Today half the students busied themselves painting and decorating some t-shirts which they have been proudly sporting, with some very creative designs. We were very impressed by the broad range of designs that they came up with! The other half were busy in the kitchen baking and decorating some fantastic cupcakes, which were all surprisingly successful considering some previous attempts (where cake batter looked more like dough!)

In the evening we made the most of the summer light and went to the local recreational ground to play some tennis, basketball and football. Fun was had by all!

This evening the students had the option to play games or do karaoke. Some students even put their English to the test and played Scrabble. Meanwhile, some students played badminton as the sun was setting. The students also had the option to play Fifa, Twister or play piano. It was a very relaxed evening after a long weekend.

This afternoon, students left CAE to play a game of laser tag. Students and staff were divided into two teams, red and green, and faced each other head to head in three closely fought action packed games to shoot objects…and each other! Excitement was high throughout the day as students embraced the competitive spirit. The red team won after a close game.

In the evening, students returned to CAE for further competitive action in the form of a quiz. Topics included general knowledge, sports and a challenge to build the tallest tower out of spaghetti and marshmallows. The task mixed the nationalities well and gave everyone a chance to show off their English (and knowledge!)

Today we sadly have to say goodbye to some of our T1 students. Thomas, Andrea, Gianluca and Giacomo are pictured here with their teacher Neide and also Lesley, our Accommodation Officer who came along to the certificate presentation 🙂

We hope you have enjoyed your time at CAE and have a safe journey home!

This afternoon students were presented with a fresh and interesting challenge. They were asked to brainstorm ideas of how to represent their nations for a special ‘International Evening’ the following week. Students divided themselves into their nation groups and came up with several ideas ranging from cooking national dishes to a display of language. They will develop these ideas over the next week into a full presentation.

In the evening students ventured outside CAE for a trip to the cinema! Everybody was on the edge of their seat throughout the film and were far to hooked to take any photos! Despite some differing opinions on the quality of the film everyone enjoyed the experience and is looking forward to another day full of activities tomorrow.

During the afternoon, the students were split in to two groups to either design and make their own t-shirts or to make cakes. The students really demonstrated their creative side today; they finished the afternoon with some beautiful (and delicious) cakes and some arty t-shirts 🙂

However, the thing the students were most excited for today was the Disco Night! The Disco took place in the centre of town in a club called Ballare. There the students got the chance to spend some time with other language schools, have some soft-drinks  and to dance the night away (or until 10:30). A great night was had by all.

This evening was ‘games night’, consisting of team activities that are supposed to be played outside. Unfortunately, the students are experiencing the true Britain and our awful weather, so the games had to be adapted to be played inside 😦

We played musical chairs, ‘no hands’ (using plastic spoons to transport sweets between bowls), and ‘kangaroo’ – jumping with a balloon between their legs and passing it to a team member in a race against the other teams. The final game was “who am I?” – when everyone has a sticker on their head with a famous person’s name on and using only yes and no questions, have to find out who they are.

After the games, the students had free time as they were all tired after spending the day in London with their teachers.

This afternoon the students continued work on the alibi ‘murder mystery’ activity. In teams of three and four the students explored the city, visiting the landmarks that they had researched the previous evening and gathering ‘evidence’ that they had been there (bus tickets, photographs, leaflets etc.).

On returning to the school the activity resumed with a pretend court case with the staff as judges. Each student was asked to present the evidence they had gathered whilst visiting the city whilst answering some serious (and many not so serious) questions from the judges. To conclude the students formed a jury and after some final statements of defence from the prime suspects the ‘killer’ was unmasked! The students enthusiastically threw themselves into the drama and enjoyment was had by all.

This evening, when the students came to the school they found a crime scene…

The social activities team staged a fake murder at the school and students were told they were all suspects! Their role is to come up with an alibi to explain where they were during the ‘murder’, including photos, receipts and any other evidence to prove they were not at the crime scene.

Tomorrow after lessons there will be a court case in which each student will be questioned and their alibis compared…and then we will find the guilty student!

Today the students woke up early and were on the coach to Thorpe Park (South West of London) at 8 o’clock in the morning!! The theme park has some brilliant rides, both big and small, and despite some slight rain (and a bit of thunder) the day was enjoyed by all. During the rain, most of the students sheltered in the arcade where they won various prizes, including a minion dressed in a tie-dye t-shirt (?!).

The screaming and excitement must have gotten to us all, as nearly everyone (including the leaders) were asleep on the journey home – I think the coach driver enjoyed a quiet drive!