Deep learning day. A day where school children can drop their pens and do something else for a change.

Deep learning day was on Wednesday, 29th of January. And, at Kingsley Academy, this day was met with elation as years 7, 8 and 10 could come to school in their physical education (PE) kits, arriving to a day full of fun, invigorating activities.

Over the course of the day, students were able to enjoy a range of events, one of which was yoga. Here, tension could be released and flexibility put to the test, as the students partook in a range of poses and stretches. Some, as I recall, were called ‘Warrior poses’ and students got to enjoy and be introduced to the world of meditation. It was truly an eye opening experience.

Other activities included food testing, which, truth be told was a favorite among many. But hey, who doesn’t enjoy free food? The activity involved sampling a range of food but with slight differences, an example being cookies. A regular cookie, a sugar free one and a rice cookie were presented to students, who got a taste of each and then compared the differences. Students were able to behold the world of healthy eating and came to terms with what exactly the sugary food we enjoy so much contains. Ameera Azad, a year 10 student said, “It’s really cool how there was barely a difference in taste between the sugar and sugar free cookies. I’m definitely going to eat more sugar free ones.”

Alternative events included a mental health crash course, an hour dedicated to the school’s fitness suite and many more. However, a main attraction could be described in the form of the main activity of the day - A 45 minute period of continuous movement. A track was set up around the school and in the playground, and students were given the option of either walking or running. The only rule was that there was non-stop movement. 4 laps constituted as a mile, and students were able to be sponsored for the event, the earned money going towards charity.

The record for the amount of laps completed was 22, a feat achieved by Harvey, a year 10 student, who was a recipient of many a compliment that hour. Overall, the day could only be described as a success, as while the students in attendance got to experience a day pf unique activities, the year 9s visited a range of universities, allowing them to prepare for the future. In the end, everyone had fun and learnt something, which is a favorable achievement.