Welcome to the
Arethusa Parents’
Meeting
“What’s not to enjoy? It’s a holiday
with your mates!”
Charlie Y6
Arethusa Venture Centre
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Lower Upnor,
Kent
On the River
Medway
1½ hour drive
from Dulwich
Daytime Activities
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Children participate in a range of
activities.
Each activity is designed to stimulate
and stretch your child both physically
and mentally without causing distress.
COMFORT
ZONE
STRETCH
ZONE
PANIC
ZONE
Detective Game
Archery
River &
Nature
Trails
Team Building
Orienteering
Swimming
Kayaking
Motorboating
Rock Climbing
High Ropes
Evening Activities
An activity has been organised for each
night.
 Games in Upper Field
 Adventure playground and shop
 Quiz Night
 Talent Show
and Disco
Safety First
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Risk Assessment carried out by DHJS and Arethusa.
All safety gear provided by Arethusa and fitted by trained
Arethusa staff.
Trips offsite prepared in advance.
All Arethusa staff are fully trained and are specialists in
their activity area.
Activities are available to children of all abilities.
There are no other schools or individuals on site.
All Arethusa staff are trained first aiders.
Children do not move around the site without an adult.
Building doors are locked at all times. Emergency doors
are alarmed.
Sleeping Arrangements
The year group will be accommodated in three buildings:
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Moller – Bedrooms of 6 – 12
Williams – Bedrooms of 4
Shaftesbury – Bedrooms of 18
There are at least 3 adults per house.
Children will not know who they are sharing with until
they are there, but we work hard to make sure they are
with at least one friend and the houses are as balanced
as we can make them.
Inside the Houses
What to bring
Please ensure that your child has…..
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Indoor shoes eg slippers with grip
Dressing gown
Warm jumpers
A waterproof coat
A swimming cap
A separate towel for swimming
Suitable swimwear
2 pairs of outdoor shoes, including a
sturdy pair for walking
A book for bedtime
A small rucksack
A water bottle
Sunscreen/hat
What not to bring
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Mobile phones
Computer games
Electric toothbrush
Money
Lunch
New clothes
So much luggage that your child can’t carry it
all!
Before we go
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All clothing, including boots and underwear, MUST be
labelled.
Your child may bring a few treats for the evenings.
These must be in a named closeable bag to be given to
the teacher when we get to the centre.
On the day of departure, your child must hand in their
medication (including inhalers etc), even if it is already
at school. The medication must be in a closeable
transparent plastic bag or box, clearly labelled with the
child’s name, class and dosage.
On the 22nd April we need to get away promptly, please
ensure your child arrives in plenty of time.
While we’re there
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Your child is responsible for their own
belongings, behaviour and personal
hygiene.
Some of the locations we will go to do
not have a toilet (please ensure girls
know how to manage this)!
Please make sure you write at one or two
(upbeat and cheerful) letters to your child
so they have something to reply to. Not
too many letters and no parcels please.
Coming home
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We aim to arrive back at school before 3pm.
We will contact the school if there’s any delay.
It would be helpful for you to be there to
collect your child between 3 and 3.30 in order
to avoid congestion.
Your children will be very tired so may be more
reserved than normal, even though they’ve had
a fantastic time – don’t be offended!
Try not to plan too much for the weekend so
they can recover for the feedback and response
work at school on Monday.
Final Reminders
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It is crucial that we have up-to-date medical
information for your child.
Please make sure you send along any medication
that your child may need (eg. antihistamines), with
instructions for use. On the day of departure, we will
not have access to any medication/inhalers etc.
currently in school.
If your contact details change, please let us know as
soon as possible.
Any Questions?