Alaska Extreme School

-Today...

-Take your elbows off of my desk.

..two trouble-making teens from Essex head stateside

to a strict school in the harsh climes of Alaska.

I can't feel my bum right now.

There's zero tolerance for bad behaviour...

-In my office.

-Oh.

..and tough punishments for falling foul of the rules.

I've shovelled the whole pathway.

Can they last a week at this extreme school?

I hate this school.

Are you on the fast track to fail at school?

Do you think it's more important to check your looks than your books?

If getting into trouble is part of your daily timetable,

then five days at one of the world's strictest schools

could be the most important lesson you'll ever learn.

Today, I'm at a school in Essex.

I'm here to surprise a couple of lippy loudmouths

who think that school only exists to improve their social life.

13-year-old Macey loves to chat

and is always determined

to get her point across to teachers.

I will argue with them because I think it's funny.

I'm normally in detention like every day.

Her mischievous mate

is 13-year-old Trewley,

who doesn't see the point in school

and prefers her own agenda.

In class, I won't pay attention cos I think it's boring

and I'd rather chat to my friends.

Their behaviour is spiralling out of control.

Before I meet Macey and Trewley,

I need to gather data for my Extreme School dossier.

So, tell me, what's Macey like at school?

Oh! Macey!

Well, she thinks the whole world revolves around her.

Macey has a big problem with authority.

It's almost like she likes getting into trouble.

Tell me, what's Trewley like in the classroom?

Trewley is overflowing with opinion and, unfortunately,

she often is disruptive in the classroom.

And what are the girls like with their uniform?

It's almost my daily challenge to get them both

in the correct uniform.

My tie's not straight. My skirt's rolled up.

We've got too much make up on.

They've always got to say something, even if nothing's wrong.

I've collected the evidence and the results are truly -

and Macey - astounding.

It's time for this double act

to swap their school bags for suitcases.

Hello, everyone, I'm Susan Calman from Extreme School.

CHEERING

Lovely! Now, I'm here today to see Macey and Trewley.

Do you want to join me at the front, ladies?

Come and join me at the front. Great.

Now, Trewley, I've been told you just can't stop chatting

and you're always talking, la-la-la-la-la, through lessons.

-Is that right? Yeah?

-Yeah.

And Macey, I hear you that have problems arguing with your teachers.

-Is that right?

-I'm one of them people,

if I think something, I just have to say it.

Well, it's obvious that both of you could do

with a spell at an extreme school.

I've got the perfect one for you both.

-Oh, my God.

-Honestly, it's a doozy.

At this school, you have to dress with decorum and modesty

and your skirt must always be below the knee.

Oh, my God, that's never going to happen.

At this school, you have to talk in every class

with lessons including formal debate

-and everyone is expected to take part.

-How boring.

At this school, you'll learn how to survive in freezing conditions.

You're going to an extreme school

in one of the coldest places on earth - Alaska.

CHEERING AND SCREAMING

I can get to see a penguin!

I expect them to treat every adult

with whom they come in contact with respect.

-Goodbye, girls, and good luck.

-Thanks.

-Bye.

-Good luck.

-Goodbye.

Me and Macey are going to Alaska and I think it's going to be a disaster.

Macey and Trewley will be travelling

almost 4,500 miles west of the UK.

Situated within the most north western American state of Alaska,

the city of Anchorage is known for its harsh winters,

where temperatures regularly plummet to ten degrees below freezing.

It's also home to the Holy Rosary Academy,

where principal Neumayr is at the helm.

We expect exemplary behaviour from our students.

They must respect their teachers and their classmates

and they must obey all the rules.

A strict Catholic school,

students are expected to show good moral behaviour at all times.

With only 115 pupils in the whole school,

the principal has eyes on everyone.

After years of misbehaving,

Holy Rosary Academy could be Macey and Trewley's final opportunity

to improve their behaviour.

But can they adjust to the climate?

Alaska is freezing!

It's probably like minus 20.

And I can't feel my bum right now.

With less than six hours of daylight in the winter,

every school day at Holy Rosary starts in the dark.

-It's like ten past seven.

-And it's still not light.

For the next five days,

Macey and Trewley will be the school's newest pupils.

I can already see people in uniforms.

To graduate successfully, they must -

stick to the school rules,

follow a uniform and no make-up policy

and pass an end-of-week challenge.

Time to meet the lady who will be keeping them

in check this week - the school's principal, Miss Neumayr.

It's nice to meet you. Would you like to come to my office, please?

Yes.

In a school known for its impeccable standards, can they impress?

The first thing I'm going to ask you to do

is to take your elbows off of my desk and sit up straight

and, Trewley, I'd like you to take off your sunglasses,

cos I'd like to look you straight in the eye.

So, it's very important that you're attentive in class,

that you're always listening to what's going on

with the general discussion. So, Trewley, tell me

a little bit about what your hopes are for your future.

I want to be a history teacher

or a famous actress like what everyone knows.

Well, you know that I'm very excited about the idea

of being a history teacher.

What are you hoping to do, Macey?

-I don't really know, to be honest.

-For example...

I just change my mind all the time.

Yes. Now, we do not allow for students to wear make-up.

We're not actually wearing like loads of make-up, though.

I am pleased to see that you have very little make-up,

so it will be easy to remove.

Make-up for girls under 14 is banned

and all students must adhere to the school's uniform policy,

something Macey and Trewley refuse to do back in Essex.

All right, ladies, it's time to put on your uniform.

I will leave you to it.

What is that?

What is... That's a curtain. I'm not a curtain.

I'll just roll it up.

Let's get changed.

TREWLY LAUGHS

We find that when students take the time to dress well and modestly,

their behaviour in class corresponds to the way in which they're dressed.

Here they are.

Let me take a look at what you're wearing in your hair.

Your hair is a little bit on the zany side.

Right now, it's making probably too much of a statement.

Normally one for an argument, Macey appears lost for words.

Off you go, back in, fix your hair and I'll see you in a minute.

I hate everyone.

What's happening, my hair's making a statement.

A statement about what? You've got a bit of glam in it.

They've given in to longer skirts and calmed their zany hair.

Excellent.

But there's one rule they're determined to flout.

Let's see. You still seem to have a lot of mascara on.

If you'll just clean your eyes off, and then we'll be done.

I hate this school.

The girls finally look like model pupils,

but that won't be enough at the highly academic Holy Rosary.

Talkative Macey and disruptive Trewley will need to curb

their behaviour and respect their teachers.

First on the timetable, English.

Have you ever studied Shakespeare before?

Yeah, we do it like every day. So boring.

All I know is that Shakespeare was an old geezer

who did a play called Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth.

When we think UK, we associate that with class and sophistication,

and we were disappointed

because they didn't really fall into that category.

Right, well, I thought today we would talk about

why is Shakespeare read and performed by so many generations.

-Yes?

-Can I just say, what do you think, like, English,

like English people are like?

Do you think, like, we love tea and stuff and we're like,

"Ooh, look at my pinky?"

They talked out of turn. They giggled. They doodled.

They had private conversations. They didn't behave exceptionally.

Oh, my gosh, are you that bored?

Teachers at Holy Rosary don't give any time

to attention seekers in class.

At the end of their first lesson,

Macey and Trewley's attitude hasn't endeared them to anyone.

When you go to your next classes here at Holy Rosary,

always remember to be appropriate with your questions

and, you know, just not a lot of laughing

and giggling amongst each other.

Will a jam-packed schedule help them focus?

They girls participate in complex geometry...

B, C, D.

..Alaskan tribal games.

That's close enough.

We've got to pull this stick and whoever let's go first, loses.

Steady, go.

And for lunch, a reindeer sandwich.

That's so nice.

I'm not eating Rudolph. Or Dancer. Or Prancer.

Or Dasher. Or Vixen.

BEAR ROARS

To pass Extreme School, the girls have to complete a final challenge.

You will be working towards this Friday, when you'll be giving

a classical presentation

to the entire student body.

How does that sound to you?

Easy.

We'll see if you can do what the students do

in half a year in half a week.

All Holy Rosary pupils must pick a topic to discuss

and debate its pros and cons before they graduate.

Can Trewley and Macey rise to the challenge?

It's 7.40am and it's below freezing on the girls' second day.

Oh, I'm so cold.

This disruptive duo are heading to their first assembly,

a chance to make a good impression on the whole school.

I'm going to take a moment to introduce you to Macey.

-Macey, wave.

-Hiya.

OK, and we also have Trewley.

Hee.

OK, excuse me, ladies.

This is an assembly and everybody gives me due respect

and I'm going to ask that of you as well.

I told her to shut up.

OK. You need to go to my office for now...

-Yeah, probably.

-..until you can compose yourself?

-Yeah.

OK. Why don't you compose yourself for a moment.

It's a terrible start to their second day.

It's our first assembly.

We got kicked out after... We weren't in there for a minute.

As assembly continues without them, the girls have time to reflect.

At first we was a bit like angry, but when we sat there

and we thought about it, we kind of realised

that we're in their school, we're in their environment.

So, we thought we might as well just apologise or something.

A kind of rough start to the morning.

I really, really don't want it to continue.

We're sorry.

Oh, I appreciate that.

I don't think when the two of you are sitting shoulder to shoulder

it does you much good.

-I'll have you sit in separate places. OK?

-OK.

-All right.

The girls will need to work harder than ever

to show that they can knuckle down.

Sitting at opposite ends of the classroom should help.

So, what country today speaks Latin?

In their first ever Latin lesson, they begin with basic verbs.

Disco, discus, discit, discamus.

-And Trewley?

-Scribo, scribus, scribit, scribimus.

Good work.

Next up, some translation.

It's so hard. Trewley's getting the hang of it.

Hurry to your table.

I was impressed with the way Trewley performed.

She possibly didn't even know what Latin was, you know, a week ago.

I wrote all the paragraphs out on the board.

I think I did all right in it.

I was a bit lost.

Oh, only one sentence.

I barely even know my own language, let alone Latin.

THEY GIGGLE

All pupils are given lessons in outdoor survival,

a vital skill in a city with snow storms and sub-zero temperatures.

Today it's Macey and Trewley's turn.

It can be a very cold and threatening place.

If you run into dangers in terms of weather, it's life or death

and it can be in moments.

First, and under strict supervision,

the girls are shown the correct way to light a fire.

So, flint and steel, when you strike them together, you get some sparks.

Press hard. There you go.

Mace, I did it.

High-five, girl.

I think it's safe to say I won the fire competition.

If you was ever stuck in the snow one night,

that's what you'd do to keep yourself warm?

I'm going in it.

It is actually quite warm in here.

-HE LAUGHS

-All right, night.

How do you attract mooses?

You can make a moose call.

How do you do that?

-You've got to plug your nose.

-Right.

SHE PUSHES AIR THROUGH NOSE

No moose in sight,

but they've shown they can stay focused without misbehaving.

Looks really pretty.

-Today has been amazing. I've loved it.

-It's been amazing.

Back at school,

the girls are preparing for their debating challenge,

but they still haven't decided what they're going to talk about.

Let me think, let me think.

-What about... Why can't we have our hair how we want it?

-Yeah.

Why aren't skirts above the knee?

Why shouldn't we wear make-up?

-Yeah.

-That sounds great.

At Holy Rosary, students are expected to engage in serious debate

and the girls have finally agreed on a topic.

-Is friendship the most important thing in the world?

-Yeah.

They'll need to form a reasoned argument

if they stand any chance of passing their final challenge.

It's a new day.

It's so cold.

Despite temperatures of minus two degrees,

the girls' attitude to Holy Rosary is beginning to thaw.

But some habits are hard to break.

I'm seeing some blush or something,

so I'm going to ask you clean on off your face.

And then I just need you to take off the eye make-up

and you'll be good to go.

And take the hair down.

And I'd like you to plait it really quickly

and then we can start our day.

All right?

Oh, why!

Does it even look like I'm wearing any?

Yeah, you're orange.

I'm disappointed with Trewley and Macey.

They're not interested in being part of the harmony

and the respectful nature of the campus.

Because of starting the morning like this,

I'm going to have you do a couple of chores with me this morning.

There's one part of the campus that has not been shovelled.

Let's not have any uniform issues whatsoever.

Clearing snow at 9am in the dark probably isn't what the girls

had in mind to start their day.

The principal made us shovel the whole pathway,

so it was safe for the other kids to walk on.

Even though, even though when she was standing there

she could have grabbed a shovel and done it with us.

Or she could have done it herself.

No matter how many times we clean this,

there's still going to be snow on it.

Tomorrow morning, you wake up and you say,

"I don't really feel like shovelling.

"I know I look really nice without make-up anyway.

"I'm just not going to fight it."

Punishment completed,

can Trewley and Macey start turning things around?

What part of that reaction is it taking out?

-It's taking out the H2O.

-Exactly.

Under Holy Rosary's strict regime, it seems to be working.

Hitler's obviously swinging to the monkey bars.

OK, nice work.

After a productive morning,

Miss Neumayr has an exciting opportunity for Trewley.

Remember when I asked you what you wanted to be?

You mentioned being a history teacher.

I'd love to have you teach some of the children.

-Does that sound fun?

-Yeah, thanks.

-Good.

Trewley is being trusted to take charge of a class

of five to eight-year-olds all by herself.

Hello. EVERYONE: Hello.

When she speaks on Friday,

the benefits of speaking in front of our little ones

and keeping their attention will be a great asset.

So, does anybody know anything about England?

-The capital is London.

-Yeah?

Trewley decides to teach the kids about World War II,

using her own unique method.

We're going to call these Germany.

You guys have got to tickle the British people.

Two, three, go on. Go, tickle, tickle them.

They just got tickled by the Germans and they don't like it.

Right, show me your angry face. Grr, grr.

We were tickling each other because we were having a war.

It was so fun.

Go, fast as you can. Tickle them.

That was so brilliant. You made it so age appropriate.

Those kids will never forget World War II.

-They really enjoyed it. So thank you.

-Thank you.

Whoo! CHILDREN CHEER

Today was really good.

We had a rough 20 minutes at the start,

but I think we had a really good day.

We did all our work in lessons and it was really good.

Holy Rosary students are expected to be good citizens

and well-equipped to help others.

With the girls' final day fast approaching,

Miss Neumayr wants them to play their part.

Once a month, our students provide community service

to places around the city of Anchorage that are in need of help.

They'll be helping out at Bean's Cafe,

a centre providing homeless people with food and shelter

from the brutal elements.

OK, ladies, I'm going to show you how we serve here.

Supervisor and head chef Pam, who oversees 25 volunteers a day,

will be showing them the ropes.

One ladle full of sauce right over the noodles.

Put the fork on the tray and then it goes right up in the window.

OK, ladies.

-Thank you.

-You're welcome.

Hello.

So hard to keep up and be quick.

So busy.

-Everyone was smiling.

-Everyone's like really appreciative.

-Hello.

-Yeah.

I've never done anything like this before.

The girls are doing a great job.

I just think it's a very good learning experience.

Just so they can see just how fortunate they are.

It's times like this when you realise what you've got.

Lunch time rush over, Pam wants to see

if it's given Macey food for thought.

My mum's a palliative care nurse, so she helps the elderly.

And now I've done this, like, when I'm older I want to...

I want to help people out.

I've heard that you've had some behavioural problems in school

-and stuff.

-Yeah.

So right now, good grades,

being respectful to those who are in authority is very important.

I hope that you realise that some changes need to be made.

Makes me feel I need to start knuckling down with my work.

I just wish you the best.

You guys are lovely girls, both of you.

Thank you.

It was brilliant. It was...

So good. Really liked it.

Really good experience and I'd love to do something like it again.

Again, yeah.

They've had a positive day at Bean's Cafe,

but their time in Alaska is almost over and tomorrow is judgment day.

It's our last day at Holy Rosary Academy.

Academy.

This afternoon Macey and Trewley must complete their final challenge,

delivering their classical presentation.

They need to present reasoned arguments on their chosen topic -

the importance of friendship.

Principal Neumayr is guiding them through a last-minute rehearsal.

Good morning, everybody, my name is Macey.

And I... And my name is Trewley.

OK. Your projection, Macey, is excellent.

Trewley, if you will just increase the volume, OK.

As if the challenge itself isn't enough,

Mrs Neumayr is piling on the pressure.

I wanted to let you know that I have invited a very special guest,

and it is the mayor of Anchorage.

That's just dropped a bubble of pressure on my head.

I have every reason to believe that,

though they are a little rough around the edges now,

they will be ready to go when the mayor arrives.

-Loads of people inside.

-Loads of people there.

Yes, loads.

As the school hall fills up, anticipation is running high.

I don't really know what to expect.

I think they're really going to pull it off.

With two minutes to go,

the guests of honour take their seats -

The mayor of Anchorage, his wife, the first lady,

and the local priest, Father Elliott.

I think we are getting a bit nervous cos I can't stop laughing.

We're getting a bit nervous, but it's all going to be good.

We're going to do it perfect.

Prove everyone wrong.

This week we have enjoyed having two students come to us

from the United Kingdom.

They have practised and prepared something for you,

so it is my great pleasure to introduce to you Macey and Trewley.

CLAPPING

They've pushed boundaries

and sometimes strayed from school rules.

Can they now finally knuckle down and behave like Holy Rosary pupils

or will this outspoken pair clam up under the pressure?

Good morning, everybody.

Today we would like to debate the subject of friendship.

So, we want to ask, is friendship the most important thing in the world?

Trewley is my best friend

because we feel really comfortable with each other

and we share everything we have together.

She is Trewley loyal.

EVERYONE CHUCKLES

A friend is someone who is always loyal to you.

As President Roosevelt once said,

"It is better to be faithful than famous."

I would really love to be famous,

but never at the cost of losing my friendship with Macey.

They've presented a reasoned argument for their statement.

Now they must argue against it.

There is no doubt friendship is very important,

but we disagree that it is the most important thing.

We believe that family is the most important relationship in the world

because they're the ones you were brought up with.

They're the ones that put a roof over your head

and clothes on your back.

But the thing about true friends is, eventually they become your family.

Once someone has proved to you

that they are someone you can share everything with

and you totally trust,

they too gain your unconditional love.

Thank you very much for listening.

Smile.

I feel so happy.

We done so well, I think.

I'm like, I'm really proud of both of us.

I'm proud of you, too.

You're going to have a good experience to share

with all your mates back home, huh?

One of the hardest things for people is public speaking.

For our young students, it's a challenge

and I thought they did very well.

I was so proud, they handled themselves so well.

They spoke from the heart, they took it very seriously

and, I think, have turned a corner.

I could not be more proud of my new Holy Rosary students.

-Hug for everybody. Elizabeth.

-Katie, Millie.

At the beginning of the week, we was mucking around,

we wasn't listening, we didn't take it seriously.

When I get home, I think I'm going to behave

and show my teachers some respect.

And hopefully, they'll see that I've changed for the better.

Oh! They're so cute.

I feel like a mother.

This whole week has been one massive experience.

It was really hard, but then we got through it.

And I think I will change my behaviour when I get home.

Bye, AJ. EVERYONE: Bye!

Macey and Trewley are heading home.

Will their behaviour improve once their back in the UK

and have they done enough to graduate from their extreme school?

Join us in our final show when the girls discover

if they've turned it around in time.

Next time,

all eight pupils are at a cinema in London...

THEY LAUGH

..to watch back some of their Extreme moments.

And hear a few home truths.

I didn't actually think that I was that bad.

Then we return to all four UK schools

to discover if anyone made the grade.

Let's find out what your Extreme School report says.