PUBLISHED 08 February 2021
- Phil Hayden, Assistant Head (Pastoral)
We are very proud of the way our students have responded to the challenges of online learning and are constantly impressed by their pragmatism, dedication and self-discipline. However, we are also conscious of the amount of time students are spending on screen, and as a result, the school has taken the decision to suspend lessons this Wednesday afternoon and are aiming to encourage students to take a break from digital activities and get away from the screen.
Instead, we will be asking our students to get involved in a range of activities designed to promote creativity, independence, physical and mental wellbeing.
If required, there are some resources (see below) to assist with some of these activities however, our intention has been to come up with a series of activities that require limited preparation or parental involvement.
Our students’ safety is absolutely paramount. Therefore, none of these activities are compulsory and as some activities might be more suited to older students, we will be asking all students to gain their parents’ permission before undertaking any activities.
We really want to try and encourage our students to take a break from screen time and perhaps try something a bit different. We would really appreciate it if parents could offer support and encouragement as appropriate.
Why Don’t You try the following challenges? (Students can do as many as they wish)
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Photography Challenge
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Go for a walk and take the most interesting nature-inspired photograph you can.
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Painting/Drawing Challenge
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Draw/paint a picture of a landscape or scene (real or imaginary).
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Reach out to someone
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Write a letter or card to a grandparent/relative/neighbour asking how they are and updating them on your news and recent developments.
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Nature Collage
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Go for a walk or search in your garden for things like leaves, twigs, pine cones etc and try and create a collage.
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Marie Kondo Challenge
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Why not go through your wardrobe or cupboards and declutter? Keep things that bring you joy, think about donating unwanted items to charity. Let’s see photos of your decluttered cupboards.
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Cupcake Challenge
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Get your bake on. Bake your best cupcakes or cookies. We want to see your photos!
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MasterChef Challenge
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Why not offer to cook dinner for your family? (Make sure you wash up as well)
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5K Challenge
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How do you compare over 5km to your teachers? Are you quicker than Mr Rudd, can you keep pace with Mrs Grant?
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Writing Challenge
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Are you the next David Walliams or J K Rowling? Write a short story. It could be comedic, tragic, fact or fiction- the choice is yours.
If you’re stuck for a title, why not try “The Worst Day Ever!”.
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Reading Challenge
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Pull up a chair, grab a cup of tea, and spend an hour getting lost in a book.
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Queen’s Gambit
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If you have a chess set and an opponent- why not test your skills and play a game of chess?
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Origami Challenge
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We have put instructions on TEAMS for 4 origami shapes. Print out the instructions, get some paper and have a go at mastering this ancient art form.
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Comic Strip/Graphic novel
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Why not take your favourite film/story/Tv show and present the story in comic strip/graphic novel form?
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Lego Challenge
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Create your best Lego sculpture. A plane, a spaceship, a castle? The possibilities are endless- we want to see photos of your creations.
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Valet Challenge
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Grab a bucket, a sponge and a hoover and give the family car a clean (inside and out).
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Keepy- Uppy Challenge
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What’s the most keepy-uppys you can do? Can you make it to the hundred mark?
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Acrostic Poetry
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Write and illustrate an acrostic poem. The word you choose is entirely up to you: Holidays, Pandemic, Springtime, Family…….
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Crossword Challenge
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There are two crosswords to download. One relatively straightforward, the other slightly trickier. Print them off and see how you get on.
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Musical Moments
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If you’re a musician, why not spend some time practising. If you’re not- or haven’t played in a while, why not dig out that ukulele or recorder from the cupboard and spend some time rehearsing.
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Gardening Challenge
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If you have a garden, why not get your gloves on and give it a tidy? Rake up fallen leaves, remove any debris or litter.
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GPS Drawing
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If you’ve got a smart watch or similar, why not try a GPS Drawing? Where you use your journey to create shapes. (We realise that technically this may involve some use of technology, but at least you’ll be outside) 😊
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