A very warm VE weekend to you all.

This week I have asked the Digit4ll team to share with you all what the students have been asked to do while in lockdown. One of the fantastic things that makes the Digit4ll pathway extraordinary is that they take part in the Young Enterprise scheme every year. Each year they add to their products with new creative ones that the team devise. I have myself both of their products – KeyMinds and their promotional mental health key rings and Cosy Cuddlers with their scented and heated neck cuddlers. I must say we have some fabulous students who have the creativity to come up with great designs, they are able to market these and make quite a bit of money.

Now let me pass you over to our Digit4ll team and Mr Handrick..

Hello from my lockdown classroom and I hope you’re all well. My classroom is very loud, I get constant backchat from the students, the uniform leaves a lot to be desired (they sometimes turn up in their PJs) and they appear to be constantly hungry….. The mini students in my class have only a few sayings, “Dad, can I have?”, “I’m not doing that!” and “He/She HAS DONE IT!” I often find myself looking into open space above the gas hobs or washing pots that have been left with half eaten sandwiches (dumped at arms reach as once these students have finished they will just put the plates down on the floor) and thinking, “Please let me get back to Medtia and the Digti4ll students!”

The real Digit4ll students keep in contact through our Showbie groups and it is proving to be a great way for us all to describe how everyone’s day is going, showing off pieces of work as well having a little giggle.

The students have been tackling some of the sessions that we have asked of them like:

LOCKDOWN – the students’ task was to create a ‘Crystal Maze Lockdown Room’. The idea for a group to go through the maze and solve clues to get to the next room where FREEDOM AWAITS! Here is Kai’s example..

There were lots of great ideas to challenge the mind and do some great team bonding.

Other students have been making some videos at home, thinking how to celebrate the great work that the NHS are doing in these testing times. Peter M. has a great collection of trains and in normal times would regularly visit his local model shop. Here is the great work from Peter using his model trains and adding some great audio – “All aboard!”

[fvplayer id=”86″]

The final thing from me this week is a follow up to the wonderful news that was celebrated just over a week ago. As you know, our students take part in the Young Enterprise scheme each year and this year has proved to be a challenge. The Oldham finals were all done via a virtual contest. Both our Digit4ll classes had to submit an online report and presentation. This was a challenge with everyone recording, adding and editing pieces from their own homes. Once completed, the finished films were uploaded to our YouTube channel and passed on to the judges..

Cozy Cuddlers

Key Minds

The ‘Cozy Cuddlers’ team came runners up in the main competition that put them through to the Manchester Finals. They also won the ‘Best Customer Service’ award and the KeyMinds team won ‘Best Presentation’.

In the Manchester schools finals, Cozy Cuddlers once again won ‘Best Customer Service’ award. We couldn’t be more proud of all the hard work that the students have done this year and especially since the lockdown.

We hope to see you all very soon as I have to go ~ “DAD HE IS WINDING ME UP AGAIN!” Sorry, must dash!

Don’t forget the 2 competitions that are open now if you would like to enter – the Group wide design competition..

..and Miss Allison’s Big Art competition which our Key Stage 5 Pathway students are invited to enter..

Finally, I wish you all a lovely weekend.

Stay safe and take care,

Jaina

Click here for this week’s news from Graham

You can view our previous blog entries here

News from the Learning Centre and New Bridge School can be found here