Page 5 - link magazine

FRESHBROOK & GRANGE PARK
5
Exchanging ideas and A Flood of Enquiries for
experiences at Freshbrook School Noah's Ark Playgroup
Last month we featured Alice Warnes andAnn Fisher, two teachers from "lMrat! Another new playgroup in West church premises on Worsley Road to
Freshbrook School who have gone to the United States for a year on the Swindon! Aren't there enough already?" provide parents with an opportunity
Fulbright exchange scheme. In this edition we meet Muriel Hackney and If this is your reaction to plans fora to meet staff and look around. Our
Peggy Doekson who have taken their places and ha ye just spent their first new playgroup in Freshbrook you aim is to create a loving and caring
month at Freshbrook. could be forgiven - but think again. environment in which children can
Several months ago, out of our de-e learn and play.
Peggy and Muriel are two well trav-
sire
elled teachers from Stillwater, Min- sire to serve the community, Interested person should contact
Freshbrook Evangelical Church pro- Mrs Nita Grainger on 490498
nesota where they work in different duced a questionnaire to research the
schools of about 700 primary age needs of families in the area. Friends of Freshbrook School
children. Situated in the St. Croix Followinga positive response,plans CAR BOOT SALE
Valley, 20 miles from Minneapolis- have been made to launch the Noah's Saturday 6 October
St. Paul, the town of about 13,000 Ark playgroup in January 1991. We 10.00a.m.-1 2.00 noon
people is the oldest in Minnesota have already appointed a supervisor Pitches £4/5
and was the site of abrutal and de- with a full Nursery/Infant teach To book phone 874925
cisive battle between Chippewa and
Sioux tribes in 1839. qualification and a deputy supervisor
Muriel has travelled to Europe on who holds the P.P.A. certificate, has Facechoice
several occasions and has taught in muchexperience in the careof children
and is also a qualified nurse.
France. Peggy has taught in Japan. We shallinitiallyberunningatleast Pharmacy
They were friends as well as col- three morning sessions per week, and
leagues in Minnesota and went on a Freshbrook
teaching trip to Denmark in 1989. willbe holding an open evening at our Village Centre
On stoppingover in Britain last year Tel: 870226
they meta Wiltshire Primary School Gratitude for sympathy
Advisor who has helped them set Val and Terry Iles of Turnham Opening Times:
up the exchange. Finding their English teachers on the Green would like to thank all the Monday - Friday
"The exchange process has front page of The Stillwater Gazette, 9am- 1pm
many people who expressed their
worked out very well," said Muriel. from left Robert Crossley, Sarah Higgs, condolences following the tragic 215pm - 630pm
"We had been exchanging informa- Lee Hare, Carly Razey with Peggy death of their son Michael in Au- Tuesday
tion and photographs with Aliceand Doekson and Muriel Hackney
gust. 9am- 1pm; 2.15-5pm
Ann for a year and we met each The kind sympathy and support
other in Washington D.C. in Au- financing and accountability takes has given them encouragement and Saturday
gust. They've smoothed things for place at a local level. There is no local strength in their time of sorrow. 9am- 12noon
us so well and our colleagues in authority and in our area, each school
Stillwater were ready to help them principal is responsible for manage-
when they arrived." ment which is based on cooperation DON'T BE A CHRISTMAS
Even with all the preparations, and consensus. Everybody is involved
there are obvious differences and in a consultation process where it af- PUDDING - BE A
cultural shocks. "When we walked fects their job. This carries over to our
in we immediately felt at home," work with children and parents. If CRACKER INSTEAD
said Peggy. "There was the bustle of them is a problem, parents are ex-
getting things ready for the new pected to be fully involved in sorting LOSE WEIGHT NOW
term and we quickly made a bond things out with the teacher."
with our new colleagues." Both Muriel and Peggy are sur-
"Our system is different in so prised by how hard British teachers S% Every Thursday 7.45pm
many ways. Our school at home work. They are used to having a lot 1Et at Freshbrook
start at 830a.m. and finishes at of help in the classroom and using ) YOUR Community Centre
230p.m., and we find it unusual pm-produced education materials. FRIENDLY
that the whole school stops forbreak It means that they will be working B For further details,
and lunchtime. We're used to lunch hard to keep up the flow of project LIgv[gv[fg
breaks being staggered into three 30 work to keep their classes satisfied. telephone 617123
minute shifts, with each class arriv-
ing in the lunch hall at 3 minute • In their letters to their friends at I LOST 7 STONE - YOU CAN DO IT TOO!
intervals. Seeing children drinking Freshbrook School, Alice Warnes
milk from bottles was strange. I and Ann Fisher say they have been
don't think ours will have ever seen made very welcome in what they
milk in a bottle. say is a totally different system of
"At home also, hardly any par- education. They arrive for work at
ents come to the school gate. A few 7.15a.m. and have been amazed by
children walk, but most will travel the organisation of the staggered Specialists in video
in those yellow buses which you see lunch time which keeps overcrowd- & TV repairs
in films or in shared cars organised ing to a minimum.
by parents." There's such a wealth of resources Free home estimates
Other differences they have found in the schools that they're already All work guaranteed
is the prescence of religion in schools wondering how they will ever get
and the limited amount of testing used to using everything sparingly Service from 8am - 9pm
that takes place.; when they come home. NO CALL OUT CHARGE
Muriel is interested by the changes
taking place in the financingand man- • The Link has taken a series of
agement of British schools. "Every photographs of Muriel and Peggy TEL: SWINDON 813485
state is different in the way education which they will send to the weekly
is run and Minnesota is a leader in the education page in their local news-
USA. What is common is that taxes, paper The Stillwater Gazette. t