Marshfield. With me was Nelson Fawoh, from the Cameroon, an expert in Cameroon jungle wildlife. We were soon making chimpanzee noises as we walked through the Paragon School grounds. We reached the woodworking base and set a small camping fire up as it was very cold. Nelson showed the children how to cook popcorn, toast and marshmallows.
We had a lot of fun. Some played with an old fox hole, where a tree had once been. The soil had turned orange around it. One or two sharpened sticks for the marshmallows and others sawed, using the new sawhorse. We were accompanied by Mr Hinde and Mrs Hext. One last activity we did was to use the storm shelter, which is the photo in orange.

Winter Story Walk, Yr 2, Mrs Gibbons' Class

2010-01-21T14:14:00.000Z

We pulled on our warmest clothes and Rachel gave out gloves, hats and even balaclavas to those who needed them. We set off towards the pond area and passed some pots where perhaps Jack had planted some beans from the original beanstalk he had chopped down - hoping to climb up a new plant for more adventures. Rachel tried to convince the children that the pond was actually the very one into which the golden ball belonging to the princess had rolled. This pond was where the Frog Prince was living. Many years ago the Paragon was in fact the Kings Palace and in those days the pond looked quite different. We walked onto the stream which flows into the pond and some of us paddled, making the water muddy. Rachel told a story about a Prince who, looking into clear water and seeing his reflection, fell in love with himself! The children quickly found evidence of characters - Billy Goat Gruff hair, Giant's peaches, ancient bones, a magic leaf that if a frog eats it it turns it back into a man. It began to sleet and some of us were getting cold, so we quickly walked up to the top wooded area, took a path along the boundary, onto the railway path and under the tunnel (reminded us of the Railway Children) and walked along the lane back to school. Written by Rachel, Swainswick Explorers leader.

Winter Story Walk, Yr 2, Mrs Glass' class

2010-01-20T20:40:00.000Z

It was a cold morning. The snow which had fallen earlier had melted away. Mrs Glass' class were the first to gather, dressing up as warmly as they could. Some had boots which, stored outside, were a bit damp! Despite this we bravely talked about what we were going to look for - evidence of characters from traditional stories and signs of spring. Rachel was wearing a 'skunk hat' and had a bag full of assortments or hats, gloves and balaclavas which we shared out.
Off we went towards the stream and discovered the 'creaky gate' which leads into the giant's garden where it is always winter, until the children sneak in to play and spring comes and melts the giant's cold heart. We spot a perfect bridge over the stream to act out 15 Billy Goats Gruff, with some children standing in the stream being trolls. Walking on we see young shoots on the stream bank and think they are the fresh shoots of Jack's Bean Stalk. Over the big bridge we go, thinking that we hear the Giant shouting 'Fee Fi Fo Fum'. We come across the Witch's cottage where Hansel and Gretal were held captive. We hush our voices and creep away. Some children see the pond where the Princess' Golden Ball rolled in and where the Frog Prince was living and saw his opportunity to break the spell. Their imaginations fired up, the children now led us, past Fantastic Mr Fox's hole, Thumbelina's house, Fairy cities, the Stick House the pig built along the path to the Dwarf's Worshop where they sharpened the tools and the table where Snow White was laid when she fell asleep, under a sleeping spell. Some children were complaining of cold feet and so we ran indoors, playing a game whereby someone chose a character and we walked like him e.g. Puss in Boots. I forgot to mention one boy found some 'pig skin', which might have been mistaken for bark and another found the stone that the wolf used to sharpen his teeth.

Yr 4, Woodworking, 25th Nov 09

2010-01-12T10:06:00.000Z

The year 4 group came out to 'Felix's House' where we have our new woodworking equipment set up. The children were shown the project, to make these mini ladders which can be used for all sorts of things. Mr Hinde had a campfire in the 'corral', where everyone cooked marshmallows. I concentrated on facilitating the woodwork, drilling holes, peeling, and scraping bark, and whittling the rungs to fit the holes, to make the racks. Some students having finished one wanted to make a second. They were really good and industrious. Perhaps too busy as I had to get the plasters out twice, to cover small cuts from the peelers. It was good to see the finished products in the classroom, displayed with pride on their desks. Written by Edward.

Yr 4, Wed 4th December 09

2009-12-14T11:16:00.000Z

As soon as we arrived, we wondered what was going on as the playground was full of cars. The nativity play! " I represented a tiger," said one of the children. The first group came out with enthusiasm to explore. We had a brief exploring walk up the hill, with general chat about the land, the trees and how it has changed over time. We later divided the group into two: One with Edward making leaf pickers and the other with Ndiana making fire in the base. The second group arrived and followed the same pattern - making fire and leaf pickers. The idea behind the leaf pickers was to use the sharpen sticks for a fun purpose...to create a stick and leaf installation!
Some of the students really enjoy using the shave horses, pairing down wood to shavings and using them for the fire.
Although it drizzled, none of us seemed to mind.