Retreat

We had our all-staff retreat these last few days.  I didn't enjoy last year's very much as I had issues with the childrens' programme.  Not this year.  The committee did a great job of getting competent, experienced people to do the different age groups.  Rose and Josh had a lot of fun.  They got to "try" the climbing wall (I say "try" because Rose said "I didn't want to climb it" and Josh said, "I just watched".), they loved the mini zip line and, of course, their highlight the "mud slide".  (Joshua informed me that it is not really called the mud slide, it is the slip and slide.)  I'm not sure what else they did but I know they had a blast.  Naomi, too, enjoyed her "group" (I think she and her friend were the only ones who went regularly!)  She had taken a box of her dolls and their clothes and she drew and coloured and made things.  It was very funny to me to hear people I taught, being called "teacher" by my kids. What an age check!!
                      


We did a cool games session in the afternoon where we split into 3 groups - competitive, non-competitive and family.  It was a very good decision and we all had a lot of fun.

The first night Rose decided she wanted to go to bed instead of their evening class.  So I thought I would put Naomi down too as she would be very tired by 8:45!  We were going to send Josh - who is the hardest to put to bed - to the group but he decided as the others were going to bed he didn't want to go.  What a mistake!  They didn't get to sleep till about 8 because they were bothering each other or making each other laugh.  Josh and I ended up outside for a while to let the girls sleep - we had an amazing display of lightning to watch.  The next night I packed them all off to their classes.  Naomi fell asleep but we had taken her blanket so Steve just picked her up and put her to bed.

Probably the biggest surprise and challenge for me from the retreat was agreeing to teach the IGCSE English as our teacher is not coming - or at least, not for a while.

Naomi took this photo of me on the zip line : )