Day 4
To start off our final day we had a buffet breakfast as usual then we got on a coach and drove to a wind farm in Zaanse Schans. At the wind farm we got to go up to the top a windmill and look over the edge.
Then we went for a little walk and saw a dead beheaded fish and then a few eels. As the saying goes the fish was running around like a headless chicken, except in this case swimming around like a headless fish. We then got to walk around the shops for a bit and Ben bought a pair of big wooden clogs.
After we were finished at Zaanse Schans we got back on the coach and drove to Volendam. Volendam is a fishing village built on the side of a dam, that actually used to be part of the sea. First we walked down a long road that reminded Sergei of Cape Canaveral. We went to a cheese factory and watched a demonstration on how cheese is made. We think we can speak for everyone when we say the best part of the factory was tasting all the samples of cheese.
Once we finished at the cheese factory we were given some free time to wander around the shops, and to visit the small beach. We bought souvenirs for our families, then spent time relaxing at the beach. Some of us took our socks and shoes off to paddle in the water. Abi and Leah made us all laugh when they fell in the water.
When it was time to leave Volendam the coach driver took us to the airport. We had quite a long wait at the airport, and we were able to spend our last few Euros on crisps and sweets in the shops there. Some of us got to visit the panoramic roof terrace, where they had a real aeroplane for you to board and look around. We were all happy once the plane landed as it was late and we wanted to see our families. They all gave us a big cheer as we came through arrivals.
By Sergei and Gideon
Day 3
To start off the day we visited the oldest synagogue in Europe which is over 200 years old. It was large with many beautiful gold chandeliers. There were also lots of olden wooden benches and candles. Audio guides were handed out to us for some extra information.
We then went downstairs in the synagogue to the chambers. Down there, there was gold objects such as plates, chanukiahs and crowns. There was also old but beautiful torahs. After looking at the artefacts, we watched a short video clip about how the Jewish faith expanded in Amsterdam. Finally it was time for the Souvenir shop!
After the synagogue we walked across to the Jewish Kids museum. When we arrived, we were split into 2 groups. Mrs Yedd’s group went to bake challah first, while the other group were participating in activities linked with Hebrew.
After our group had finished their activities we switched over! At the museum, there was a transparent glass floor which we all walked on and thought it was really cool but scary.
We then walked along into a gallery where there was Jewish ornaments and information and facts about Judaism. When we finished looking around we went to another souvenir shop!
Just after we left the museum we then went to a big park. We had our challah which we made in the Jewish Children’s Museum along with our lunch. Afterwards, we went to play.
We played capture the flag, we had races and we played on the monkey bars. Then our class had a water fight. Even Mr Robson got soaked!!!
We would just like to thank everyone who came and bought things from our enterprise stalls because from the profit we made we got to visit Madam Tussauds.
We saw so many wax figures of celebrities. Some of the celebrities which we met were Taylor swift, Adele, Hulk and Picasso. There was also interactive things to do.
One of the things we did was use a an empty spray paint bottle and write words on the board. We had so much fun!
We have had an excellent time here in Amsterdam and wish it did not have to end so soon as tomorrow we are going home.
By Saba, Zainab, Elyze and Rachel
Day Two
We started off our day with a lovely breakfast. There was cereal, toast, cheeses, tea, coffee and more. After that, we travelled by bus to a lovely canal boat where we took a tour on it whilst listening to facts about the area and enjoying an awesome view.
The tour included facts about the architecture of the houses, and we learnt about boat-houses which were in fact more expensive than the normal houses.
After the tour we walked from there to Dam square but on the way, we stopped for about half an hour at an epic shop that contained lots of items and clothes. Most of us bought hats but some of us bought pencils and clogs. We carried on our walk after finally getting out of the shop and arrived at Dam square to have our outstanding lunch that was prepared for us by our very own Kosher caterer.
After finishing our sandwiches which were delicious we walked down to the Anne Frank museum where we were given a talk by a nice woman who told us about Anne Frank’s life and the people that were important to her in the Second World War.
She focused a lot on Anne’s family and the people she was living with. We learnt about how Otto Frank got married on his birthday and that Anne’s boyfriend was someone called Peter.
We received an audio guide that told us about Anne’s life. The first couple of rooms focused mostly on Anne’s life before she was forced to move to the secret annex and then we got to see the bookcase they used as a fake door to hide themselves from the Nazis. It was a very moving experience to see how an innocent girl about the same age as us could be treated that way and have to hide away from the world for over two years. In the annex we got to see Anne’s room and all her posters and eventually got to see the actual diary that she wrote.
To finish off our day we had a lovely chicken and rice dinner. We spent some time socialising outside before bed. Some of us played tig, and the rest of the class spent time styling each other’s hair.
By Daniel S, Oliver and Ben
Day One
The start of our amazing adventure in Amsterdam all began at Glasgow airport at a very early time of 7:00.
Before we all boarded the amazing flight we were so excited so we all decided to go into WH Smith’s and we all bought a drink. Then we all sat and waited until we boarded the flight at 9:15.
We took our seats and got ready for a great flight. The staff were very helpful and friendly and were kind enough to give us a shout out before we left the plane! When we first got off the aeroplane it was very hot and humid unlike Glasgow!
We then collected our luggage and headed to a bus that took us to are luxurious and beautiful hotel. The staff were very helpful but one of the rooms wasn’t ready yet, so we left our stuff and headed out to Amsterdam City Centre.
About half an hour later we got onto a bus to Dam Square which is in the city centre of Amsterdam From the square we got onto a tour bus that took us on a tour around the city. It showed us the Jewish quarter and we then went into the Holocaust museum.
In the Holocaust museum we learned a lot of very interesting things that we didn’t know about the holocaust. The building was used during the war to help Jewish children escape deportation. Over 600 Jewish children were saved.
When it was time to leave the Holocaust Memorial Museum we got back onto a bus that took us back to our wonderful hotel where we then had 1 hour of free time to unpack and to shower. We then met in the reception for scrumptious dinner. After that we had a bit more free time to hang out and run around outside. It was a very fun day and we hope tomorrow will be as fun as this.
