Our Little Princess, preparing for rain or shine! |
Saturday 20 June 2015
Rain, rain, please go away tomorrow, just long enough for us to celebrate our 20 years of CE, Nürnberg
Early this morning I wrote a letter to Andrew Sutton. I wrote
in response to his recent posting about keeping cool in conductive centres...
‘Feeling the heat’ –
Andrew just replied, thanking me for my response and
he wrote that his first response was to publish my letter on his own blog, but then he thought twice and decided to ask
me to publish it on mine. So here I am!
(All you busy CE bloggers will recognise
Andrew’s lovely method of encouraging us to get something posted after a bit of a lull on
our blogs.)
Here is what I wrote –
On 20 Jun
2015 07:43, Susie Mallett wrote –
‘Dear Andrew
As well as
being inventive with our games with ice when the temperature rises we are also
experts on do-it-yourself air conditioning, not forgetting that our building is
purpose-built for people with disability it is relatively easy to keep it cool.
When the
temperature hits the mid-thirties we are used to closing the shutters
over-night, opening the doors and windows early in the morning to let cool air
in and then closing the shutters again to keep out the sun.
It also
helps that our buildings are positioned so that the blazing midday sun cannot
shine directly in the windows during the summer months but the low, cooler
winter sun can brighten our sometimes grey days.
Our
children are also on the ball when it comes to keeping cool
When the
heat gets too much for the children and young adults wearing their hot and sticky,
plastic-splints and thick, orthopedic shoes they often ask us for a bucket of cooling
water to put their feet in.
On very hot
days often a child will phone to ask us to please go out to the garage
where the paddling pool is stored and prepare it for the afternoon sesssion.
Stop the rain-dance, please!
Unfortunately
we have none of these problems with heat at the moment; in fact it is quite the
opposite.
As often
happens around the summer equinox, and also on Mid-Summer Day, the weather
turns cold and rainy. It looks like we will have to put the bad-weather-plan
into action tomorrow when we celebrate our twentieth conductive anniversary – the
weather forecast tells us that it will probably be held in a downpour.
Instead of
all six of our conductive centres coming together for a rare gathering and filling the tree lined
courtyard with activities that represent our work and with discussion amongst ourselves and with
our invited guests, (who are coming from as far away as Budapest), it looks like
we will be painting, drawing, singing and cooking in separate far-flung corners
of the cellar in the buildings belonging to our association's sheltered housing.
I am not the
only one wishing for a sudden change in the weather.
All we wish
for is just enough blue sky to make a sailor a pair of trousers. This would be
much appreciated by all in the conductive groups who have been so busy
all week preparing for this occasion.
From Susie
Mallett CE Nurnberg for 22 years !’
Notes
‘Feeling the heat’ –
(2015)
Des nouvelles, Association CEC du Gard, 18 June –
Mallett,
S. (2015) Beating the summer heat, conductively, Conductor, 14 June –
Sunday 14 June 2015
Our gardening project expands
Conductive continuity
As always happens when I begin a project with my conductive groups our work expands and different aspects of living become part of the whole conductive experience. As we wait patiently for the garden to grow, the first tomatoes have set but are we are a long way off harvesting, and we have many associated jobs to do as the project evolves into sometime bigger and more encompassing.
As always happens when I begin a project with my conductive groups our work expands and different aspects of living become part of the whole conductive experience. As we wait patiently for the garden to grow, the first tomatoes have set but are we are a long way off harvesting, and we have many associated jobs to do as the project evolves into sometime bigger and more encompassing.
One of these jobs is naming the plants. We are
not going to be quite so strict as at the Chelsea Flower Show, where every
plant on show in the separate exhibits has to be labelled, but it is important that the children and
adults who use the garden learn to recognise what has been planted.
Later during
the cookery classes they will also learn how to use the produce in different recipes
and they can go out to pick what they need just outside the door; therefore they need to be able to recognise it.
So as the project evolves reading and writing came to the fore this week, as the children have been painting the plant-names on signs that they made last week. Those who wished also drew their own image of the plant in question.
We want our raised bed to look in top form when we celebrate our twenty-year conductive anniversary next Sunday, we expect our visitors will wish to take a look at and admire our ever expanding plot!
In the heat, as our thoughts turn to cooling water, we are already thinking about our next project which is to find half a wooden barrel to make into a small water
garden, then after this we will turn our talents again to painting, decorating some wooden fruit boxes to plant-up and perhaps
sell next year at the summer fete.
We have a busy week ahead of us, during which our gardening plans will evolve to incorporate even more live skills and experiences.
Labels:
Conductive Cooking,
Creativity,
Gardening,
Reading,
Writing
Beating the summer heat, conductively
Friday
afternoon’s ice hockey match
31 degrees is hot by anyone's standards but with a two-hour maths exam behind them at school it is no wonder that thoughts of a lying programme were far from our children's thoughts. Even those not at grammar school did not have much spare energy after a day behind the school desk, not even to go outside to water the vegetable patch.
Years ago I invented for such occasions a lying programme with facecloths filled with ice cubes. With an ice-filled facecloth in each hand the programme went a bit like this... right hand on left knee and stroke lower leg as far as the foot, repeat with left. Right hand on left cheek; repeat with opposites; right hand on left shoulder lift elbow; repeat with opposites; both hands under the head and slide in the neck; and so it continued until the ice melted!
On Friday it was surprising how soon the maths exam and the heat were forgotten once the ice cubes came out.
31 degrees is hot by anyone's standards but with a two-hour maths exam behind them at school it is no wonder that thoughts of a lying programme were far from our children's thoughts. Even those not at grammar school did not have much spare energy after a day behind the school desk, not even to go outside to water the vegetable patch.
Years ago I invented for such occasions a lying programme with facecloths filled with ice cubes. With an ice-filled facecloth in each hand the programme went a bit like this... right hand on left knee and stroke lower leg as far as the foot, repeat with left. Right hand on left cheek; repeat with opposites; right hand on left shoulder lift elbow; repeat with opposites; both hands under the head and slide in the neck; and so it continued until the ice melted!
On Friday it was surprising how soon the maths exam and the heat were forgotten once the ice cubes came out.
After the cool facecloths had brought the
children back to life they no longer wished to lie sleepily on the mat so they
invented their own version of ice hockey. The conductive input was that they
could not use any tools as sticks or racquets, only use of feet, fists or
finger-flicking was allowed.
It was fun. I was in goal, my job was to slide the ice pucks back into play. The game was only over when we ran out of ice. There was not much clearing up to do either as the heat soon dried up the puddles made by the melting ice.
It was lovely to watch how active the children became once they had cooled off. Their passion for invention made them forget their exhaustion.
It was fun. I was in goal, my job was to slide the ice pucks back into play. The game was only over when we ran out of ice. There was not much clearing up to do either as the heat soon dried up the puddles made by the melting ice.
It was lovely to watch how active the children became once they had cooled off. Their passion for invention made them forget their exhaustion.
Walking tasks and some cycling followed on from
the hockey and then came requests for cooling footbaths while we carried on
preparing for next Sunday when the children wish to sell their crafty creations
at our twenty years of Conductive Education celebrations.
Even though the children were wide awake again still no one was willing to go out in the heat to water the garden. That did not matter as at least they were enjoying their activities and the heat of the school day was forgotten. I did the watering later in the evening when it got a little cooler, although it was still 27 degrees when I got home at seven-thirty in the evening.
No ice hockey for me at home just the cool breeze on my balcony and a cup of tea.
Even though the children were wide awake again still no one was willing to go out in the heat to water the garden. That did not matter as at least they were enjoying their activities and the heat of the school day was forgotten. I did the watering later in the evening when it got a little cooler, although it was still 27 degrees when I got home at seven-thirty in the evening.
No ice hockey for me at home just the cool breeze on my balcony and a cup of tea.
Labels:
Conductive fun,
Inventing new games,
Summer heat
Sunday 7 June 2015
Conductive gardening
Gardening has played an important role in my life since I was very young. I have not always had a garden myself but I have always had the garden in Norwich to fiddle around in; earlier beside my Mother and now under instruction from my Father. In fact I am soon off to lend Dad a helping hand in his home and garden, and hopefully to gather advice for our new project at work.
My Dad caring for the tadpoles |
Raised beds
I have always dabbled with gardening with
my clients but always on a small scale, in pots and window boxes, although I
would love to do some on the scale of the Chelsea Flower Show that I have
enjoyed viewing this week.
My colleague and I decided that it was
time that we got a bit more adventurous than a few pots, perhaps by growing
herbs and salad vegetables for the cookery group. Since the Autumn we have been
looking at the many types of raised beds that are available for flower- and
veggie-growing.
A long search
In March I attended the trade fair for
workshops for people with disability where I saw a wonderful wooden pyramid
planted with herbs and strawberries, but the price was way above our budget. We
kept on visiting garden centres, Googling and scanning the advertisement papers,
searching for something that was not too bulky and was accessible for both
wheelchair-users and children. This took some time but eventually we came up
with what one little boy says 'Looks just like the crib that Jesus sleeps
in!'
The Veg Trug
We ordered our raised bed and waited patiently for its delivery. It eventually arrived late on Friday afternoon and it was all that we could do to stop the children unpacking it immediately and starting to build it. After we explained that we needed our friendly carpenter to help us adjust the height and add some wheels the children were content with making a visit to the neighbour who is a retired engineer to borrow the spanners that we would need to put the Trig together another day.
Another day
The
stroke group arrived another day and they too were eager to get involved with
the garden project. The husband of one of our group members had built several
raised beds in their rural garden so that his wife could continue growing fruit
and veggies after she had suffered a stroke. They have both given us advice and shared
their enthusiasm with us.
One of the other group members had already put together a teepee for the runner beans and he was just as eager to help the carpenter when he arrived to start on the Veg Trug. As you can see in the photographs they made a good team.
Down to earth
Once the
Veg Trug was in place on the terrace we
had lots of people admiring, it even though it was still empty. The children
lined the inner surface with fleece and we gradually filled it with the many
kilos of earth that the children’s bus driver delivered to us over the next few
days.
Little
Princess loves getting dirty so she was in her element but another child chose
to work with rubber gloves on. The gloves only lasted a few minutes; when he
saw the joy that the others experienced running their hands through the soil he
soon discarded his gloves and has never used them since.
With the
Veg Trug now full with soil all that was needed was a few plants. We had already sown lettuce
and beans, parsley and basil and they were all ready to move on into the bigger
bed.
I had to
rush home to England so I missed the planting action but I was back again to
witness the growing and share in the task of watering. Watering the Trug has
been the best motivation for walking, standing and both arm and finger
movement. The children like to share the tasks. Some bring the large watering cans
filled with water to the terrace; others fill the smaller cans and then bring
them to more children who walk sideways around the Veg Trug while watering the
plants.
Team work
It seems as if the work never ends. Not only are we learning how to grow plants, we are also learning about woodwork. With the guidance of the Dad of one of our youngsters we are making small wooden signs so that we can label all our plants, just like at the Chelsea Flower Show. So we have borrowed all the tools that we need and the children are not only handling plants and soil for the first time in their lives but also holding a hammer and banging in nails for the first time too! We will use our artistic skills to decorate the signs, then finally practise spelling and writing skills to write the names of our produce.
Many thanks to all who have helped us to bring this project, that has long been a dream, into fruition.
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