We were so glad to be able to have another crack at our 'Take on the Teachers' challenge in school this year. Having been missing for the last two years due to obvious factors, it was great to be able to return to the challenge this year, especially during Children's Mental Health Week.
Our first challengers were the P1's who challenged us to Cups and Saucers. This was to be a procession for the teachers, they were full of confidence going into the event. We set a timer for 1 minute and the aim of the children was to turn the cones to saucers and the teachers had to turn them to cups. After the minute the whistle sounded and two volunteers counted the cones. P1 managed 48, whilst the teachers only managed 10. A real shame for Miss Devlin and Miss Keatley, who surely would have expected a much better debut!
Children 1 - 0 Teachers
Challenge two was set by the P2's and this was star jumps. The timer was set to 45 seconds and the aim was to try and do as many as possible. The target set was 77. The teachers were already resigned to being 2-0 down, but they had to try. After 40 seconds for the teachers the scores were counted and it turned out that Miss McAleer had 76... There are still some suggestions her counter was holding back on her real score, but we had to accept it.
Children 2 - 0 Teachers
Challenge three was from the P3's and this was a bean bag toss. The aim was simple, the closer to the bullseye, the greater the score. P3 went first and had a very respectable score of 11. After the efforts of the teachers they scored 19. Finally, a point!
Children 2 - 1 Teachers
Challenge 4 from the Primary 4 children was to knock over the cones by kicking a football. With Mr Rouse and Mr McConnell partaking, the teachers thought they had this one wrapped up. The children set a score of 8 to win. The teachers managed 3, that's not a typo, they only scored 3. Johnnie summed up the errors of the teachers by stating that 'although they could kick it harder, they didn't focus on accuracy.' This one cut deep, especially as Miss Falls stated the futures of Owen Roes and Glenelly don't look too promising, if this is the level of coaching being dished out.
Children 3 - 1 Teachers
Challenge 5 now and the teachers needed to win every one of the remaining to win back their crown. P5 was netball. The children were doing well and set a target of 8. This felt like a mountain too high, but Miss Caldwell and Mrs Maguire took exception to this and neither missed a single effort. A fine score of 12 for the teachers drew us back into the fight.
Children 3 - 2 Teachers
Challenge 6, the penultimate challenge and it was the turn of the P6 class. Having only 4 pupils in P6 should have seen the teachers feeling confident, but when they found their stride the children set a massive target of 80 skips. The teachers started with Miss Keatley and she scored around 30 and the teachers were growing in confidence. Up steps Miss McBride... she scored 1. Confidence busted again. Miss McAleer stepped up next though and from a childhood spent in the wilderness of Glenmornan, she was well practised. She took the teachers over the 80 before Miss Caldwell stood up to rub salt into the wounds.
Children 3 - 3 Teachers
The final challenge. The make-or-break. The winners would be.... This final challenge saw all 17 P7's face off in a game of dodgeball. There had been suggestions of secret meetings, team bonding events and tactics galore from the P7's, but the teachers knew the score. They had planned one thing only, to take out Mr McConnell first! (Or so they think we thought!) Their plans went out the window and as the hooter sounded to start they went crazy! Balls were flying in every direction, there was no accuracy as Johnnie had pointed out in the penalties. It was mayhem! After some expert catching from the staff (Who are well used to catching children at all sorts!) the fatigue began to set in. The P7's all hung around the back of the court. All afraid of the expert aim of Mr Rouse. He was picking them off like a sniper! The parents began to came to watch the finale and they all cheered the teachers, they were willing them to win. Even Eddie in the bus was cheering for the teachers!
Unfortunately, time beat us and the result...
A DRAW!
CHILDREN 3 - 3 TEACHERS
A special word of thanks must go out to Annie, our independent audicator on the day who was exceptional at keeping the scores.
Until next year!
