Page 8 - link magazine

8 swindonlink.com • August 2009

Retired but not tired! Looking for Curriculum brought to life through
a new direction, seeking inspiration South Africa link
in your work or community life? Continuing Greendown School’s partnership with Moriting Wa Thuto
School in the Clarens district of South Africa, four teachers from the
Grange Park school spent a week in June offering technical help and
A 14 day discovery tour of Nicaragua visiting learning about the culture.
Swindon’s Twin Town Ocotal is for you
For history teacher
Departure: Friday 16 October return Friday 30 October
Gareth Williams, it was
Price: approximately £1,100 all inclusive, an opportunity to col-
includes a $100 donation to social projects of your choice in Ocotal lect resources to bring
(A 7/14 day extension to Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala available). lessons on South Africa
You will: and the legacy of apart-
• be part of Ocotal’s celebration of its 200th anniversary; heid to life. He brought
back magazines and
• be immersed in the history, legends and locations of Nicaragua’s newspapers and re-
revolutionary hero, Augusto Sandino; cordings of interviews
• get caught up with Nicaraguan dance and music and its with people recount-
vibrant culture; ing their experience
• be exposed to the realities of rural and urban life in a developing of apartheid and their
country; life today. Greendown IT teacher Helen Plumb providing tuition
• take part in a ‘day in the life of’ such as a carpenter, teacher, He said he was struck to a colleague at Moriteng Wa Thutu school
community worker, mother, rural worker; by how quickly the na-
• be confronted with the realities of coffee production and the tion has moved on from its history. Plumb and Richard Jones their
environmental challenges for Ocotal, its forests and rivers. For pupils at Moriting Wa Thuto, Moriting Wa Thuto colleagues
apartheid was little more than a are now able to make greater use
Travellers will be shown the inspirational social programmes supported story and the older generation had of the school’s computers which
by Swindon Ocotal Link (SOL). During the later part of the tour readily put the past behind them. “I were under-used due to a lack of
travellers will spend time on Lake Nicaragua’s volcanic island asked if they wanted white people expertise among the teaching staff
Ometepe, prior to travelling back to UK to leave and the pupils said no; they and pupils.
felt South Africa is their country Helen said, “given how central
The trip is organised by My Journey of Discovery in association with too and the young people didn’t computers are to our lives in Brit-
SOL which was formed nearly 20 years ago to organise want to make the same mistakes ain, I hadn’t realised what little
twinning activities between Swindon and Ocotal that some other African countries knowledge of PCs they would have.
For details contact Bruce Clarke, Journey of Discovery, on 533338 had made.” Some students didn’t know how
or mail: [email protected] Comparing teaching methods, to use a mouse and would wave
www.swindonocotal-link.org.uk Gareth said that the school achieved it in the air.”
good results with a chalk and talk But with lack of easy internet ac-
style of teaching that pupils in cess at the school, the Greendown
Greendown could not imagine. ICT experts were able to provide the
“Pupils there will sit for an hour next best thing by installing Encarta
with the teacher talking or reading encyclopaedia software on most of
from a book; because they value the school’s PCs. “It offers a new
their education there’s no messing way of researching and learning,”
around.” said Helen. “Staff and pupils could
Thanks to training sessions with see the learning opportunities open-
Greendown ICT specialists Helen ing up; they really loved it.”

Ridgeway expedition aims to strike
gold in South Africa

Eighteen current and former pupils from The Ridgeway School trav-
elled to South Africa on Sunday 12 July in pursuit of their Duke of
Edinburgh Gold Award.
During the four week trip to be formed - amongst the partici-
Cape Town, the students will work pants and the people we will work
at the Aloe Secondary School, visit with in South Africa.”
a home for abused children, go The school has raised £3,160 for
trekking in the mountains for a the Aloe Secondary School over
week, dive with sharks and take the last year, including £50 raised
part in a safari. by each expedition participant in
Led by PE teacher Tim Whiting, addition to the cost of the trip.
the award scheme calls on partici- Year 12 student Emily Stacey said,
pants to demonstrate a variety of “I think we’ll be able to make a
skills like organisation, commu- difference over there, not only with
nication and staying power. Mr the money we’re taking, but also
Whiting commended the pupils for the practical help and support we
their huge commitment in the last can give in the school and in the
15 months of preparation for the children’s home.
trip. “I can really feel the drive of ”I think we will all come back
the students behind this project and changed people.”
I know it will be life changing for • Nearly 400 pupils from Years 9
them and the people they visit. to 12 at The Ridgeway take part in
“We have a very good staff team the different levels of the Duke of
which means that strong bonds can Edinburgh Award scheme.

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