shoes.
Livinia Reedy walked to the front of the group to join Miss Wall. She whispered something to the PE teacher, who handed her the loudhailer.
âGood afternoon, everyone.â Miss Reedy spoke into the mouthpiece, which squawked loudly. She recoiled and Miss Wall indicated for her not to hold it so close.
âGoo-ood af-ter-noo-oon, Miss Ree-eedy,â the children chorused.
âAs you are aware, we are on this camp because Queen Georgiana is introducing a new award forchildren your age. In order to achieve the first level of the award, you will need to complete a number of tasks, which will show your resilience, cooperation, ability to learn, friendship, application, courage, creativity and resourcefulness. Each time you complete a task to the standard required, the teacher in charge of your group will make a note that you have passed. Only those students who have passed a sufficient number of tasks will receive the Queenâs Blue award. But as far as Miss Grimm and Professor Winterbottom are concerned, you must all earn your Blue. On top of that, we teachers will also be noting your attitude, ability and cooperative skills and nominating one Queenâs Blue winner to receive a special medal from Queen Georgiana herself,â Miss Reedy explained.
Millie glanced over at Caprice, who had a very superior look on her face. Millie nudged Alice-Miranda and motioned towards Caprice. âThree guesses who thinks sheâs going to win the medal.â
Alice-Miranda kept her eyes forward. âIt could be anyone,â she said emphatically. âIt could be you.â
Miss Reedy shuffled the papers in front of her. âThere will be a team competition too. Your rewards will be far less exciting but I imagine they will godown well all the same.â She pulled a packet of chocolate frogs from her bag.
A loud cheer went up around the quadrangle and Miss Reedy smiled. She motioned for Miss Wall to take the loudhailer back again.
âWould you read the camp groups please, Benitha? I think Iâm required over there for a moment.â Miss Reedy nodded towards a huddle of uniformed camp instructors, where a young woman was waving.
âOkay, everyone.â Miss Wall scanned the list on the clipboard. âIâve got your camp groups and your sleeping groups. Generally they will be the same, except of course that the boys will have their own accommodation.â
The girls began to speculate about which group they would be in, grabbing the arms of friends as if that could magically change the list Miss Wall had in front of her.
âSettle down. There will be a camp instructor for each group and a teacher assigned to you as well. You need to make sure that you listen to the adults and do all that they ask of you. Itâs critical that youâre in the right place at the right time doing the right thing. A camp timetable is posted in each dormitoryand youâll all be given a smaller version to keep in your day pack,â Miss Wall explained. âSo without further delay, these are your camp groups.â
The children listened carefully. The groups were all named after birds. The new year three students, collectively called the Robins, were staying together to do a modified program, as they had only just come out of infants school and started at Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale. The older students, including the boys, were in mixed-age groups.
Alice-Mirandaâs name was the first to be read out for the Barn Owls. She squeezed Millieâs hand nervously. Millieâs was the next name called. Then came Sloane and Jacinta, Susannah, Lucas, Sep, Figgy and Rufus. Millie clenched her fist and hissed âyesssâ when she realised Caprice wasnât in their group. Their camp leader was a smiling, sandy-haired young woman called Beth, and their teacher was Mr Plumpton.
Miss Wall finished the announcements and a hand went up in the crowd. âYes?â
âI donât