Catriona Tollick - First Blog

Hi, my name is Catriona and I'm 15 years old. I live with my mum, dad and sister- Kirsty - in the town Kirkcaldy.  I'm in 4th year at Balwearie High School and I am coming to Cape Town in October 2016 with a group from our school. My friends are called Jordan, Megan, Stuart, Alice and my friends Beth and Jodie are coming to Cape Town too. My favourite subjects are Music and Drama and I really enjoy singing and musical theatre.

I am looking forward to coming to Cape Town and meeting everyone there. I have never been to Africa but from what I have heard it seems amazing. I am looking forward to helping in Welcome School and also seeing so many new places and animals. I am also looking forward to coming with the group of people that are going.

When I leave school I would like to move to a College/ University in America to study and the join the Disney College Program. Then I would like to go to Disneyland Paris and be a Disney Princess or any Disney character.

Jodie Horsburgh - First Blog

Hello, I'm Jodie and I'm 15 years old. I live with my mum and dad in a town called Kinghorn which is next to Kirkcaldy where I go to school. I have an older brother, Jack, at university. My hobbies include music (I play percussion), tennis and watching my local football team, Raith Rovers. My friends are Ellie, Sophie, Annah and Stasha. I'm in 4th year at Balwearie High School and am coming to Capetown in October 2016. My friends Ellie, Catriona and Beth are also coming with me. My favourite subject is Graphic Communication. I play tennis a lot with my dad and I'm involved a lot with music at school.

I'm really looking forward to going to South Africa. It's the first time in 8 years that I will have been abroad. I'm excited about meeting all the kids at Welcome Primary and seeing the difference of lifestyle. I think the group of people going with me this year are amazing and I know that it's going to be an unforgettable experience.

After school I want to go to university, possibly Edinburgh, to study Architecture. When I turn 16 I am going to get my Tennis Coaching certificate as it's something that I'll really enjoy doing and will help develop good life skills.

Calum Mcandie - 1st Blog

Hi, I'm Calum and I live in Kirkcaldy with my parents. I am 15 years old and my birthday is the 11th of November. I have 3 sisters and a brother, but they are all older than me and live across Britain. Some of them are married and have kids, so my family is getting really big quickly. I've just finished my prelims and hope that I have done well. I don't have many hobbies as my main activity is kayaking and it takes up a lot of time, with training during the week and competitions at the weekend, I really enjoy it though. I am going to Cape Town in October 2016 with 15 others from Balwearie High School.

I would like to go to Cape Town as I think it will be an amazing experience and I cant wait to get to know all the pupils of Welcome Primary. It will be a once in a life time opportunity and I am really looking forward to it. I am also looking forward to doing the tourist things like the safari and seeing Table Mountain.

I'm not sure what I want to be when I'm older, but I think I am going to go into engineering. I also want to go to university.

Ellie Pattie - first blog

Hello, I am Ellie Pattie. I am 15 years old and I live in Burntisland with my mum step-dad and little brother called Greig. My hobbies include baking, watching movies and spending time with friends. My friends are Jodie, Sophie, Annah and Stasha. I am in 4th year at Balwearie and am coming over to Cape Town in 2016 with an amazing group of people.


I'm really looking forward to going to Cape Town to meet all children from Welcome Primary and seeing the different life style. The experience is going to be amazing and life changing. I cant wait for the African safari as I love animals.


In the future  I would like to stay on at school to do my highers and advance highers. After this I am hoping to go to university to study Forensic Science. If possible I would like to get a scholarship to be able to study in America as I love the American culture.

James Gray first blog

Hello my name is James, I'm 15, I like sport and animals. I live in Burntisland and go to Balwearie High School. My favourite subjects are sciences but I'm not good at English.


I wanted to go on the trip because I really like animals and I can't think of a place in the world that has such a great variety of animals that we could see if we went on a safari or went whale watching.


I would like to be a vet and specialise in exotics at Glasgow university.

Bethany Morrison first blog

Hey, my name is Bethany Morrison. I am 15 years old and I live in Kirkcaldy, Scotland. I live with my mum (Elaine), dad (Gary) and my brother (Andrew). Andrew and I are trying to convince my mum to let us get a dog and we think she is almost persuaded, even though we have been trying to get one for 5 years. My  hobbies are theatre, playing my guitar, watching movies, dancing and hanging out with my friends. My friends are Leila, Morgan, Kate, Megan, Eva, Ellie, Jodie, Catriona and Olivia. I go to Balwearie High School and I'm travelling with a group to Cape Town in South Africa. My favourite subjects are Music and Drama because I love acting and playing instruments.

I want to go to South Africa because I love travelling and I really want to travel all around the world someday (My dad is in a wheelchair and can't go on planes, so I need to wait till I'm older to travel). One of my options for when I leave school is to become a teacher, so helping out in the school in Cape Town would be really good experience. I'm also looking forward to the rest of the trip and doing things like going on the safari tour.

After school I'm either going to take a gap year then go to university or go straight to university but I'm not sure what I want to study. A few of my options are to either pursue Musical Theatre, go into Midwifery, study Teaching or maybe do something else entirely.

First day back...

After a long journey home from Cape Town everyone was tired and very much looking forward to a good sleep in their own beds!

It was back to school today and it was great to see the staff and pupils who had been on the trip in school today. We were all excited to share our experiences and feedback on the progress that has been made at Welcome Primary School over the past year thanks to the generosity and fundraising efforts of Balwearie pupils, teachers and parents. 

Keep looking at the blog over the next few days for pupil and staff reflections...count down to the next trip is already on! 

Floods at Welcome!

Today was our last day at Welcome Primary and we had an amazing send off. The pupils did dancing, singing and a speech. In return we performed the Dashing White Sergeant and a poem from Francis. This was then followed by lots of highfives, cuddles and presents from the kids, there were tears from near enough everybody. After an emotional goodbye we went to the waterfront for drinks and then headed to the canal walk mall for lots of retail therapy which was well needed for the girls anyway!

Spectacular South Africa!

After a much needed long lie (till half 8) we set off for Cape Point, Mr McGuckin's favourite place in South Africa. We stopped off at Boulders Beach en route to see the penguins and got lots of good pictures. On the way back to the bus we browsed the craft stalls and we bought lots of nice things such as township art, photo albums, African animal statues and even a springbok rug. I'm looking forward to putting my township art on my classroom wall. It will definitely remind me of this amazing experience!  

We then headed off towards the national park for Cape Point. We ate some lunch before our trek up to the lighthouse at the top of the mountain. The views were breathtaking and we got lots of great photographs. After we wandered down it was time for a quick look round the gift shop before jumping in the bus. We drove down to the water to get photographs against the backdrop of the waves. 

Then we went along to the Cape of Good Hope for another photo opportunity. After eventually getting a few group photos taken we sat on the rocks and enjoyed the sun for a while. It was lovely to sit and take in the spectacular views around about. It was so peaceful and everyone was so content. 

It was then back in the bus to head back to Cape Town via Chapman's Pass and Camps Bay. As we crawled higher and higher up the mountains the views become even more breathtaking. Camps Bay was a really nice place with lovely houses overlooking the water. It would be amazing to live there! 

We headed to the Waterfront for some dinner. We ended up going to San Marco Italian restaurant and people tucked in to pasta, pizzas, steaks, etc. Everyone enjoyed their meals against the backdrop of the harbour. Then we went across to the watch the remainder of the Argentina v Australia game. Some people sneaked off to get ice cream with Miss Roslender! I'm jealous I missed out on what I was told was very tasty ice cream. 

Overall, this has been one of many highlights on the trip along with being in the school, the GCU, braai at Mario and Michelle's and Robben Island. Cannot believe we only have one full day left. Looking forward to the farewell assembly at Welcome tomorrow. I think it will be very emotional.

Miss McFarlane

Picture perfect!!!

Today we went to see the South African penguins at Boulders Beach which were adorable and we got to see them up close.  We also bought presents for our families and friends at stalls, where we experienced first-hand bargaining.  

We then walked up to the lighthouse at Cape Point which was very tiring but the views were worth it!!! After a short bus journey we reached an even more beautiful place where we all got photos next to the sea. 

Mr McGuckin especially loved this, and we climbed on the rocks to get a better view.   After a scenic route home we ate dinner at the Waterfront and then watched the end of the rugby.

SAFARI!!!!

I Our day started with a lie in which everyone was happy about and then we hit the road and started our journey to Aquila. It was a long drive of just less  than 3 hours but the scenery we saw was incredible.  

When we arrived we went for an amazing buffet lunch and then went to our rooms. Apart from the 3 spiders in the room, the outside shower and the animals we seen on the safari made up for it. Our evening game drive was at 4pm so we had a could of hours to ourselves so we all jumped into the pool overlooking the reserve. 

The evening game drive was beyond spectacular. We got to see lots of different animals including elephants, hippos, lions, springbok, zebra and the rhino which had a 1 week old baby rhino.  

Then it was dinner time where we had a great meal to finish another great day. 

Early Morning Safari 🐒🐯

Today we were up and ready for 6:50. We got to the reception where we back tea, coffee, water and biscuits. After that, at around 7, we got into the van to go and see the giraffes, lions and rhinos Nf particularly enjoyed seeing the new born baby rhino again that we had named Chris the day before.

We then got to go see the crocodiles and went for a breakfast which was really good, there was a buffet style that had lots of different things to choose from. We got packed up and headed off to Hermanus to see the whales. 

Famous Scots come to Welcome!

On Tuesday 20th Lara, Chloe, Miffy and myself were grouped together to deliver a lesson on famous Scots. The aim being to teach some of the kids at Welcome Primary who the most prominent Scots were in Scotland's history as well as who are currently playing a significant role. The lesson was planed the night before which involved arranging profile cards of famous Scots in order of date of birth. The cards spanned from Mary Queen of Scots all the way to Andy Murray. We had a total of 30 cards.

Chloe and I worked with 7a before Welcome's first interval and then the 5a after it. The lesson was split into 2 parts. The first being splitting the class into 2 smaller groups, with Chloe and I going through the cards in different groups so that the kids grasped a better understanding of why the Scots were famous and so they knew what to do afterwards. Following this, they had to organising themselves into a timeline in order of the Scot's date of birth with the cards they had. With some help the 7as completed this part well. 

The second part of the lesson was that each pupil would go into a corner which was labeled a specific category. Some being: Entertainment, Inventor and Political. The pupils would choose which corner they went to depending on the card they were holding. 
The 7as completed this very well.

The 4as were much younger, but I was so surprised at their ability. They completed the first part brilliantly and I was impressed with how they ordered themselves correctly in most cases. Some kids even bossed others who weren't as quick with finding their spot in the line. The corner activity was also done with great ability and most kids were comfortable reading the profile cards out loud to their fellow class members.

Overall, I was so pleased to teach the kids and mostly all of them engaged and tried their best. The experience of teaching and being with the kids continues to be rewarding!

Francis 

Take your partner...Welcome Ceilidh

Wheels were up and rolling by 8:00am and it was off to school for a another full day of teaching lessons and visiting the GCU. Preparations for the lessons were done the night before and Mr McGuckin demonstrated a hidden talent for brewing PH indicator! The science lesson (PH indicators) was completed by class 5a and they loved learning about acids and alkalis. The highlight of the day was the Scottish Country Dancing lesson where pupils learned the Virginia Reel, Gay Gordon's and Dashing White Sergeant. After lunch, we headed to the GCU where the kids were all playing football, skipping, softball and netball. It was very busy and there was a lot of energy because there so many kids from all parts of the Heideveld community. It was power naps all round before heading to Mario and Michelle's Braii for dinner. We were all made to feel very welcome by their generosity and hospitality. We were showered with beautiful gifts as a token of thanks! We all felt very welcomed into the family and community and enjoyed a delicious meal cooked by sports coaches Toby and Mohammed. Everyone was tired but were very excited about getting packed in preparation for the safari. 

Miss Roslender  

Long Walk to the Aquarium!

The day started off with a long, well deserved lie in after a busy day at the GCU and Welcome yesterday. We made our way down to the waterfront, grabbed so much scran from Pick n Pay that it made Lara's backpack weigh a tonne. We then headed to the boat for Robben Island. 

We entered the boat from Hell where one person was being sick all over the floor going to Robben Island.  This almost made us all sick as the women's sick landed on the floor as her sick bag had a hole in it. The way back was awful according to Lara and Cameron. A primary class were returning from a trip on the island and a large number of them, including the teacher, were sick. Let's just say that Robyn was so glad she fell asleep and missed the whole thing... 

We were taken around the island by one of the ex-prisoners and he told us about Nelson Mandela's and his own experiences on the island. It was really interesting to listen to and it was so upsetting to think that the officers would treat the prisoners so badly and get away with it.

Once returning to the mainland again, we were taken to The Bay Hotel for a quick drink to relax after the choppy boat ride where the three of us had chocolate milkshakes before heading to the Two Oceans Aquarium. The aquarium had lots of different sea creatures like sharks, snakes and penguins. This was very fun and interesting learning about all the animals. After this, we were set loose in the mall on the seafront where we had our tea (many chose McDonalds). Overall, this was a very fun and interesting day, learning lots of new things about South Africa's past. 

Welcome Back!

It was such an emotional day.

Our group met Welcome school's head teacher, Mr Jacobs, for the first time this morning. The children clapped as we walked into the assembly. A group of young girls then performed a lovely dance, it made a lot of people cry because it was so lovely.  The assembly they have prepared for us coming was wonderful.

Lewis and I were assigned to class 5b to make scrap books. We had taken over the scrap book that Burntisland Primary School had made to show the pupils in Welcome Primary. The work they had produced was just fantastic and everyone was so enthusiastic.

Afterwards we went to a cheetah sanctuary. We got to stroke a cheetah and also met lots of other animals. It was a great day! 

Kick it Cameron!!

For our class: Lana, Jamie and I had a book called Cant-Dance-Cameron. We read it to 2A and B. There was dance moves in the story that we got them to do. Their favorite was kick it Cameron! All the pupils really enjoyed getting involved with the book. We then got them to draw animals from the story and their South African versions. The kids really enjoyed it and they learnt a lot about Scottish animals. Both classes work was so good that their teachers are going to put it on their walls! 
After the school we went to the GCU. It was a really fun time and I even was beaten by a boy at chess! We are all really excited to go back tomorrow! 

Tim

Nessie found at Welcome

On Tuesday Louise, Lewis, Robyn and I went into classes 1a and 1b to teach them about the Loch Ness Monster! 

We loved reading the story about Nessie to the kids -  they seemed to really enjoy it! 

The children listened so carefully to the story, answering questions about the Loch Ness monster. We then went outside to follow the trail of Nessie, as the monster had come to meet the children. 

The children loved running about the playground following the footprints of Nessie until they found her sleeping on one of the school steps. We then went inside to make the humps of Nessie using coloured plasticine. The kids were so creative and made amazing Loch Ness monsters. So far this has been the highlight of the trip, seeing all the kids love our lesson!     Mhairi

Meeting Welcome

 Today we were finally able to meet everyone from Welcome Primary! We were greeted with very good performances from the pupils at morning assembly. We were also able to give the pupils gifts such as tennis equipment and footballs. We were also split up into pairs then sent to one of the many classes, Chloe and I joined the class of 2B. This was very fun and enjoyable, especially because of the kind and welcoming pupils. Truly an amazing experience!

After break we spent time showing the pupils letters from Balwearie pupils, as well as helping them prepare letters to send back. Definitely a highlight of the trip so far! After this we went to a cheetah sanctuary where we were given the chance to stoke a cheetah. Overall, today was a very exciting and enjoyable day! 

Mathew Gordon 

Welcome Love ❤️❤️

Today we went to Welcome primary school for the first time, we were greeted with fantastic performances at the assembly. After this we were put into pairs for the classes, we first of all got to see what the class was like by sitting in with them, while they were learning Afrikaans. After break however, we then got to know and bond with the pupils as we helped them making a reply to the pupils of Burntisland primary schools scrapbook. 

Getting to bond with the children was great as we learned a bit about them and it was obvious how happy they were to be at school. After the school and playing a bit of football with the kids we then went to the cheetah sanctuary, which we got to pet a cheetah and also get to see other animals that they care for.

 To top of the beautiful, warm day we got home and quickly jumped in the pool with everyone .