H2U Vol 7 Issue 6 June 2008 - Highcliffe School

Duke of
Edinburgh
Year 10 Bronze Duke of
Edinburgh Award
A group of 31 Year 10 students
decided at
the beginning of
this school year
to get involved
with the Bronze
Duke of Edinburgh
Award.
Over the last
year they have
been working
hard to cover the
4 sections they
need to in order to pass
the award. These are skill,
service, physical recreation
and an expedition.
Many took part in a 3
month
First Aid
course as
their service
and
all spent
the
weekend
of 26 th /
27 th April
with
some very kind members
of staff orienteering,
camping, cooking and for
many, getting very lost!
This was their practise expedition
in which they
have all learnt valuable
skills that they will be using
in the final expedition
at the end of this term. For
a student view see below.
Report by Miss White
and Miss Clark
‘When I heard about the
Duke of Edinburgh Award
at school, I wanted to get
involved because I thought
that it sounded fun, a
challenge and would look
good on my C.V. Also
through doing this, I
have made loads of new
friends and become
closer to old friends as
well.
There are three sections
to do for the award, a
Skill, Service and Physical
Recreation plus the expedition.
For my Physical
Recreation part I did six
months of trampolining,
which I did already on a
Saturday morning,
and I have made
a lot of progress
from this and a lot
of my friends have
now joined me
too, which is really
fun.
For my Service I
found out about a
Special Needs Scout
group in Christchurch
through a friend. When I
went along I was quite
nervous as I had never
done anything like this,
and wondered
what
the people
would be
like there.
However,
when I got
there I was
welcomed
very well
by everyone, and it felt
great to know that you
are helping children your
age to get the best out of
their life. I worked with
people from those in wheel
chars, to those with cerebal
palsy. Everyone was so
friendly and positive there,
and it showed me that
even if you have a disability,
you can still make the
best out of your
life.
Working with these
inspiring people,
meant meeting
some deaf friends
there. This inspired
me to learn sign
language, so I
could communicate
with them. So just
by Miss White asking
round the teachers if
they knew any sign language,
Miss McMillan
proved to be very helpful
as she had done a course
in BSL (British Sign Language)
whilst studying at
University.
I went to see her once a
week for three months and
I made a lot of progress in
learning the basics of BSL.
I learnt how to sign things
such as asking questions
and describing my hobbies
and much more. I’m really
pleased I chose to do this
as my skill, as its different
and will come in useful one
day and will look good on
my C.V.
Finally we went on our
Practice Expedition a few
weeks ago,
which involved
going to after
school meetings
before
hand and planning
our route
and preparing.
We went into
the New Forest
for two days, walking for
at least six hours on each
day. On the first day our
Page 22 H2U, Vol 7 Issue , Year 10 Special - June 2008