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• Cyprus Blog Day Five

  Sat 08 Jun 2019 M.Hearn

  Most of the team started the day with a lie in as there was no school today.  However Mrs Hearn sprang out of bed and had a little explore of her own, leaving everyone else sleeping.  A quick run to work off all the ice cream took her along the promenade and then to the ancient ruins of anchios.  The rather large lizards were out in force making the most of the early morning sun. The views were stunning and it was a chance to reflect on the week.  The children have been great ambassadors for the school and the country.  After breakfast they also had some time to reflect and think about what they had learnt during the visit.  They spoke of friendships they had made and overcoming the initial difficulties of communicating with children who spoke a different language.  During the week the children have experienced many challenges.  They have learnt to overcome these with support from the staff and each other.  Although it’s only been a few days since we were welcomed by the Heritage school it feels so long ago.   There have been so many friendships and memories made. A visit that won’t be forgotten.    

  After all that reflection it was time for a swim before heading to the beach for a picnic.  It was 38 degrees outside so the shade of a palm tree was perfect for our picnic.  Pitta bread with cheese and salami followed by a water melon eating competition.  Refreshing but very messy, Chloe manged to devour hers in no time at all. We quickly moved between the patches of shade back to the hotel for a final swim.   We were soon saying our goodbyes to the hotel staff who had made us all feel so welcome.   They were very complementary about the children’s behaviour and had enjoyed having them as guests.  At 7.00 we left the hotel for our return journey.  The children thought it was highly amusing as both Mrs Hearn and Mr B bleeped as they went through security and had to be checked over.  The plane took off in good time and shortly after the children and staff were all fast asleep. We arrived into Manchester in good time and after a short wait for the taxi we set off back to Appleby.  At 4.30 we arrived back at school to some rather unpleasant rain. Not a very warm welcome.  We hope you have enjoyed following our trip and look forward to sharing more pictures and memories with the school on our return.   Perhaps next time you will be a little explorer and be able to make life long memories of your own.    

  

• Cyprus Blog Day Four

  Thu 06 Jun 2019 M.Hearn
  The alarm went off at 6.30 so Mrs Hearn bounced out of bed and got herself ready before cheerfully waking the children with a little sing song.  Four sleepy heads rose from their beds and magically dressed ready for breakfast.  We ate breakfastlooking at a brilliant blue sky, what an excellent day for an explore into the mountains.   First we had a visit to the school to meet the lower school children.  We sat under the sun shades and were welcomed by year1, reception, pre-receptionand nursery.  They had coloured flags to represent all of the countries in the mobility.  The children showed off their counting skills in Greek, Polish, Spanish and English.  Then to finish they sang a lovely song which brought tears to Mrs Hearn’s eyes.  Time for a quick tour of the classes and meet some of the children.   Sy and Isaac soon got stuck in playing with the children.  The classrooms were similar to ours with colourful displays. At 10 o’clock we got on the bus to take us to Monagri village.  Here we tried local sweet products and a traditional grape syrup.   We also tasted Carob pods which tasted like chocolate without the sugar or fat.  We travelled a little further into the hills to Lambouri winery which is owned by one of the parents from the Heritage school.   Here we were given a tour and explanation as to how the wine in made and shown where it is bottles. The grapes are grown locally and sold exclusively to hotels and restaurants in the area.  The children sampled some grape juice before we set off for a picnic in the park.   The cooler air of the mountains was greatly welcomed.  After lunch we had an opportunity to visit the local shops in the village.  The children spotted oranges and limes growing on the trees and were welcomed into a local shop with a lady making and selling lace products.  It was interesting to see the contrast between the coastal city  and the mountain villages.  This evening was our final meal together.  We celebrated in the hotel with staff from the school and were presented with gifts and certificates.  After pizza and more ice cream the children socialised and danced to songs from each of the countries.  We then had to say good bye to the Polish team who had an early flight on Friday morning.  This was an emotional moment for the children having to say good bye to their new friends.  In such a short time the children have learnt so much about each other.  The children from each country have bonded and helped each other on the journey of exploration this week.

  

• Cyprus Blog - Day Three

  Wed 05 Jun 2019 M.Hearn
  Everyone was a little more rested this morning although still needing a gentle wakeup.  The children were more adventurous with their breakfast and tried croissants for the first time.  We boarded the bus and 5 minutes later we had reached the back of the hotel!  The bus refused to move so Mr B went down to have a look, unfortunately he wasn’t keen on getting his clothes dirty today so they called for a new bus. Before we knew it, we were at school for the presentations from each country. First the year 3 welcomed the Polish and shared what they had learnt about Poland.  Poland then showed us their presentation.  Next the Spanish demonstrated some Flamenco dancing and a traditional dance whilst playing the castanets. The dancing was superb.  The year 2 children sang the Steps song ‘Don’t stop never give up’ and were very interested with our presentation wanting to know all about Appleby Horse Fair.  The next part of the morning gave the children time to visit classes whilst the teachers set up a display about England.  The Cypriot children came to visit the display and ask questions about England.  For lunch we had chicken and fruity salad. Chloe enjoyed the oranges and kiwi.  A popular meal as all the plates were empty.   Back to the hotel for a cool down with more pool action.  As it was still feeling hot we went on an ice cream hunt.  On our way we found a fig tree so we sampled a fresh fig. The girls thought they were quite tasty.   We soon found ice cream and walkedto the beach whilst eating them.  It appears Chloe still needs a few lessons on how to eat an ice cream without wearing most of it. Next, we hopped on the bus along to the marina for dinner.  The children ate traditional Greek Kebabs in pitta followed by more ice cream.  They promised to brush their teeth really well when we got back.  We finished the evening with a stroll along the marina front.  Mr B found the water fountains and encourage the children to run through the fountain whilst the water stopped.  He managed to get through and stay dry.  This was more than could be said for most of the children.  Whilst waiting for the bus the children played a clapping game which including some local children waiting for the bus.  The children have shown more confidence today joining in with the Polish and Spanish children and making new friendships. Another great day full of friendship and new experiences. We can’t believe how quickly the week is flying by.   Tomorrow we are looking forward to visiting the mountains.  

  

• Cyprus Blog Day Two

  Tue 04 Jun 2019 M. Hearn

  4th June 2019 Cyprus Little Explorers Day 2

  Once we had woken the children, we headed down to breakfast.  The children chose from a selection of cereals. There was a range of breakfast from yogurt to cold meats.  At 8.30 the bus arrived to transport us to the Heritage school which is situated further inland from the hotel.  We stepped off the bus into the amphitheatre where we were greeted by the year 5 and 6 children.  We were personally welcomed to the school and then the celebrations began.  The children danced and sang songs before we watched some traditional Cypriot dancing involving a syth and some glasses.  We were amazed by the balancing skills of one of the men who managed to balance 16 glasses on his head.  After this amazing performance we were ready for refreshments as the heat was starting to get to us.  We met some of the school staff who were very welcoming before attending some classes with the year 5 and 6 children.  The children had the opportunity to ask and answer questions.  The Heritage school is a private school with children from 52 countries attending the school.  We were then shown around the school by a group of children.  The school is built on a terrace so the tour involved lots of steps.   After losing the other countries briefly we were taken to the Secondary school to meet the head teacher.  Shorty after this we moved to the canteen for pasta and salad.For pudding the children where offered some traditional pastries. We were so pleased when our children tried them. This was the end of the school day as the children only attend school in the morning.  We got the bus back to the hotel for a well-earned rest and dip in the pool.  The few drops of rain were welcomed and didn’t dampen our spirits. The afternoon soon flew by and before we knew it we were catching another bus along the coast to play games and have tea.  We had the opportunity to get to know the staff and children and even dipped our toes in the sea.  After a busy day we made our wayback to the hotel for an early night ready for day 3.   

   

   

  

• Cyprus Blog Day One

  Tue 04 Jun 2019 M.Hearn

  3rd June 2019 Little Explorers Travel to Cyprus

  Everyone arrived at school early filled with excitement for the adventure ahead.  At 8.30 we waved goodbye to Mr Spruce and started our journey to Manchester airport.  We headed into sunny Manchester and made our way to check in.   Everything went smoothly and we were soon through security.   We had a leisurely walk through the shops followed by a maths lesson working out where to buy the best value lunch.  Chloe found Amore pizza which was a chocolate and strawberry covered pizza.   Once lunch was sorted we explored the airport some more, played a few games of air hockey, before finally moving to gate 7 for our departure.   During the flight the children coloured their crazy sheep toys and entertained themselves by drawing, eating and singing.   We spotted the snow-covered mountains of Austria and fields below.  The sun set on the horizon and four and a half hours later we arrived in Lanaca.   The bus safely took us to the hotel in Limassol and shortly after everyone was asleep.  Looking forward to exploring tomorrow after a good nights sleep.