Ready to GO!

All packed and ready to go!

After weeks and weeks of fundraising and hard work, we are happy to announce that as a group we have reached the fundraising total of £7,000! As a group it is a huge achievement and a brilliant way to end several months of fundraising efforts - by donating all the money to the Ocean Stars charity. 

However, the fundraising total is not the only exciting news: in less than 48 hours the group will be leaving rainy England for (hopefully) a sunny Sri Lanka! This evening the Ocean Stars group had a final meeting where we packed our resource luggage for the planned lessons (half of the allowed luggage weight) and had our first group hug and circle time to discuss how excited we all are for the upcoming trip.

First group circle time (photo credit to Georgie's mum!)

Here are some messages that each group member wrote about how they are feeling leading up to the trip: 

Nicole 
I am so excited for Sri Lanka! I can't wait to help the children in the school and to see the elephants...BUZZING! (Nicole also drew a photo of an elephant)

Nicole's elephant

Leanne

Now that the time has finally come, I'm quite nervous about the trip. I think this is just because the culture is very different and I will be a long way away from home. However I am so excited to teach the children and to explore Sri Lanka! I will make lots of new friends  and memories which I can't wait for!

Lucy

I am looking forward to the trip and feeling very excited. I can't wait to see the elephants and teach in the school. I am really excited to wake up early and go to the airport. This will get me excited for the rest of the trip.

Serena

I'm looking forward to seeing all the elephants and teaching in the school. I'm really excited and can't wait to get there. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. I'm really exited to wake up early and travel to the airport as it gets me excited for the rest of the trip!

Harry

 I'm looking forward to many things:

- visiting schools

- meeting the people of Sri Lanka

- delivering my lesson plans

I hope the trip will be fun and exciting

Georgie

I can't believe we are actually going now. We have been talking about the trip for so long so it's weird that's it's now happening! I am quite nervous but also so excited as this will be an experience like no other and I cannot wait!

Sophia

I am very excited to go to Sri Lanka. It feels like the trip has come round so fast since I applied. I am very excited to go to the schools to experience their education and I can't wait to see their reactions when we give them the stationery. I think it will be an unforgettable experience and I look forward to meeting new people and learning more about the culture. I am so excited!

Jake

I am feeling anxious like last time but at the same time I'm VERY excited!!

Faye

I feel quite scared now that the day we fly has finally come! However I'm still incredibly excited and can't wait for the memories I'll create and the experiences I will have. I've made many new friends already and I'm super excited to go on this trip with them!

 Stormie

I am feeling really excited to go to Sri Lanka. The time has gone so quick since I applied. I can't wait to be away from my parents. I am looking forward to the new experience and to be able to bond with other people. I will be ecstatic to see the children's faces of delight when they see the stationary. :-)

Imogen

I am really excited to go to Sri Lanka. I can't wait for the whole trip. It is hard to pinpoint one thing but I can't wait to meet the children and visit the schools as well as sight seeing and generally the trip as a whole! I am so excited!

Sameena 

I still cannot quite believe that in less than 48 hours we will be on the plane on our way across the globe to Sri Lanka. I cant wait to return to the beautiful island of Sri Lanka and meet and help many new faces. I cannot hide how excited I am to see Madushan and Gihan again and also to work in two new schools. I feel ready to go to and start teaching the amazing children of Sri Lanka.

Mrs Angel

I am super excited about returning to the resplendent isle of Sri Lanka, the warmth, smell of spices, vibrant colours and the elephants. I hope the students will get as much out of the trip as possible, gain some life long memories and meet new friends. 

Mr Walker 

I'm really excited to have the opportunity to do some music and working with both the students and the teachers in Sri Lanka. The plan is to create an amazing musical opening for the sports day, on the final day of our time in Batticaloa. I'm also looking forward to seeing and hearing some Sri Lankan musical instruments. 

Hi, it's Mr T!

 Last few weeks have been a blur at school and so I can't believe we are leaving for Sri Lanka on Wednesday. Over the weekend the buzz really kicked in and I spent a little time looking at photos from last year. I am really looking forward to meeting old friends and making plenty more. The most important thing for me this year is to absorb the moment more as last year was all very new and the trip went too quickly for me.

Wendy Haynes

It's "suitcase night"! I can't believe this evening has come round so quickly. I'm excited to be travelling with the students this trip and looking forward to getting to know them all. the students have an amazing array of activities to do with students in the Sri Lankan schools so we shall have a great time.

Please do keep on checking the blog for more updates as we will be adding a blog post everday while we are out in Sri Lanka and please dont be afraid to leave comments (we would love to hear from you!)

If you are interested in more about Ocean Stars:

Website: http://oceanstars.org.uk/home
Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/oceanstars/