InterHigh Weekend 2015 - 10 years of InterHigh

InterHigh pupils can do anything

 

 We have returned from this years InterHigh weekend and have at last completed the back breaking job of unpacking and sorting for safe storage ready to  use at next years event if appropriate . It is inevitable that during this process while sifting through feedback forms, drawings, notes, pictures, lost property, remains of tickets, decorations, balloons and role call schedules that a wonderful story appears. All this luggage, equipment, supplies and debris creates a replay of the weekend and a sense of what that particular InterHigh weekend was all about starts to emerge. There are always catch phrases that take on a life of their own and I think 'love, it love, it love it' is certainly up there in the top 3 this time and, yes, we certainly did love it.

 Before the weekend began I had had a few concerns. On paper the numbers were less then I'd anticipated for the decade celebrations and would this ultimately affect the group dynamic?  Allocating rooms a few weeks before is always the single most difficult job to get right. Our venue is a boarding school and has a mixture of boarding houses with single rooms and boarding houses with large multi bedded dorms. If we ask for a house to be used then we must fill it to make the cost of heating and servicing worth while. Some students naturally wish to share a room with a specific friend. Others prefer to be with their family and young siblings need to be with a parent. The numbers this year were such that we required  3 houses and there would be no room for manoeuvre - ie some 110 weekenders to occupy 110 beds in set combinations - what are the chances of this being a success!! Added to this was the concern that we might have gone a little too far this time. We're always pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved in two days, but to host a family fun night; quiz; bingo; run 4 full activity courses; hold a formal dinner; put on a play; display the student talent and awards presentations might just be a step too far. Not sure if they'll 'love it, love it love it. I'd also ignored the fact that head office staff would be temporarily depleted because the School Manager would be on maternity leave. Nevertheless, the excitement was building among the students as the programme of events unveiled, the "yes, we can do anything" attitude was infectious so plans continued. I held meetings with the proposed course leaders and explained to the leader of Food Craft that we'd like to make some exotic drinks, canapes, nibbles, hors devours, cakes and sweets for everyone to enjoy on Sunday morning. I got one of those looks that suggested I might be a very unreasonable person so I just pretended that it was an everyday kind of request and hinted it should be quite simple to achieve. The meeting with the Leader of Creative Design had a similar feel. I wanted a very large permanent piece of Art created to commemorate the Interhigh School Decade. She asked how long they had, I enthusiastically declared that it would be t least 4 hours, maybe even more. The meeting with the Director of the Drama Course didn't go so well! You cant possibly put on a play with 4 hours rehearsal time - no. I didn't quite know how to engage him further so just explained that InterHigh pupils can do anything.

 

The countdown to the weekend had begun and every time I saw the ticking timer on the school login I began to feel a rising sense of panic, that is until after I'd logged in and talked to pupils and their positivity, willingness and support soothed everything. I was asking a lot though, was this really possible? Could this be a disaster? I thought about going back to the Director of Drama and telling him he might be right.

 

The reality was that this year we had more visiting InterHigh teachers at the Weekend than ever before and the balance of InterHigh students and staff was a great one. Everyone could have relaxing fun together and spend time cementing the already strong bonds. Older students led the way and encouraged new InterHighers to get the most out of their weekend. New friendships blossomed and old friendships re-ignited. Everyone took delight in the very cutting edge games - noughts and crosses, snakes and ladders, quoits and skittle to name but a few! It really felt like a very large extended family gathering at times. Parents too could share experiences, chat freely with staff or spend some free time in the Brecon Beacons National Park grateful that their children were having fun independently. The food craft pupils got hard into work and within half an hour the room had filled with delicious smells and the buzz and professionalism of a top kitchen with a team of chefs. The creative designers planned strategically and used local as well as personal influences to stimulate their thoughts, it had the urgency, joie de vie and creative dynamic of a busy design office. The pupils on the sport course immediately demonstrated their willingness to test not only core strength and balance, which are attributes one might easily associate with sport, but also social dexterity in rearranging themselves in various different orders, like height or age, all within the confines of a very narrow form bench which they couldn't leave. All in all we witnessed leadership and teamwork skills that any top HR providers would find difficult to replicate. The drama group had organised their own costumes and had a Stage Manager who organised props, entrances, exits as well as arranging stage lighting. As we watched the Director block scenes which were  enabling the cast to bring the script to life I realised the audience would all  be behind these people and so having to use scripts or prompts really wouldn't be an issue - I'll return to this thought.

 

Towards the end of Saturday it was evident that we'd all had a great deal of fun and the weekend was already speeding by far too quickly. Those who had just visited for the day had already felt they had been part of something very special and unique that is the trademark of InterHigh School. The curtain rose on the 'impossible' play and in disbelief we watched a witty, sensitive and often hilarious production with not a script in site and certainly no prompt required. The audience 'love it, love it, love it'. InterHigh pupils obviously can do anything. The after show party exhibited a display of the very best of human characteristics: integrity, emotion and self confidence.

 

It was time for the Sunday presentations. The creative designers revealed a remarkable piece of art  that truly stunned everyone. We instantly took the decision that this would take pride of place in Interhigh head office meeting room to be displayed for posterity. After the awards were announced the sports group gave us the Haka providing a very fitting end to the general recognition of prowess. On leaving the auditorium we were able to sample the culinary delights of the food craft team. The food was exquisite, beautifully presented and very professionally served. What an exceptional Interhigh Weekend this had turned into.

 

So we started the packing away as families were beginning to leave and it had all been over too soon. Farewells are always happy and sad at these weekends but we knew it had been at least as distinctive and memorable  as any other. It was time for our host to do her debriefing and for us to check out. Then it came....

"Jacqui I really loved the play last night, how long did it take them to rehearse that?"

"Four hours"

"What? our students rehearse for at least two terms and no production has ever been as good as that"

Interhigh pupils can do anything.

 

Jacqueline Daniell

Co Founder Interhigh Education