Up and Running

[Kymba]

Finally I have 5 spare minutes to get back onto WAB and Update you all

Well My wildlife Classes are finally up and running or will be on 17th March.
I start at the school on Monday 10th March to prepare for the following week. And get to know the children and answer their questions. And hopefully encourage them to join the club
I will be running 3 Hour long Lunchtime clubs at the school from 12 to 1pm and then on 29th April after the schools easter Holidays I will also be running Hour long After School Clubs 3.15 to 4.15.
Lunchtime Clubs will be Mondays,Tuesdays and Wednesday.. they will be broken into 3 Different sessions
Mondays - Gardening
Tuesdays - Woodland Activities
Wednesdays - Mini - Beasts.

I will get some pictures of the Areas we will be doing the gardening around the school as I have pick 3 Areas to transform with the Children. Concentrating on one area at a time. Will go more into this once we get started.
Am also going to be able to get my website started as well so people can follow our adventures.

We still have to get a Feasibility Study done on the Woods but are hoping that will all be done and approved in time to have my Log cabin Classroom installed with all ammeanities connected etc and all work on woods completed Ready to run full time in September. When I will start to earn a proper wage

So I am really going to be busy.. but I haven't forgotten you and will be here when Possible.
Maybe i will do a weekly report on here for you all

[Purplepixii]

Wow Kymba that sounds like an amazing job! I wish I had had that as a lesson when I was a child, more importantly I wish my daughter had that opportunity!!

Wish you all the best for this new journey. Hope the kids are well behaved and want to learn. Please let us know how you get on

Pixii

[ron1863]

Good luck to you and I hope all goes well

[Kymba]

Thanks Pixii.
I am really excited it has been a long struggle with a lot of Hitches and delays..At times i didnt think it would happen But i am now The Boss of my own Business. Doing a Job I love and I am passionate about. How good is that.

[Purplepixii]

Originally Posted by Kymba

But i am now The Boss of my own Business. Doing a Job I love and I am passionate about. How good is that.

That is something many of us can only dream about - and I am sooooo jealous!! If you ever move from Kent to Hampshire and want staff let me know!

[demicav]

That is so fantastic Kymba. I'm glad it's all going well, wish I could do something similar, it's so worthwhile. Yes please keep us posted on your progress and piccies ect, you know we're a nosy bunch .

[Kymba]

Its Ok You two give me a few Months (well a year ) and I will start to expand my Empire.. My Dream is to open classes around the country.. Will need local people to run them. .... I am really serious about this especially in areas where countryside is limited and where children are missing out.

[Bub-les]

That is a wonderful idea and I hope all goes well with your venture. Hopefully you will inspire not only the kids you are teaching but others to do the same. Talk about making a difference!
Brill more power to your elbow as they say!
Barbara

[PMG]

I really wish you well with this venture. It sounds similar to what the rangers do at Pennington with our Curriculum Centre - tho we are restricted to certain days of the week and only so many in a week cos of staffing and needing to run the rest of the site.

I hope you turn it into an Empire - more power to your elbow

Pauline

[Kayleigh]

What a wonderful opportunity for youngsters to learn about wildlife..
So many kids these days don't even know where veg comes from..
Have you got any frog spawn in your pond, you could show them how it metamorphoses...

[tufftie]

I really wish you well with this - should be a very rewarding project. Will be good to know how it pans out

[Pete Collins]

Well done Kymba, that sounds like a brilliant project. It looks like your hard work is starting to pay off. I wish you all the best with it, and hope you manage to expand it to other schools.

Do keep us up to date with how you get on!

[Kymba]

Thanks Folks You have been really supportive since I started planning this a year ago

I will keep you all posted on how things are going..

Kayleigh They already have a Pond in the infant part of the school that had an abundance of frog Spawn last year along with loads of mating Frogs.. So am hoping for more of the same this year

[Wild-Woman]

Brilliant job Kym! I'm very pleased that it's all coming together now.
Once you're under way I'll pop down to see if I can give you a hand if you want.

Jules

[Kymba]

Originally Posted by Wild-Woman

Brilliant job Kym! I'm very pleased that it's all coming together now.
Once you're under way I'll pop down to see if I can give you a hand if you want.

Jules

That would be great Jules.. You can come over anytime... if you have a free day comming up just let me know. Can show you my plans to take us up to the Summer Holidays. Bring your wellies you may be asked to join in

[Billy Wobble Dagger]

Well done Kymba. You’re doing what the school syllabus should be doing telling our kids about nature and how to respect it.

Great job and keep up the good work.


BWD

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Kymba

Thanks Folks You have been really supportive since I started planning this a year ago

I will keep you all posted on how things are going..

Kayleigh They already have a Pond in the infant part of the school that had an abundance of frog Spawn last year along with loads of mating Frogs.. So am hoping for more of the same this year

I wasn't sure if you could have a pond with young kids and H+S and all that..Still they have to learn to respect water and the benefits are enormous..

[wyevilla]

Originally Posted by Billy Wobble Dagger

Well done Kymba. You’re doing what the school syllabus should be doing telling our kids about nature and how to respect it.
BWD

Dead right, BWD. You are doing something absolutely vital, Kymba. Hopefully you will be able to link with other schools in your pyramid. The possibilities are endless. The children could even start there own wildlife Blog.

Very many congratulations.

[galanthus]

Oh wow, you really deserve this as you've worked so hard on your stuff. Those are lucky young people to have help in appreciating and learning about wildlife with you

[mrs fish]

Brilliant news

I wish you all the best

[zan]

that's ace news! Congratulations Hope it all goes really well for you, and I look forward to hearing your stories from it all!

[Kymba]

Short Update..
I did my first classes this week
I only have 30 minutes with the children at the moment as we are still waiting to get my Cabin classroom ( hoping for sept) so I do 3 lunchtime clubs
Monday Gardening .. The children all planted a pansy or primrose each in one of the raised Planters.
They then using their hands dug through the mud in an empty planter looking for worms and then studied them ( a couple wouldn't pick them up).
Then they all looked through the fallen leaves for shooting Nuts from the trees and have taken one home to grow in a pot until after easter. then it will be planted in the woods.
Tuesday Woodlands.... The children filled several Bird Feeders and we hung them around the woods along with some lard balls and cocnut shells.
We also tried to identify some trees from the new Buds. This proved difficult as Buds are still really small.
This was a hard lesson as several of the boys decided to run off and climb Trees. which ruined the club for those wanting to learn.. so this lesson to be revised.. but I have a plan
Tuesday Afterschool I did a short session with the after school club where we took the Infant school children out into the woods,( i dont work with them in school time I work with the juniors. They each had a plastic cup which they filled with things they found. then we went back inside and they looked at their treasures through magnifying glasses and magnified containers.. I got them lots of books to look through.. we had leaves, twigs, buds, worms and centipedes to look at.. They all had a great time and asked me if we could do it again another time
Wednesday Mini Beasts. The children made a small Bug hotel by filling The cardboard middles of Toilet Rolls, Tin Foil, Cling film, Gravy Tin and plastic cups with twigs, straw, animal cottonwool bedding, and drinking straws then we fitted them all into a large plantpot, filled the gaps with straw until everything was snug and didnt fall out,, then we took it out into a quiet sunny secluded area of one of the gardens. We then went in and looked at Books full of Insect facts,, The children asked lots of questions and told lots of tales of what they had found in their gardens. They then looked at and read the books on the Insects I had been collecting cased in the perspex.. They were fascinated .

Several teachers have stopped me to say how wxcited the children were at being able to do these classes and they cant wait until I can run them full time
After easter we will be starting the veggie Plot and Composting as well as looking at the pond and wildlife in the woods.

I have also just volunteered to do 2 days a week as a volunteer in the education department at a local countrypark for 3 months. Am going there to have a meeting probably next week.

[Kymba]

I have just had the most amazing couple of hours.Earlier this evening I went to the reopening of the local art gallery and cafe in Chatham High Street after 2 months of refurbishment.
Well talk about things happening when you least expect them.. I got talking to a woman who works at Maidstone Museum (Kent) and she has asked me if i would do some workshops at the museum when ever suits me.
Then a gentleman I met at a net working meeting last December has asked me if i will do a 6 week project with some special needs children on a Saturday. (all paid )
They are both going to e/mail me after the bank holiday with full details. So its all looking great for my business finally.

[Pete Collins]

That's brilliant, Kymba! I'm glad all your hard work is paying off, and things are going so well for you. Thanks for keeping us up to date, and I'm looking forward to reading more about how you get on.

[kml]

Really pleased it has all taken off so well for you.Soon you will have no spare time at all.It`s good to see someone educating the children about there surroundings.