With only one more golf lesson to go, I feel its important to thank Paul O’Donnell at Cookridge Hall golf club for all his hard work. The funding which has helped to give professional coaching to many budding golfers is sadly coming to an end. The money has been put to very good use, providing the students with quality coaching, competitions and membership for all who took part over this last 10 months.

Year 9 had a visit from The N0-Way Trust on Wednesday. The pupils were removed from their normal daily school cycle and became isolated from other members of the school for the day and treated like prisoners. They participated in workshops run by Prison, Fire and Police Officers, and they were escorted from workshop to workshop as "actual prisoners" are when moving round the prison! The programmes and resources used also help to redress the exaggerated and often-incorrect images of prison life portrayed through television and the media and any myths or misconceptions young people may have. These days encourage participants to respect the value of their freedom whilst experiencing the restrictive regimes of a real day in the life of a prisoner first hand.

Spring had come, and the warm sun greeted the 48 year 7 boys and girls and 6 staff as they disembarked the coach. The venue was called Aldwark water activity centre half way between York and Knaresborough. The old renovated farm building was comfortably set out to cater for all our needs.  Spirits were high as children played games to screams and shouts of excitement in the large spacious field. The staff who had never worked with such a large group before on a residential like this coped amicably with team games like quick cricket, crab football, tug-o-war and relay races.

The chicks had a lovely weekend at Adelyne's house. I collected them on Saturday morning with my family. We were greeted with lots of cheeping. Connor, the two year old then greeted the chicks with "oh wow". This is how we all felt on Thursday. When we got them home they were placed in my daughter’s bedroom and settled in well. The chicks were very well behaved and slept right through the night.

We went out for the day on Sunday and spent most of the time worrying about the chicks, of course they were fine! Connor never terrorised them and was so gentle but he now runs round the house flapping his 'wings' and shouting “chick chick”, very comical.