Well, we’ve just about survived a week of fun, adventure and no sleep!!

Our trip reached a climax with DJ Neil and his two sidekicks bringing down the house with some tunes and of course the Macarena (no disco would be complete without it). Mrs McAleese led the dance-off with some Zumba moves with Miss Gough and Miss Galbraith as her backing dancers. Pupils were surprised that the teachers could actually move to a beat. Boys and girls cut some rug. There were a few John Travoltas tearing up the dance floor. Anna Nixon blew us away with her own unique style and Liam McDermott danced the night away. Applications are in the post for Strictly Come Dancing. FAB-U-LOUS!!! Kids were treated to a bit of Karl’s birthday cake – right before bedtime. Who needs sleep? Sleepin’s cheatin!

Tomorrow will be the children’s ultimate challenge: packing their bags and bringing home everything they came with. A feat yet to be achieved by any St Matthew’s P7 at any outward bound centre to date! Perhaps all those bags WILL fit under the bus on the way home. Be prepared for some wet, smelly clothes (that may or may not belong to your child!)

So it is goodnight from Mr Reid, Miss Galbraith, Mrs McAleese and Miss Gough.

The pleasure has been all yours!

Activities today were:

Group 1-hillwalking, team challenge

Group 2- canoeing, abseiling

Group 3- orienteering, gorge-walking

Group 4- hillwalking, team challenge

Group 5- team challenge, hillwalking

Group 6- abseiling, rock hopping

Group 7-gorge-walking, orienteering

Group 8- team challenge, hillwalking

Night time disco tonight with DJ Neil.

Jack Billsdon: Lights,flashing, party rocking>

Joseph Currie: Crack the moves!

James Greenan: The disco is starting… Help me get out the window!

Mrs McAleese: Moves like Jagger!

Mr Reid will be throwing some shapes on the dance floor and Miss Galbraith will be shimmying her chassis!

The fashion police have arrived in Ardentinny to deal with a troubling situation. Jack Billsdon was horrified to discover that Luke McCall was, in fact, wearing the same pyjamas as he was! Lucky he had his house coat to hide the shame!

Pupils were invited to make a comment for the blog. Here they are:

Group 1:

Ellie Conlon: Gorge walking was amazing. Really challenging but really fun. I loved it!

Jack Thomson: Have had an excellent time so far. It’s not every day I go abseiling and gorge walking!

Group 2:

Nathan Ray: Bursting of sweat. Went hillwalking and slipped a million times but I loved it.

Group 3:

Sean Gordon: Don’t jump while abseiling!

Matthew McGettigan: Try not to fall during rock hopping!

Anthony Gray: When you do gorge walking you get wet!

John Gorman: In abseiling you put your feet apart so you can jump safely.

Lewis Bradley: Try not to fall in abseiling!

Group 4:

John Hickey: Listen closely while gorge walking.

Taylor Duffy: I loved canoeing and I fell in a waterfall!

Liam Kenny: Tell Maura I jumped in a plunge pool. Waahey! Tell Anthony and Satreer I said hi. I’m resting now. There’s nothing left in the tank!

Group 5:

Aidan Quinn: When you are on top of the rock at the plunge pool you’re so freezing bit excited. I miss the whole family. I feel homesick but don’t get upset. It’s fine. I’m really enjoying myself. Can’t wait to see you on Friday.

Morgan McDougall: Miss you all. I’m having a great time. Love Morgan.

Megan Sharp: When you’re gorge walking make sure your foot isn’t on a slippy stone.

Kyle Conway: Rock hopping was freezing but great because you got to jump into the water.

Group 6:

Eve Macaulay: Don’t jump and run while you’re going down a hill!

Group 7:

Lucy Fitzgerald:  The canoeing today had its ups and downs. Literally! Overall it was really good fun.

Anna Nixon: When I went hillwalking I kept falling in puddles and on Wednesday I went canoeing and got soaked.

Kara McAlister: Hi Everyone. Kara here. I love it here. Want to stay longer! Love and miss U

Brian Flynn: Hi family. I love Ardentinny and do not regret coming here. Thank you for your notes. See you when I come back. Your son Brian.

Euan Johnston: The canoeing was amazing. I went in the water and had a race in the boats. I would do it again any time.

Group 8:

Kieran Hamilton: The forest for orienteering looked like a scene out of Narnia!

Luke McCall: The gorge walk was all slippery, scary and slimey – but I loved it!

Jack Bilsdon: I loved the canoeing. I was in Mrs McAleese’s group and we beat Miss Galbraith’s boat quite a few times.

Eve Crawford: I loved the abseil down. It was challenging. Mrs McAleese and Kieran were the best. She was like a paparazzi taking all the photos!

Calum Stewart: I loved the canoeing but I got soaked because I tipped the boat. I was the leader. It was great!

Conor McBrearty: Everything is dino! Except it’s not good when you get wet. See you Friday.

Morgan McDermott: I loved the canoeing and I would love to do it again. It was great fun!

Annie Abercrombie: I loved the night walk and all the rest. It is so bad when you get wet.

Children were exhausted from the exertions of Tuesday but had to find some energy for Tuesday nights activities.  Groups 5-8 were using their orienteering and team work skills in a search and rescue activity.  First, children worked in partners to role play the Recovery Position and learned some simple procedures to follow in a search and rescue.

Secondly they were to find two small wooden figurines in a specific area of the centre.

Most groups managed this, Mr Reid did however complain that the reason why Ms Galbraith’s group won was because they had left before them. (And no they didn’t manage to find them!

Finally each group were to search a different area of the centre for a larger wooden figurine.

Great efforts were made by all groups to locate their missing person, but unfortunately to no avail.  Even with the help of Mr Reid and Ms Galbraith, the bodies are still missing.

It is up to groups 1-4 then tonight to locate the whereabouts of the missing persons. Perhaps they will fair better with Mrs MacAleese and Ms Gough.

Group 1- orienteering, gorge walking, search and rescue.

Group 2- hillwalking, team challenge, search and rescue.

Group 3- rock hopping, abseiling, search and rescue.

Group 4-orienteering, gorge-walking, search and rescue.

Group 5- gorge walking, orienteering, indoor initiatives.

Group 6- team challenge, hillwalking, indoor initiatives.

Group 7- abseiling, canoeing, indoor initiatives.

Group 8- gorge-walking, orienteering, indoor initiatives

First of all: apologies for the delay in comments being posted. There was a bit of a backlog but hopefully we will be up and running and up-to-date now.

It’s the end of day 2 and everyone is shattered (well the teachers are anyway!) All pupils participated enthusiastically in their group activities, many conquering personal fears to achieve their goal.

This is the list of activities the groups took part in today were:

Group 1: AM – Canoeing, PM – Abseiling

Group 2: AM – Orienteering, PM – Gorge walking

Group 3: AM – Hillwalking, PM – Team challenge

Group 4: AM – Canoeing, PM – Abseiling

Group 5: AM – Abseiling, PM – Rock climbing

Group 6: AM – Gorge walking, PM – Orienteering

Group 7: AM – Team challenge, PM – Hillwalking

Group 8: AM – Abseiling, PM – Canoeing

Tune in tomorrow for some more photos of our adventures…

Many thanks for comments already received. These have been passed on to the children.
Fortunately the forecast for today was incorrect. Although it was a bit cold the sun was shining and the forecasted winds for the afternoon did not materialise.
Here are the groups:

Group 1: Luke Sloan, Ellie Conlon, Jack Thomson, Ryan Conlon+ 6 others
Group 2: Lee Curran, Nathan Ray, James Greenan, Sarah Hefferland + 6 others
Group 3: Sean Gordon, Lewis Bradley, John Gorman, Matthew McGettigan + 5 others
Group 4: John Hickey, Jack Devine, Olivia Ferry, Taylor Duffy, Liam Kenny+ 5 others
Group 5:Melanie McCallum, Olivia Watson, Daniel Kerrigan, Morgan McDougall, Megan Sharp, Joseph Currie, Liam McDermott, Kyle Conway, Anthony Gray and Aidan Quinn
Group 6: Josh Holland, Eve Macaulay, Louisa Keenan, Mhairi McGill, Anna MacFarlane, Paris Welsh, Jack McLoughlin, Lynsey Skelton,Christopher MacLeod and Nicole Keane
Group 7: Euan Johnston, Lucy Fitzgerald, Kara McAlister, Anna Nixon, Rachel Nordell, Gabriel Tierney, Brian Flynn, Clare Dickson, Mehan MacKay and J.C Greetun
Group 8:Morgan MacDermott, Robyn McGlynn, Ben McCartney, Jack Billsdon, Connor MacBrearty, Kieran Hamilton, Annie Abercromby, Luke McCall, Eve Crawford and Calum Stewart.

Thinking of our friends Emma and Christopher, who are not with us on the trip. Many happy returns to Christopher. Happy birthday. We are all missing you and will see you on Monday.
Had a very busy day. Will post again after a well-deserved dinner!