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Mum's Not Going to Iceland - We Are!
| Author: Debby | Published: 9th February 2010 22:48 |
YOU'D think they would have had enough of snow. But there is growing excitement among Year Six pupils at Outwood Primary School in Heald Green as they prepare to pack their thermals this March and jet off to Iceland.
The pupils, joined by four teachers, will spend a week in Akureyri in northern Iceland as part of the British Council's Comenius Programme.
The aim of the Comenius Programme is to develop knowledge and understanding among young people and education staff of the diversity of European cultures and languages.
Sixteenth century scientist and teacher John Amos Comenius, often considered the father of modern education, famously said: ‘We are all citizens of one world; we are all of one blood.'
It will take the pupils no less than four flights to reach their destination, which will take them from Manchester Airport via Glasgow to Keflavik, Reykjavik and finally Akureyri airport.
"Four planes on one journey - I've never been on one before!" said Year Six pupil Mason Ryback.
It will be a chilly trip, with spring temperatures averaging just four degrees, but after plummeting temperatures in the UK this winter, the pupils have been well prepared. Co-op Travel in Handforth has also generously sponsored some warm clothing for the children's expedition. There will be plenty to take their minds off the cold, with visits to a local school, farmyard and ‘Christmas House' planned, as well as an excursion to Godfoss, one of Iceland's most powerful and beautiful waterfalls.
One of the highlights of the trip will be a trip to a thermally-heated swimming pool at Myvatn Nature Baths. Pupils at Iceland's Hrafnagil Skoli (Raven's Canyon School) will also be hosting a party for their visitors at their own heated outdoor pool.
Parents, pupils and teachers are all excited at the prospect of such an ambitious trip, which has been funded by the European Community under the auspices of the British Council.
Headteacher Paul Cunningham said: "A parent, teacher and myself made a preparatory trip to Iceland in early December and it went very smoothly. We were then able to plan a detailed itinerary and to fully brief the parents on what will be involved.
"As far as I know, primary schools don't usually attempt this sort of trip. Certainly in the past we've always stayed closer to home. But it will be a superb opportunity for the children and a great life experience that they'll never forget."
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