Gifted and Talented Summer School-Poetry Slam

On Monday 21 July pupils from Years 5-9 took part in a Poetry Slam. This is a performance poetry competition. Slam poetry combines writing with drama, presentation and public speaking to make poetry dynamic, accessible and fun. The skills developed are valuable communication techniques, building confidence and self esteem. Slam workshops encourage own personalities to present themselves creatively to a receptive audience.

The session started with drama games including ‘1, 2, Clap’ and ‘Zip Zap Boing’. Then the girls wrote and performed a group poem about characters from a fairytale going on holiday to Spain. Next they wrote individual poems and performed these. They thought about the use of choruses and how to demonstrate the ending of their performance.

In the afternoon after a warm-up of ‘Wink Murder’, the course leaders performed the poem ‘Murdered the Alphabet’. They discussed performance poetry techniques including the use of voice, actions, repetition and engaging with the audience. The pupils used these techniques to perform their own poems in pairs to the rest of the group. Poetry Slam winners were Charlotte Davies and Hannah Bowen, runners up were Francesca Arnold and Olivia Jessup.

Gifted and Talented Summer School-Cosford Trip

On Tuesday 22 July pupils from Years 5-8 attended a Science and Engineering rocket-making workshop at RAF Cosford. They started the day with an introduction to the workshop by two Science and Engineering Ambassadors from Cosford. The girls then looked around the museum at missiles and rockets for inspiration.

Next they designed and made three rockets in groups. These were launched using air from a pump in a giant aeroplane hanger. The girls discussed ways of improving their designs.

After lunch the pupils explored Cosford’s ‘Flight and Fun’ exhibit. This included interactive displays on air resistance, friction and testing reaction times. Some of them also had a go in a flight simulator.

The afternoon involved refining the rockets from the morning and selecting one to use in a competition. Groups launched their new and improved rockets. The girls were very competitive but thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Gifted and Talented Summer School-Liverpool Cultural Trip

On Thursday 24 July pupils from Years 5-12 visited Liverpool, the European city of culture for 2008. They started the day at the Albert Docklands by having an audio tour at the Beatles Story Museum. They learnt about the varied musical careers of the Fab Four up to the present day, their influences on today’s culture and their worldwide popularity.

After lunch they went to the Liverpool Tate. The gallery included abstract art and the works of Gustav Klimt and Andy Warhol.

Later the pupils went on the Yellow Duck Marine. This is a unique one-hour amphibious sightseeing tour of Liverpool’s historic waterfront, city and docks. The girls particularly enjoyed the thrill of the splashdown from land into water! They saw the Royal Liver Building, the Cavern Club, Mathew Street, the Anglican and Catholic Cathedrals, St George’s Hall and the Philharmonic Hall.