Week 3 has been a busy one for ORA students at SMA, with trips to Windsor Castle and Legoland as well as cloth stamping and team activities.

Windsor Castle

Students studying with ORA at SMA in the 8-10 age bracket had the opportunity to go to Windsor Castle this week to experience some significant English history.

As the home of the Queen, the Castle was particularly exciting for our international students who hoped to catch a glimpse of the lady herself. Unfortunately, they didn’t even manage to see a Corgi, but they did learn lots about this Medieval site.

First founded by William the Conqueror upon his ascension in the 11th Century, the Castle has seen over 9 centuries of History and housed 39 different monarchs. With the recent wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle taking place within the Windsor grounds, many pupils recognised areas of the castle from the televised programme.

Arriving at the Castle, pupils laughed with policemen and chuckled at the Windsor Guards with their furry hats and serious stance. No chance for a good photo was missed as everyone posed in front of the guards and were even lucky enough to watch the ceremonial Changing of the Guard procession.

Strolling around the Castle and hearing about its rich English history captivated our students at SMA, with many finding it difficult to appreciate how long it has been standing. After exploring the rooms and marvelling at the impressive art and furniture, pupils ambled around the extensive grounds in the sun and enjoyed some fresh air.

Cloth Stamping

Feeling fully immersed in British culture, pupils grabbed their stamps and ink pads and took to creating patterned cloth. Sticking with the traditional reds and blues, students picked very British stamps including buses, teacups, teapots and strawberries – cream tea anyone?

Letting their creativity run wild, pupils stamped to their heart’s content as they created colourful cloths, some in symmetrical patterns and others crazily dotted around. It was a fun activity and everyone enjoyed sticking with the British theme.

Legoland

For our 11-12-year-olds, a visit to Legoland was in store on Wednesday, trading workbooks for exhilarating rides.

One of the most exciting new features of Legoland is the Miniland area, where skilled Lego builders have created iconic landmarks using the little bricks. It was wonderful seeing students name the famous structures and some even recognised them from their own countries.

The Lego Reef was another new addition to Legoland this year, whereby pupils could digitally build their own lego fish and watch them swim off into a virtual aquarium to live forevermore. The interactivity was addictive to our students, who spent ages crafting the perfect fish.

Aside from the exhibitions, students showed their courage as they jumped on thrilling rides and played games, some winning huge fluffy toys. Full of sweets and excitement, the day was a marvellous success for ORA pupils at SMA.

Basketball

To release some energy this week, ORA students at SMA gathered in the sports hall to participate in games of Basketball. With some pupils already aware of how to play the exciting sport, those who were new to the game had excellent teachers as they spent time learning the rules before the games commenced.

The matches were all exhilarating and fun, providing the perfect outlet for everyone to let off some steam and work together to win Basketball glory. It was especially nice to see those who had never played before being welcomed into the fold with some practice games before the real competitions began.

Tonight sees the highly anticipated Graduation evening at SMA, with a ceremony, formal dinner and party all taking place to celebrate the achievements of students during Week 3. Stay tuned to see all the photos and find out how everyone got on.