Year 8 pupils at The Wallace High School recently enjoyed an Adventure Day at Castlewellan Forest Park. One hundred and sixty eight pupils were accompanied by Pastoral staff, House staff and prefects for an action-packed day of canoeing, laser clay pigeon shooting, archery, orienteering and the infamous maze. The programme of activities also included some physical team-building tasks and mental challenges which focused on problem-solving skills.
Senior teacher, Jonny Reid, organised the event and commented “We take great care of our young people at Wallace. The Adventure Day is a valued part of our induction programme and helps our new intake build positive relationships and settle in.”
He continued, “The day was great fun and it was fantastic to see pupils working together to paddle canoes, find their way out of the hedge maze and taking part in other problem solving activities. I think it’s been a great success. The staff found it very rewarding and the pupils had a great time. The smiles on the faces of both staff and pupils at the end of the day spoke for themselves!”
Head of Year 8, Mrs Gillian Carson added “This is the third year we have taken our Year 8 pupils to Castlewellan and it has been another roaring success. It is such a great opportunity for our pupils to develop new friendships away from the school environment and it’s a very rewarding day for the staff and older pupils too. The ”Outdoor Concepts” team have done a great job and I hope our Year 8 pupils will remember their Castlewellan experience for years to come.”
Year 8 pupils Ben Clarke and Laura Bodenham Quirk both enjoyed their day with Ben commenting: “The Adventure Day was brilliant fun and I really enjoyed getting the chance to canoe in Castlewellan lake.” Laura continued: “My favorite part of the day away was the scavenger hunt which helped me get to know some of the other pupils in my class.”
Last modified: November 6, 2013
