Challenges and Developing Skills
(Note: winners, entries and skill development photographs/videos are displayed on the Felsted Featured page as well as on our Twitter pages. Should you not see your submission on the site please let us know by email. We are updating the site a few times each week)
Resources & links - all ages
Felsted Skills and Challenges - all ages
- Knitting Challenge
- Mr Crossley reads Great Expectations
- Cartooning for beginners
- Weekly competitions
- Book Club
- Google Applied Digital Skills
- Noughts and Crosses
Knitting Challenge
Last year a few of the girls in Manor started to knit squares as part of their DofE; now we all have an opportunity to do something to not only help others but also something which is actually quite therapeutic. I just happened to come across some knitting wool and needles that triggered the idea! So if you are up for it and you can find wool and needles let's get cracking. The squares can vary in size, two sizes on offer though to make life easy!
The one I'm currently making has 50 stitches cast on and will be quite large but you can also make smaller ones by casting on 25 stitches. At the end they can be sewn together and we can either make one big blanket (maybe each House could produce a House blanket?!) or several small ones we can donate to charities. It's not as difficult as it first sounds, believe me my skills won't allow anything else! So have a rummage around your house and see if you can find the necessary materials.
Mr Crossley reads Great Expectations
Great Expectations can seem a little daunting at first, it's not easy picking up a hefty book and working your way through. But Dickens never intended the novel to be published in that way! The story was originally published in instalments with excited customers having to wait to find out what would happen to Pip - none of this bingeing all in one sitting like you can with Netflix!
As literacy (and finance) levels were low in the 19th Century, workers would often club together to purchase the magazine containing the story and the more literate among them might read aloud to the others. Int hat spirit, Mr Crossley has taken it upon himself to be your reader - so grab your morning cuppa and a bit of brekkie and listen to your weekly instalment of Great Expectations.
Cartooning for beginners
Weekly competitions
Photography Challenge
W/B 15th June: Photograph of the week on the theme of LAUGHTER.
Submit your best still picture of your own interpretation of the theme! Happy snapping!
Cookery Challenge
W/B 15th June: Dish of the week using: CINNAMON
Submit a pic and a description of your dish. Ready, Set, Cook!
Learn a New Skill
W/B 15th June: You new skill this week is DEVELOPING CONFIDENCE. Confidence is recognising your own strengths and living, breathing and speaking them. Identify an area where you need to develop your confidence and work hard on it this week. Examples below. Let us know how you have developed!
Example 1: riding your bike confidently
Example 2: presenting aloud in front of people
Book Club
Breakfast Book Club - Thursday Morning, 8.15am
Just because we can't get to the library doesn't mean we can't warm a few croissants, put some porridge on the stove or pour a bowl of Crunchy Nut and pick up our favourite read for a relaxed start to the morning! Make a date with yourselves or invite your household members to join you.
Use this form to submit a book review (your household members can use it too!) and we'll publish some of your reviews.
Google Applied Digital Skills
Click on the button below to join the classroom and take part in a variety of applied skills to develop your knowledge and use of the Google Suite and digital skills in general.
Although these tasks are based online, there are some which involve moving away from the computer: Make a Family Newsletter and Create a Scrapbook will involve taking photographs, collecting items and talking to members of your household. Remember, the focus here is on developing skills; you may never send a family newsletter (although, this would a great way to stay in touch with those members of your family you don't live with) but it gives a focus to you developing familiarity with the online tools.
1.Click the above link to access the platform
2. Log in using your school Google account
3. Enter the Class code: 8qdpq5
Noughts and Crosses
Options for Prep School
- League Comp
- Ffrome Court
- Cloisters
- Courtauld House
- Create your own obstacle course
- Design your own...
League Comp
Each term League competition is fierce at the Prep School.
Summer Term usually brings events such as Speech Day, League cricket, Sports Day - within all there are points up for grabs - even with these events on hold at the moment but we wont let the situation take our Inter-league pride and spirit away from us.
Whilst we are at home, we have devised a way in which League competition this term can come to you! There are a number of ways in which you can represent your League and contribute towards winning the Hopton Cup at the end of term!
Please see below for more detail and ideas of how you can earn points for your League.
Ffrome Court
Cloisters
As part of the Year 5 leaders and Year 6 passport schemes there are various challenges which will need to continue to be ticked off and completed in the Summer Term. Many of these challenges can still be done from home As part of your All Round Education there will be opportunities every day to continue to tick them off as each week goes by.
Some, but not all challenges can be achieved in lessons and others can be found on this micro-site. Opportunities to learn about the environment, embrace the wider world and service for ourselves and the community can all be achieved from home.
Should you not have your Passport or Leaders booklet with you at home below there are copies for reference.
Courtauld House
Independence, opportunity, leadership and responsibility
Below are the categories that require entries into the MIS. Obviously the more entries in each category will improve the overall standard that you reach. There are 5 standards to aim for: White, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. To achieve a Platinum standard you will need to have completed at least five separate challenges in each category. For a Gold standard you will need to complete 4 challenges in each category. For a Silver standard you will need to complete 3 challenges in each category. For a Bronze standard you will need to complete 2 challenges in each category. For a White standard you will need to complete 1 challenge in each category.
As you complete a challenge (it does not matter in what order they are completed) you must decide which category it comes under. Fill in the date and the evidence box giving details of exactly how you have completed the required challenge and what you learnt or gained from the experience. The challenges are all based around our continual drive for Education for Social Responsibility. There are some suggestions given in each category but there are no limits and no barriers! It is part of your challenge to lead yourself, look for opportunities and strive for the very best you can achieve. You can complete these challenges in term time or holidays and you may use other children or adults to help you complete the challenge; you cannot get someone else to do the challenge for you!
- Education for Social Responsibility
- Learning and Leadership
- Environment
- Adventure
- Democracy
- Embracing the wider world
- Responsibility
- Service
Education for Social Responsibility
Education for Social Responsibility (ESR) is a framework for school development in the taught curriculum, extra and co-curricular activity and resource management. We embrace the 6 elements of ESR: Well-Being, Rights, Responsibilities, Intelligent Behaviours, Knowledge and Opportunities. As a result students will become more effective and compassionate individuals, prepared for the challenges beyond their time at school. Through the ESR framework, the school community as a whole will seek to become more sustainable.
Learning and Leadership
Putting Social Responsibility at the heart of our thinking and doing (PSHCE, ESR days, 5p awards)
I played a major role in the Year 8 Leadership weekend where I got to .....
I have contributed positively towards the Year 7 Leadership afternoon and learnt ....
I have gone the extra mile in my research during and in completing a Geography, History or Religious Studies ICT based project which meant that ....
Environment
Learning respect for the environment in which we live (School garden, Science projects, travelling by public transport)
I have visited Chatham Green and learnt more about the importance of looking after the environment. As a result .....
I have been an active member of the Green Team within school and have learned ....
I have produced a piece of work on global warming and had it displayed at school which was ....
Adventure
Challenging ourselves in whichever area we are working in by getting out of our comfort zone to learn and experience more (various trips, music, sport, artistic challenges)
I have pushed myself beyond my limits on the sports field and learned .....
I have contributed positively towards the Year 8 Leadership camp and took away .......
I have volunteered to go on an adventure holiday with the school/my scout group/during the holidays so I can ......
Democracy
Learning about rights and duties and how to express one's views whilst also partaking in democratic processes (pupil voice, debating, positions of responsibility)
I have actively taken part in a democratic process that has led to change within or outside school amd learnt that .....
I have explained what democracy means to an audience which was .....
I have researched the origins of democracy and produced a piece of work explaining what I discovered which helped me .......
Embracing the wider world
Learning tolerance and understanding and embracing the fact that we are all different. Learning to give to others (Charity days, MUN, Chapel)
I have followed up a PSHCE topic independently and produced a piece of work on it which means that ........
I have been involved in an International project (MUN for example) either within or outside school and got to ........
I played a major role in presenting to an audience a presentation based on the wider world which means ....
Responsibility
Learning to take responsibility for oneself, one's belongings and one's community (Food for Life, manners team, school positions)
I have been a responsible ‘buddy’ for a new pupil which helped ....
I have successfully held a position of responsibility within Courtauld House and learnt .....
I have been a ‘Fundamentals’ winner and realised that ....
Service
Serving ourselves and the community, near and far
(local community projects, leading projects, sponsorship of others)
I have contributed towards the Mission Ascension Church by visiting it and spending time with the local users and parishioners which was .....
I have independently raised money for a good cause by actively doing something for the money and helped ......
I contributed positively towards Remembrance Day with the school/my scout group/my cadet group by ........
Create your own obstacle course
Design your own...
Options for Senior School
Duke of Edinburgh
Keep on top of your eDofE log during the Summer Term using the advice below.
Summer Term advice
Once you have logged into the eDofE system you are instructed to select a password for yourself. Once this is done, only you know the password and it cannot be looked up by anyone else. You have the option on the log-in page to select the “forgot your password” button. This allows you to reset their password via an email sent to your school email. From this option, they just follow the on screen prompts.
All participants need to complete the “Planner Page” for each section. This is the area where you enter your chosen activity and must include the name of your Assessor and either a contact telephone number or email address. Without this information the page will be rejected and sent back to you for the missing information to be added.
Evidence is needed in order to support your activity and the achievements you have made during their time undertaking it. This is most easily accomplished by taking photographs and uploading them to the evidence section. These photos can be of yourself, of certificates which you have achieved or perhaps of the sign or building of the establishment where you may have been volunteering.
You should have been in at least one session of training about this and using the NEW DofE app for smartphones, which should also make the whole process even simpler. The phone will remember your log-in details and transferring photographs is even easier when it comes to your evidence. If you're not using the new app you can “add evidence”, select your chosen format for the evidence and “add”. You need to only add one piece at a time.
Lastly, Assessor reports are the final step to completing each section. DofE have recently tightened the Assessor report requirements and every report must either be hand written on to the relevant page of the participant’s assessor booklet, or as is the more likely at the present; emailed from the assessor, which gives the assessor validity or via the Assessor report area. www.dofe.org/assessor This requires your ID number which you should supply your assessor with.
UPDATE: Temporary programme changes
To help you keep supporting participants, both now and when the lockdown ends, we’re introducing these temporary changes:
- Participants can now volunteer for family members, for example by mentoring or coaching younger siblings.
- Participants can now change section activities more than once. Time spent on previous activities will still count towards completion.
- DofE staff members may be able to act as Volunteering, Physical and Skills section Assessors, if required.
- When expeditions are able to resume, Silver and Gold Expedition Assessors will temporarily be allowed to be known to the expedition group.
To protect the value and integrity of DofE Awards, other requirements will remain the same. However, we’re continuing to look for ways we can be flexible to support you and young people at this time, and will update you if we introduce any further temporary changes.
Combined Cadet Force
The Combined Cadet Force has been in operation at Felsted since 1860, but for now social distancing means cadets are embarking on solo missions. We've gathered some essential reading and ideas here for you to keep your skills sharp!
Recommended Command Tasks
These command tasks can be found in the pdf manual below and can be adapted for home use with your family or possibly on line with your friends.
- Team Ski
- Splish Splash
- Island hopping
- Shark infested custard
- The magic carpet (suitable of indoors or online competition with friends)
- The egg rocket
- Observation - memory test (suitable for online with friends)
- Observation - hidden treasures (suitable for online with friends)
- Animal Farm - try not to look at the answers first or set it as a challenge to the family)
- See no evil, hear no evil
Camouflage and ConcealmentMeasuring DistancesAmbushJudging DistancesLeadership Activities and Command Tasks
First Aid
Fire & Movement
I hope that when we return from the lockdown that we will have time to complete a blank firing ‘Fire and Movement exercise’. As part of this exercise you will need to understand the concepts of working as a a pair and then as a fire team (two pairs working together).
When you are working as a team you may need to lay down covering fire or fire on an enemy. It may not always be possible to fire from the prone position. Below are some video clips which cover the basics of a good firing positions
(What are the 7 key points?)
And…
The firing positions that can be adopted
(What are these positions?, When should they be used?
Maps & Navigation
Sanlam Wellbeing Courses
Sanlam Wealth Management have launched an amazing programme of events to help you stay healthy, provide some light-hearted education and have some fun whilst we find ourselves house-bound.
They have made all of these events, ranging from a Masterchef cookery class to a Future Leaders series, available to the Felsted community.