Year 7 encourage and challenge each other to push personal boundaries at the River Dart
The Year 7s returned on Friday afternoon from a hugely memorable week of challenge and adventure in Devon. Based near Ashburton at the River Dart Country Park the children enjoyed a wide range of individual and group outdoor activities.
The activities included high ropes, zip wires, crate stacking, caving, climbing, abseiling, walking, canoeing and kayaking. As ever, the instructors at the centre stretched, encouraged and challenged our children to achieve and overcome their fears. The children not only learnt more about themselves but also each other, recognising and appreciating each other’s strengths and weaknesses and how that with support and working together they can achieve so much more.
The sun did not always shine but the smiles of the children as they completed each challenge certainly brightened each day! After such an action-packed week, they were certainly ready a hot bath and an exeat weekend.
This annual trip comes at the beginning of the Upper School years of 7 and 8 at Hazlegrove and is a great way for the children to get to know their new teachers better and vice versa. Working together in small groups, away from the day-to-day school life, the children are able to establish good relationships with staff, to consolidate friendships and to welcome any newcomers. In addition, they are strengthening their ability to collaborate with each other and their teamwork skills. Skills which will prove invaluable to them over the next two years as they take on further challenges and responsibilities in the Upper School.
Do take a look at the pictures directly in our Flickr album via the link below (recommended as there are so many) or scroll through the album on screen - you can see just how much fun the children had!