Page 8 - link magazine

8 WESTLEA

POND STUDIES

David Borne describes the
usefulness of natural habitats to
children's studies.
"The pond was rescued from SEND-OFF
being filled in by Thamesdown
Council's Parks Department. Jackie Wood went to school on
They contacted the school and the last day of term on 10th April
drew up plans with us as to how with a few things on her mind.
the pond should look. Safety Apart from feeling exhausted, as
most teachers are at the end of
barriers, depth of water and
visibilities from the road were thirteen weeks of educating
considerations taken into children, She was trying not to be
account. nervous about her wedding the
following day.
Children from the school
visited the pond prior to its being After a fairly hum-drum
dug out and were involved in Six year olds from Westlea School observe the teeming waterlife at their morning getting things sorted
out with children before the
planting out suitable water adopted pond on Westlea Drive. holiday, she was asked to leave
plants. Classes from the school detail in the classroom. This "We went to Westlea pond and we the school - by the front
visit the pond at intervals to see leads to much quality written saw some frogs, some of them entrance.
how it is progressing and what
wildlife is returning to it. work, scientific investigations were fighting. One of the frogs "I was a bit surprised to be
and understanding of concepts was looking at me he made me ordered out," remarked Jackie,
Last September it was such as growth, cause and effect jump when he popped Out of the "but I was utterly amazed to see
teeming with an astonishing and change. All living things are water." Michael Sinclair. all 250 children and all the staff
variety of waterlife. carefully looked after and always lined up. I had to walk through
It will be interesting to see returned to where they were "At the pond the water was dark this long aisle with everybody,
how the pond develops in its first taken from. The children are green and I couldn't see into it. I throwing clouds of confetti over
complete undisturbed summer. encouraged to consider the well- saw one frog and loads of slimy me; some children were singing
The pond is an invaluable being of all living things." frogspawn." Gareth Adams. 'here comes the bride'. At the
resource for observing wildlife in David Borne, at Westlea end was my friend's car covered
its natural habitat. Small since it opened four years ago. "I loved seeing the frogs I liked in balloons and streamers. It was
'minibeasts' may be borrowed left at Easter to become a seeing them jump and when I was all so lovely, and a wonderful
from the pond to be observed in deputy-headteacher. looking at the pond I saw lots of send-off."
eggs with black dots in them." Mrs. Taylor has now
Oliver Tompson. returned to her post!
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