Army Morning

On Friday 14 February Lower Sixth took part in an enrichment session ran by the Army.  It was a morning out of timetable and to experience something that the girls have never done before.  This report was written by Sarah B and Lizzie C who took part.

On Friday 14 February, Lower Sixth participated in an Army morning. We were told very little about what would happen during the morning which built up a lot of anticipation in the Spinney. We were all extremely excited but also slightly nervous as for what to expect; needless to say, it was absolutely fantastic. We started the morning with a presentation that informed us about what being in the Army really consists of, for example, we were shown ski trip pictures where a platoon had gone on a team-building holiday. This foreshadowed what was to come later on in the day as the majority of it involved learning how to be a leader and how to be able to work as a team.

We started to get a bit nervous when we were ordered to line up parallel to the building and numbered either 1, 2 or 3. We sprinted to climb into our overalls and coats and headed off in our groups into the woods feeling very kitted up and professional. We were clearly instructed as to how to go about the three activities that we were doing through the morning. The first activity was to work as a team to find nine items that were camouflaged amongst the foliage in the woods. We were only allowed to walk along a central path guided with tape and the objects were either side of this. Without being able to physically rummage for the items, the team had to acquire communication skills in order to work out where the items were. Secondly, we were asked to camouflage ourselves and hide amongst the woods which taught us the practical skills of being in the Army (as well as getting a bit grubby). We were then taught how to cook food from the ration packs we were all provided with, the tuna pasta was a favourite. The next activities relieved us from the rain and mud out in the woods and required us to develop our leadership skills inside doing activities such as verbally guiding our blindfolded partner through mazes, learning how to react in a medical emergency, and best of all, target shooting practise.

Though it seemed to go by in seconds, the morning was incredibly useful in realising one’s potential to lead and communicate; however, being appointed head of a team, being responsible for each girls’ safety and well-being and effectively carrying out operations is more difficult than it seems. Translating ideas in your head to clear and concise commands for others to understand when under pressure was something new to all of us. Nevertheless, the day was brilliant for everyone, raising adrenaline levels and placing us in a situation that none of us had previously encountered. We are all very grateful for the opportunity. 

Pictures show: Lower Sixth girls in the Pipers Corner woods during their enrichment session with the army

For more information contact:

Rebecca Conroy, Senior Marketing Executive, Pipers Corner School. Telephone 01494 719850 or email [email protected] | www.facebook.com/PipersCornerSchool | @PipersCornerSch