Do you know your quarks from your Higg’s boson? Does geology leave you between a rock and hard place? Well this Saturday prepare to get experimental with the Bluecoat STEM Festival!
There’ll be shows from Mad Science and The Juggling Scientist for you to watch and learn from plus displays of some of the most cutting edge tech in the city. See amazing robots and experience the world like you’ve never seen it before through a Virtual Reality headset! Race radio controlled cars and planes, build LEGO robots and take part in some wacky workshops featuring making slime (yuck!) and rocket building.
There’ll be STEM Ambassadors on hand to talk to you about how to make your STEM goals a reality and what things you’ll need to do get that dream STEM job. plus food and stalls for much needed refreshment!
If that wasn’t enough, you’ll also get to handle truly unique space rocks – brought back by astronauts! This will be one out of this world experience. The event is free and aimed at students in years 5-6, and not just those going to Bluecoat next year or the year after. For more information click here.
Have you been down to Wollaton Park this term? You’ll be in for a big surprise! That’s because the Wollaton Park Key Stage One Camps are back and 100s of children from Nottingham are getting their first taste of a night away from home under canvas this summer.
Taking place in a secure walled garden in the 500 acre grounds of the recently refurbished 16th Century Wollaton Hall and Deer Park (used in the recent Dark Night Rises Batman film), the camps offer a group of pupils (up to 60 per night) an initial overnight experience with team building, forest schools, den building, using the brilliant play area at the park, creative storytelling and environmental and historical education activities in the Park and Hall Museum, plus toasting marshmallows over an open fire. All this in the space of just 24 hours!
As with all residentials run by the SOLAR Team, young people will try new things and have the opportunity to enjoy and achieve in a variety of tasks and settings. Many of the tasks have been designed with National Curriculum links within their delivery but with a distinct learning outside the classroom twist. SOLAR will provide the activities, tents and sleeping mats, food, transport and activity staffing for the event (although school staff will be required to support young people throughout the residential). All you need to bring is appropriate clothing for outdoor activities, a sleeping bag and pillow and bags of enthusiasm.
Primary Parliament returned last week with delegates from 23 Nottingham schools coming down to the Council House in the Old Market Square to share their ideas on how we as a city can support them and their schools in developing whole and healthy children and adults. The aim was to leave the event with a plan and programme of activities for both school and the wider community that help do this. Of course, as Opportunity Notts, we were very supportive of all of this!
In the morning the delegates rotated through three different workshops exploring some of the different factors that go towards building a whole and healthy child. This included using the amazing brain scanner in the Positive Thinking workshop and making a response to “how are we creative?” in the Creativity and Expression one!
Then it was down to preparation time for the presentations to Cllrs Mellen and Webster in the council chamber. These amazing presentations included role-play, dance, drama, poetry, speeches and even a rap, as well as some amazing art work and posters supporting the incredible ideas for the whole and healthy children and adults activities.
We’re looking forward to hearing how these activity plans take shape in your school!
