ORA students at Lady Margaret Hall have had a whirlwind of a week, with Masterclasses, a first aid day, sports activities and even a trip to a Safari Park.
West Midlands Safari Park
An exhilarating and unusual excursion was in store for pupils last week as they visited the West Midlands Safari Park. The Park functions like a real safari park, with cars and buses driving through the enclosures and animals roaming wild around the roads. From the safety of the coach, the students were able to observe the animals closely and get a feel of what life would be like on the African plains.
Giraffes and Zebras weaved between vehicles as they raced through the West Midlands Savannah to find food, whilst lions watched over the Park from their high rock, waiting to find prey. Even the lightning-fast animals showed themselves, with Gazelles nervously watching the cars and Cheetahs stalking the perimeter.
The day was fantastic and students marvelled at the animals they had seen all the way home. It was interesting to hear about what everyone most enjoyed seeing, with some favouring the docile Rhinos and others mesmerised by the beautiful white tigers. Regardless of personal preference, everyone agreed that they’d had an incredible time at the Park and loved seeing so many animals in such a unique way.
Homework Club
With laptops and assignments at the ready, students settled down for Homework Club in week 1. Homework Club is important because it gives pupils the chance to work in a quiet environment and complete their assignments, with aid available if they require.
Though many students work with headphones and listen to music, it gives them a chance to develop their independent study skills and find out how they work best on their own. These are invaluable skills that students will require throughout their educational career and refining them during Homework Club will aid them in the future.
Introduction to Medicine First Aid Day
During their Introduction to Medicine classes, ORA students at LMH participated in a First Aid Day. During the workshop, pupils were taught a range of first aid techniques, including CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Using a first aid dummy, students were able to have first-hand experience of CPR and learn how to conduct lifesaving procedures. Everyone had a go using the dummy and knowledge they had learnt to perform CPR, agreeing that the practical element made it easier to learn the techniques.
Students also discovered how to treat other types of medical emergencies, including burns and minor injuries. After researching symptoms and treatments, groups produced informative posters and presented their findings to the class. The high levels of engagement with the assignment and research was exceptional and students demonstrated their impressive knowledge of medical treatments.
Masterclasses
The Stage Combat Masterclass had students kicking in excitement in week 1 as they mastered the art of performance fighting. Following careful demonstrations, pupils attempted to carry out mock fights, aiming punches and kicks and reacting to hits, without causing any harm. The enthusiasm was exceptional and everyone enjoyed learning how to successfully conduct stage combat.
The Theatre Workout Workshop continued the performing theme by giving students the opportunity to act out various scenarios and play games intended to aid in their acting progression. Though many of the games were amusing to the students, they were also notably valuable in their teachings, with many of the pupils gaining confidence throughout the Masterclass.
Those with a keen interest in the media joined the Journalism Masterclass, which aimed to teach students everything they needed to know about the news industry. As well as learning everything from the sources of news stories (such as in newspapers, press releases and the internet) to types of articles, our pupils were given extracts from real newspapers to explore. This gave a real insight into the journalism industry and enabled students to differentiate between hyperbole in the media and the real facts in the news.
The final Masterclass of the week for students at LMH was the Stock Market Challenge. In small groups, students worked to trade their stocks and shares with other groups, attempting to make a profit. Students kept a record of the transactions they had made and their losses and profits to see how successfully they managed to manipulate the stock market. It was a fast-paced and exciting Masterclass that gave everyone the chance to better understand the exhilarating world of trade.
Sports Activities
The LMH counsellors led a number of sports activities in week 1, including tennis matches that saw our own Murray’s and Nadal’s come to light, and Badminton games that revealed fiercely competitive players. For those wanting team sports, football matches were a favourite and saw many taking inspiration from the World Cup to amaze their peers. Other students indulged in games with slightly less rigid rules, such as frisbee, and enjoyed a more relaxing form of exercise.
With week 2 now underway, our students staying at LMH can look forward to a trip to the impressive Blenheim Palace and exciting guest speakers talking about unusual yet fascinating topics. Make sure you check back with the blogs to see how they get on.
