Fabulosity
Fabulosity was the name chosen by Sage's Children's Collaboratives to cover the various after school events and activities they wanted to have organised in the local area. One of the things that many local children said they wanted to do was to have an overnight stay away from home.
In response to these requests, Sage organised a series of overnight stays at Margaret McMillan House, Wrotham, Kent. A total of five trips has so far been organised, including groups from Watergate, St Augustine’s, Elfrida, Good Shepherd, Athelney, Rangefield, St John Baptist, Merlin, Launcelot and Haseltine. Groups head down to Kent on Friday night and return on Saturday. Whilst there, the children have the opportunity to take part in a variety of different non-competitive, team-building activities, including a tyre course, orienteering, low ropes, cup stacking and a hub challenge. The activities are then rounded off with a disco.
The first residential was for children from Marvels Lane and Torridon Juniors, Rushey Green, Forster Park and Downderry went another weekend, with nearly 90 children and 11 staff making their way down to Kent in a convoy of a coach and three minibuses. The trips are proving to be very popular and by the end more than 350 local children will have had the opportunity of spending a night away in Kent and enjoying all the exciting activities on offer there.
Teachers involved made the following comment:
“They loved the late walk.” • “They were occupied all the time.” • “It was a geat experience for all the children. They thoroughly enjoyed all the activities. It was amazing how they gelled together and worked as a team. In just one day they all managed to work co-operatively and it has transferred into school.” • “They just liked being with their friends and sleeping over.”
And the feedback from the children? ... “When can we go again?”!