SPA Geog# Where's_your_next_classroom?: Slum10Project #Where's your next classroom?

SLUM10 Project a Success

Gareth on the high wire assault course.

Anesu received the Downe Camp staff and students vote for the Volunteer Award.

Gareth quoted “Dream you can achieve your dreams”, which seems a fitting quote to celebrate 6 years of St Paul’s students camping at Downe in Biggin Hill. For many of the Year 10s, camping was a first experience and one that they excelled at. What was especially impressive was the manner or which they did this at 2°C (out coldest experience to date). This adventure saw many impressive moments: Lateef achieving 34 hours of volunteering which exceeds the record set by Year 10s, Anesu receiving the award for Downe volunteering from staff and Nicolae tackling his fear of heights on the aerial assault course.

Lateef achieving his 34th hour.

Nicolae conquers his fear of heights.

The Teams and the Challenge:

The students combined to become three teams with the aim to secure as many points over the course of the weekend. Points were awarded for team work, achievement on tasks, mental aptitude and personal attributes such as courage, motivation and intelligence. The three teams were:

The

Team members: Anesu, Steve, Keion, Arop and Lateef.

Team members: Marcell, Lucus and Nicolae.

Greenwich Boyz Team members: Fabrizio, Gareth and Emmanuel.

The students completed a grueling but rewarding itinerary as seen below:

The students in their teams completed the series of activities on the itinerary to win the overall competition and a chance to attend a reward trip to Go Ape (seen here and below). Some of the highlights of the activities provided include: Bush Tucker Eating Challenge, Wood and water OS challenge, riddles, fire lighting and shelter building. The teams were closely aligned most of the weekend with The Wolf Pack excelling at sport and endurance tasks; Greenwich Boyz winning the eating challenge and shelter building; and Vipers achieving at riddles, team-work and helpfulness. It was too close to call until the final departure from school.

On the Saturday Year 10 cleared an area of land from brambles and trees to prepare it for a new activity for the Summer; a creation of a Tomahawk throwing range, As a reward for surviving the cold temperature and the Slum10 Project the students enjoyed Downe Campsite's aerial assault course.

Year 10 surveying the area before clearance work begins. A member of the Downe staff is showing them how to correctly use the tools to be able to do the job.

Students clearing fallen trees and cutting them to burn or use as wooden stakes for fencing.

Teamwork and endurance was needed to fell some large trees and clear the land for the Tomahawk range.

Clearance of the land.

Congratulations to the Year 10 for an incredible weekend and arguably one of the best set of students to take camping in the last 6 years. This trip could not have happened without the contributions and support of Ms Webb, Mr Pinkerton and PC Verrall.

Well done to Team Viper winning the trip to Go Ape by 10 points: