Sports Day 2015

The whole school was blessed with the weather last Friday. Despite a poor forecast and even a plan for postponement, come Friday lunchtime the sun popped out and a brilliant afternoon of sporting fun began.

For our pupils with a visual impairment this meant full inclusion and participation.

There was no getting away from having your class mates squeezing a wet sponge over your head! .....

....Or making all those saucers cups, or is it cups to saucers?

There was some fantastic 'hula hooping'....

....and being part of the house team in relay races....

..... some guided running ....

....as well as gritted determination in the egg and spoon race....

...and the sack race.

All the pupils at Kings Copse had a great afternoon. Our VI pupils were fully included in all the sports, which was fantastic! 

A particular thank you to all the parents and families that came along to offer your support. The cheering and clapping that went up to support the registered blind pupil above, on what will be her last Sports day at Kings Copse, as she finished her running race was so touching. Her face lit up as she heard the support and reached the finish line! 

Thank You! 

Bursledon Brickworks

On the afternoon of Wednesday 6th May, the VIP club visited Bursledon Brickworks. 

To give us the maximum time to explore and experience this amazing museum, we decided to take our lunches with us. The museum staff were very accommodating, letting us eat our lunches in the cafe.

Then, with appropriate Victorian health & safety headwear (a flat cap!) we started our tour. 

We learnt all about digging out the clay for the bricks, including where the phrase 'hard graft' cones from - a Scandinavian word for the clump of clay! Also the phrase 'as happy as a sand boy', which was the easy starting job for young boys! 

This was an example of a conveyor belt used to transport the clay, and where stones were picked out to stop exploding bricks.

We had to work out which was the good brick, and which had too much clay or too much sand.

There was the huge brick making machine, which filled the room! 

We had a go at using the barrow to transport fresh bricks.....it was quite tricky! 

Then we got to smell the great big oily steam engine that drove the machinery.

We even had a go with the giant spanners! 

The tour was a fantastic sensory experience, but it was just the build up to the main event.......making our own personalised bricks, that once baked, would be part of a brick sculpture to be built later this year! 

So here's how to make a brick demonstrated by some of our VI pupils.

1. Get a lump of clay and roll in sand.

2. Then using a mould called a 'frog' throw the clay down hard, and the push and squeeze the clay so it fills every bit.

3. Remove the excess clay with a 'strike'.

4. Finally tap the opposite corners of the mould to release the soft brick.

All the children made a brick, with a little assistance and then put a design or pattern on one face. 

Now they will be fired and then used in a brick sculpture to be built later this year. We are looking forward to returning to the Brickworks to find our bricks! 

We had a brilliant afternoon at the Brickworks, the weather was miserable but we all left with very happy faces. It was a really good sensory experience for our pupils, with loads of things to smell and touch. The staff were so welcoming, and they provided a superb tour as well as the brick making experience, which all the children loved. 

THANK YOU to Bursledon Brickworks!! 

 

'Trim-trail' fun!

We were very lucky today at our monthly In-Reach, the rain held off until 3pm, which meant the children could experience the challenge of Kings Copse's new 'trim-trail'.

Accompanied by parents or carers, the children had the chance to clamber and climb.

We did have a contingency plan with a number of indoor activities....

Which included tents...

And a tunnel...

Parachute games...

As well as snack time at the end of the afternoon, where we celebrated one of our visiting pupils birthdays! 

We had a very active afternoon and probably need to go and have a lie down now! 

Thanks to all who came, pupils, parents, carers,  teacher advisors and Open Sight! 

Next In-Reach FRIDAY 3rd JULY - End of year party with outdoor games.

Next In-Reach on Friday 5th June Cancelled

Apologies – Next In-Reach on Friday 5^th June Cancelled due to School Sports Day & no alternative dates available! Sorry.

Next In-Reach is the last of the Year on Friday 3^rd July – End of Year Party with disco & outside games

(for those who are not keen on noisy discos!)

Thank You

Mr Cownie

Visitors from 'over the pond'

We were visited by our friend Kevin from the USA last week. At the moment he is training to be a teacher of the visually impaired. It was great to see him again and also some of the resources he brought over for us to have a look at. In the US they have some excellent resources for the VI. 

Kevin brought along and infant braille reading scheme, which was very interesting to compares to the RNIB schemes. He also brought an abacus. Not a normal abacus, but a 'Cramner Abacus' which is designed especially for use by the visually impaired.

We are now looking to see whether this could be used by our pupils to help them develop their mathematical skills. 

Chinese New Year

This month's In-Reach celebrated Chinese New Year. When I asked if any of the VI team at Kings Copse had any ideas what we could do, I was amazed when one of our team suggested Dragon dancing, as she had a Dragon at home!

 

So after a little practice with Year R earlier in the week, we were set to show our VI pupils and our guests how it was done. With authentic chinese musical accompaniment (a CD) and the expert guidance from the VI staff, our Dragon began to sway and dance around the hall.

 

All of the children were offered the opportunity not only to 'have-a-go' but also to have a good close-up look and investigation of the Dragon.

 

Pupil questions could be answered and the Dragon head studied.

 

 

Whilst the Dragon danced across the hall, the remaining pupils who were waiting for their turn had a number of activities where they could make their own dancing dragon, chinese lantern or find out which was their birth year animal.

 

 

To finish, our afternoon tea was suplimented with prawn crackers with a selection of chinese sauces to dip (nothing hot!) and with a Chinese fortune cookie for all who attended, children, adults and carers. For some the future seemed to hold great things including foriegn travel and lottery winners. Time will tell !!!

Thanks to all who attended and especially to Mrs CC who has a Dragon in her loft!!!