Category: Trips & Workshops
Plastic Ocean Presentation
26th February 18
Did you know that more than 8 million tons of plastic are dumped in our oceans every year?
Upper School pupils at Finton House listened to a thought-provoking assembly about the environmental impact of plastic waste in our oceans. Jo Ruxton, who is a founder of the Plastic Oceans Foundation, stressed the importance of spreading awareness of the issues amongst our youngest generation.
“We should never underestimate the harmful impact waste can have on the oceans and its habitants.” Miss Jo went on to tell the children that plastic pieces can be found broken up in tiny pieces in the ocean which are then consumed by marine animals and release toxic chemicals in their bodies. As an example she highlighted that a shocking 90% of all seabirds are found to have plastic in their stomachs, since mother birds think the shining small pieces of plastic are squid and feed it to their babies.
Not only does this harm the marine animals but it is very much a concern for human health as well. For example, we eat fish without realising that those toxic plastic pieces also enter our bodies.
Jo made sure that the children are aware that it is never too late to make a difference by changing our daily habits to protect our environment. Avoiding the purchase of packaged vegetables at the supermarkets, drinking tap water instead of bottled water and recycling plastic are only some of the things every single one of us can do to live responsibly.
At the end of the presentation, the children were not only deeply touched by the fate of many sea animals who have sustained injuries because of plastic pieces in the ocean, but also realised how much our daily actions can impact the planet’s environment.
It was lovely to hear the children proudly sharing their examples of picking up litter at the local park, recycling plastic at home and throwing away litter at the beach. Well done Fintonians, keep up the great community work!
As always, we were very proud with the way our pupils showed respect and listened attentively to the presentation. We hope they will remember this assembly the next time they go to the supermarket or throw away their plastic waste at home.
Thank you Miss Jo for coming to Finton House, and for delivering such a memorable talk.
An Aboriginal Virtual Learning Adventure
23rd January 18
Year 3 pupils discovered one of the oldest surviving cultures in the world.
Guided by local indigenous guides, Year 3 pupils were transported in seconds to Australia in an exciting Virtual Reality Workshop. Not only was the workshop a lot of fun, but the children also learnt a lot about Dreamtime stories, Aboriginal dances and Australian scenery in a full 360 degrees view. One child commented that it felt like she was actually in Australia experiencing everything for herself.
The workshop leader encouraged interesting discussions about the aboriginal life pre 1788, which showed just how much our pupils already knew about the topic. But the workshop definitely expanded their knowledge even further and deepened their learning through incorporating historical facts in 3D experiences.
The workshop definitely also made a few of the staff interested who dropped in to have a go themselves!
Miss Bridget, Deputy Head at Finton, commented: “While it was a cold and wet morning here in London, our children were transported to hot Australia in seconds which was an exciting experience for them all!”
Language Learning Made Fun!
18th January 18
What started with a rather long and complicated French introduction and lots of puzzled faces; ended up being one of the most entertaining shows the children have ever seen. Not only did they burst out in laughter on a number of occasions, but they also were impressed by how many French words they recognised. The play was performed by two actors, one Native English and one Native French. The children were perfectly able to follow the story in both languages, which certainly boosted their confidence about their language skills.
Lyra (Year 4) wrote a lovely review about the performance: