Wednesday 7th June

An early start this morning with the kids up and ready for 8am. After a lovely breakfast we headed off to Phantasialand for a fun filled day of adventure. We had a new bus driver today called Wiel, he ran a tight ship and had the kids very settled and quiet for the journey - definitely the teachers favourite bus driver yet! The weather was looking perfect for the day as it was warm but a little overcast. Just what is needed to keep the energy levels high - not that this was needed with the excitement almost palpable, and that was just amongst the staff!

When we arrived Mr Beckett handed out the tickets. The children were chomping at the bit to get into the park and once the barrier was raised poor Mrs Norton and the attendants were nearly ran over!

Once inside, we headed straight for the swings and once on these there was no doubt that Towerview had arrived! A full ride load of children in their white polo shirts screaming and chanting as they were whizzed around! Then it was off to the Runaway Train. This had been classed as a 'ride for everyone' and therefore most of the children braved it. On closer inspection, and by the looks on some of the children's faces by the end, this may need to be upgraded next year! 

As it was 20 degrees, we decided to head to the ‘Log Flumes’. This was one of the rides that we saw some of the children really push themselves. With one of the biggest drops for a log flume in Europe it could’ve put some children off but, not this group, this was their time to shine and many stood up to their fear - they really wanted to make the most of their time. Once on, the soaking began and by the end there were quite a few children that looked a little more like drenched animals, especially Mr Beckett who managed to get soaked right through to his smalls! 

Next, it was time for lunch and we decided to head to china town where you could get chicken nuggets or noodles. However, the queue for these items seemed to be very short and the teachers were a little confused, until we started to notice children returning with chocolate crepes, candy floss, slush puppies, metre long sweets and even chocolate covered popcorn - just look at some of the pictures!!

After lunch we headed for the toilets before hitting the 'Taron', - the fastest multi-launch roller-coaster in the world!! The children were all very brave and couldn't wait to get on it. However, the queue was very long and just added to the tension. The rollercoaster was definitely worth the wait and was a favourite for many of the kids that went on this. 

Whilst this group was waiting, the children that didn’t fancy the Taron headed for the Raik. This was a ride that was classed as a family rollercoaster and therefore almost all the pupils left, were encouraged to go on. One detail that seemed to be missed was that this was actually the most rapid family boomerang coaster in the world!

Coming off the ride, it was clear that this had been a bit of a shock for some, especially Mrs Barlow who felt that as a novice she had been hoodwinked by the other staff - Mrs Hill did look a little suspicious. They then headed to the 4D chocolatier ride for some healthy competition shooting mice with balls of chocolate to gain points. The kids hadn’t a chance against Miss Beattie. I’m not sure how she managed it however, I wouldn’t be falling out with her!

Once together again, we went to take on some more of the rides Phantasialand had to offer. We went on 'Fear and Force' and the ‘Tittle Tattle Tree’. By this stage it was very hot, we were getting tired and the sun was shining. We had to stop to take on plenty of fluids in preparation for one last big push. 

The final ride took us to the ‘Black Mamba.’ This seemed to be the ride that a lot of the kids were looking forward to. It truly is a thrill seekers ride with loop to loops and corkscrews, all completed at a lightening speed pace. They really were buzzing when they came off this - the perfect way to end the day. 

The pupils that didn’t fancy this ride, found a new attraction called the ‘African adventure trail.’ Another perfect way to end their day, with this actually becoming many of this groups favourite part of the day.

Today at Phantasialand it really was amazing. Many of the kids faced their fears, gave their all, pushed themselves and gained so much confidence as the day went on. It was amazing to see their faces totally lit up with pride and excitement as they shared their very own adventure stories and experiences with one another. You should be very proud parents - we’re very proud leaders!

On the journey home the children were exhausted and many fell asleep - the excitement had been too much for many of them, including the teachers. This was a fantastic trip and the children really pushed themselves to get the most out of their experience. A day that they will remember and talk about for many, many years to come.

The evening was much quieter as after dinner the children settled down to an ice cream lolly, some fun outside and a stroll in the evening sun before heading off to bed after another very busy day!

All tucked up in bed now, ready for another exciting day at the zoo tomorrow. The children continue to be full of fun and excitement and really are having a blast! Again be very proud of them, a super group! Until tomorrow, enjoy the photos.

Tuesday 6th June

What a fantastic day, definitely one to remember!! All kids are now showered and tucked up safely for bed after an epic first full day. 

The day started well with the kids waking up after a good night’s sleep ready for what the day had to offer.

Breakfast was a real treat! We had eggs, toast, cereal, fruit salads, you name it the kids ate it, and then ate it again and again! The hotel has never gone through so much chocolate spread and chocolate sprinkles in one morning - they really did get their money’s worth! We even had some new combinations that we had never thought of. Who would have thought that cornflakes and bacon was a thing 🤷🏼‍♂️The staff are so kind and really are catering for our children!

Our first activity was to show the children around the quiet, continental town of Valkenburg. Needless to say it didn't stay like this for long as 57 children were let loose on the local gift shops! The kids went straight for the essentials - Pikachu hats that when squeezed, their ears go up. Just what was required for a hot summers day. You're all very lucky parents, some of the presents bought today really will sit proudly on your mantlepiece!

From Valkenburg it was onto a very picturesque Drielandenpunt! Once we arrived we had our lunch in the park before heading to the tri-point (the place were 3 countries meet - Holland, Germany and Belgium) where we all did a bit of jet setting, travelling from one country to the next with a simple step! Then it was off to the maze! The staff showed the children how to get in and sat down for 5 minutes. Now we know there are some water features in this maze, but they are for decoration only. We were rather surprised when the children had escaped from the maze, to find they had bathed in them. If this wasn’t enough, a few kids decided to get themselves lost! This resulted in a rescue mission like no other ever experienced! Knowing a few of the parents, I can definitely see where they get their sense of direction from!

Following this our visit to the play park was a rather messy affair! The children had a ball but the base of the play-park is sand. So, you may have a bit of washing to do! Sorry! 

Once on the bus it was off to Mosaqua swimming pool. As they entered the building the excitement was palpable! This year they were lucky as both the inside and outside pools were open and the kids really did make the most of this. Slides, rapids, lazy rivers were all conquered. Another benefit was that this meant that at least 2 members of staff had to stay out in the glorious sunshine at all times. After a lot of persuasion, Mrs Anderson and Miss Beattie agreed - troopers!

It was a great fun. The kids went down slides on their back, front, sideways, backwards and sometimes even upside down! Two hours of pure fun and enjoyment and not a whistle was heard! The children continue to be a real credit to both yourselves and Towerview!

We raced home to our first dinner. The kids couldn't believe that it was a three course meal!!   They had pork, chicken, pasta, fish, potato cubes and all the bread that they could eat. After dinner it was time for dessert and the hotel staff had to go to the freezer for more ice cream but the children were so well mannered, showing all the local Europeans what it means to form a queue!

After dinner it was straight up to the rooms, grab their stuff and off to lazer tag in the caves. Everyone was very excited, including Mrs Norton. Our children are always very mannerly and polite, however, once they had that laser pack on them they changed!! Innocent girls became ferocious assassins and as for the boys, I think those hours of games have really had an affect on them! Needless to say it was a very competitive game with the children finding all sorts of hiding places and picking off their targets!!! Alongside this the children had the opportunity to experience ‘The Bounce’. This was a large netted climbing area that went up about 100ft in the air. As you climbed up there were sections of sprung nets that reached out over the side and had large bouncy balls in it. This became a real chance to prove yourself and your bravado by walking out over the 100ft high bridge made out of a net. Many kids made light work of this however, this wasn’t the case for the staff, with only Mrs Barlow being brave enough to face the challenge.

Once back at the hotel the children had some time to relax in their rooms. This didn’t last long as they were exhausted and all headed to bed quite quickly. It’s lovely to see the bonding and friendships that have been formed over their time at Towerview. We really have become a close knit community. 

Everything has been so easy going and stress free - let’s hope this continues. A big day ahead tomorrow at Phantasialand. Prepare yourselves for all the pictures of the kids and their healthy snacks!

Greetings from Holland!! 

What a great day’s travel! After a frantic start with everyone arriving up at the international airport, we quickly got going and received some VIP treatment. Mrs Flanagan had rang up ahead of us and used her power of baking to blag us some preferential treatment. The children were whizzed through check in without even having to queue. Luckily enough for Mrs Barlow, the bags didn't even get weighed. People stopped to take notice as all 57 pupils of Towerview Primary School strolled straight through, wearing their crocs, new sunglasses and holiday clothes - the trip had officially begun! 

A big thank you to Mrs Flanagan and Jean and Liz from Swissport, we really were treated like royalty, and it took away a lot of the stress from us teachers, it's amazing what friends in high places (that can make a lovely chocolate cake) can get you! 

Our first adventure was our trip through security. This all seemed to be going very smoothly, well so we thought. Little did we know that poor Mrs Hill was panicking at the back after realising that the kids hadn’t collected their medication from her. Once at security, she was treated with a great deal of suspicion as I think the worker thought she was some type of Calpol drug mule. Luckily enough, as security were getting their rubber gloves ready, Mrs Hill was able to explain the situation and all medication was safely put through. Sadly, this wasn’t the only ‘spanner in the works’ as one child had decided to bring a literal spanner 🔧for his dad’s bike in his bag. Although stressful at the time it’s things like this that create memories and stories for us when we return. No doubt if you have any other siblings going on the trip that you’ll hear this story again, at the meeting!

When through, the children were let loose on the shops. Most children went and did the sensible thing by buying a drink and some snacks for the plane. However, I believe this time was an eye opener for the staff and maybe a sign of what may lie ahead (hopefully not). Within the first 20 minutes, we had a lost phone, a lost wallet, a lost bag and two teeth came out! Thankfully, all of this was able to be fixed, with all lost items being found. The only ones to suffer were the adults as there wasn’t even time for us teachers to get a coffee - and you all know how we love our coffee! 

As the plane journey approached the excitement was growing to fever pitch levels. You could see the fear in the eyes of the other travelling passengers as they realised that this group of 57 children were heading straight for their queue - ear phones at the ready, and that was just for the staff!

Once in the air the flight went by without any issues. The children were all very well behaved and managed to get seated beside their friends. All those nervous fliers and first time fliers, did fantastically well. It only felt like we had just got up in the air and it was time to get our seatbelts on again and get ready to land. All the pupils were a credit to Towerview and we were very proud of every one of them, even getting a special mention from members of the public and the air hostesses for their exemplary behaviour.

We arrived in Schipol and headed straight for the passport control. This was very busy. However, believe it or not they seem to be allowed to smile in Holland. 

The coach met us at the terminal and we met our bus driver Genciz, he’s a lovely man and speaks very good English, thank goodness, as Mr Beckett’s Dutch is still useless after all these years! The weather is dry and warm, and it looks like the sun is going to shine - Mrs Norton and Mrs Anderson are expecting to top up their tan!! 

The children were great travellers! Whoever invented apps and iPads deserves a medal - we almost had quiet. 

We arrived at the hotel and had some time to settle into our rooms. Within 2 minutes it was made just like home for some of them. Clothes everywhere, sweets and crisp packets stacked up and socks in the sink! However, because it was very late, it was a quick turn around and off to bed.

A super day of travelling had by all, what a great start to our trip! The fun really begins tomorrow with the first of our organised activities.