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Enrichment Week - Holland
Wednesday 20 July 2011
A bleary eyed but excited group of 44 pupils and 5 staff left Deer Park School on Monday 4 July, bound for Noordwijk on the Dutch coast. Having initially expected sleep to continue on the coach (due to it being 2am), it soon became apparent that this would be a high-energy trip, with the enthusiasm of staff and pupils making the journey almost as enjoyable as the destination!
A stop in Belgium at the Flanders Field Museum, Ypres, was a sobering experience, which was made particularly relevant when Sam Grafton located the name of a relative on the Menin Gate Memorial. After lunch, we continued to our hotel in Holland and after a brief pause (no stopping them!) we ventured out to discover a beautiful stretch of sandy beach on the doorstep.
All were up bright (ish) and early the next morning, for an action-packed day, with a trip to a traditional Dutch fishing village, followed by Dutch Water Dreams. Vollendam proved to be an excellent contrast to an afternoon of water sport, with its quaint, laid back charm and numerous waffle-scoffing opportunities. Mrs Carter and Ms Cato can highly recommend Melted Choc/Banana- yum! Pupils resisted the option to don Dutch national costume, which the village is famous for, although Mr Cooper was seriously tempted.
Later, whilst body-boarding at DWD, although Mrs Carter regretted the waffle, all involved had a fantastic time in wetsuits, practising their skills in a really thrilling environment. Mr. Armshaw showed great potential as a champion surfer and all who took part agreed that it was one of the highlights of the trip.
If possible, the next day was even busier, with shopping at a market in Leiden, followed by a canal cruise in Amsterdam, the Van Gogh Museum and finally Anne Frank’s House. Max Arnold said ‘I found the history of the house very moving’. This was clearly a deeply affecting experience for both staff and pupils. After dinner at the hotel, it was back to the beach, where an eclectic range of activities took place from Mr Jenner’s wheelbarrow races and Mr. Cooper’s football games to singing, guitar-playing and girly-gossip. Lots of giggles all round.
The penultimate day was spent at De Efteling Theme Park. Beth Mulcock was amazed by both the rides and the fact that (some) teachers went on them. Evan Draper said he thought it was ‘Weird with lots of elves everywhere, but really good ‘.
An exhausted but elated group returned to school on the evening of Friday 8 July having experienced and learnt so much in the Netherlands through exploring this delightful country. All were sorry to say goodbye, both to each other and to the trip mascot, Eric the Elk. The team of staff and pupils really ‘bonded’ during the week, making the trip, as Cara Ainsley-Bridger and Millie King said, ‘A once in a life-time opportunity ’.
by Laura Cato
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