Page 15 - link magazine

swindonlink.com • November 2009 15
History comes alive in the killing fi elds of the Western Front

Year 8 and 9 pupils from Greendown School spent a long weekend in mid-October visiting the battlefi elds of the Ypres salient in Belgium
learning a little of the reality of war in the early 20th Century.
Youngsters have made the trip war and never came soldiers never found are inscribed.
in previous years, but for the fi rst back. Just under They laid a wreath to remember all
time the pupils were given the task 1,000 men from the the Swindon soldiers who died.
of discovering more about young town were killed in After their return from Belgium
men from Swindon who went to action or from war pupils Sophie Lloyd, Pippa Yalden,
injuries. Megan Jones spent a day working
Greendown’s with children at Tregoze Primary
head of history School studying World War II.
Vicki Buchalik said, Sheila Jarvis from Grange Park
“it’s essential that, talked about her childhood expe-
when looking at Eu- riences in the 1940 London blitz.
ropean and world Sheila said, “I always enjoy visit-
issues, children can ing schools because the children are
make connections eager to learn of the past and ask so
to their local roots. many interesting questions.”
Many of the sol- Jay O’Connor, Chris Durrant, Matthew Reeves, Sebastian
diers who joined up Jones at the grave of Private George Frederick Jones
were between the
ages of 19 and 29 years old; many WWI trench to get a sense of what it
worked in the GWR works and must have been like for the soldiers
patriotically went to serve.” to live and fi ght under such horrifi c
Ms Buchalik said trench warfare conditions.”
was the new feature of the 1914 to Pupil Ben White, said, “it was
1918 confl ict which saw the Allies very sobering seeing all those
and the Germans bitterly fi ghting graves; it made us all think hard
each other over relatively small about what the soldiers had to go
areas of land. “The pupils were through.” Rebecca York added, “I
given the chance to explore a real feel lucky because thousands of
April Gingell and Chris Durrant ready to soldiers died for me and the rest
lay a wreath at the Menin Gate of the country.”
Before leaving, the pupils took
Festival of literature for the young part in the ceremony held every day
by the townspeople of Ypres at the
builds on success Menin Gate where 65,000 names of
Last year’s Swindon Ten Youth Festival of Literature was so well
received that it is being repeated from 9 to 13 November with double
the number of schools taking part. Leaving
Coordinated by learning resource Other activities include a cross- Swindon
centre managers and literacy lead- schools book quiz and two collective School
ers at ten primary and secondary speed-writing events to produce The College
schools across the town, the festival Fastest (Horror) Story in the West, as next year? The best you can be!he best you can be!best you can be!best
T
programme will look at a range of well as a book debate and a read-
books, creative writing and illustra- ing recommendations scheme. A Why not come along to our
tion opportunities. football related book Swindon ‘Til I
engage Swindon’s students in schools, will be launched in conjunc- Open Evening
“The aim of the festival is to Die, written by pupils from several
reading, creative writing and il- tion with the National Literacy Trust.
lustration opportunities,” said Alison added, “last year’s festival Thursday 12th November ‘09
Alison Slaven-Holder, at Nova was very successful in helping es-
Hreod School. We have a number tablish a number of literacy-related 5-8pm
of authors, illustrators, and poets spin-offs to show how cool reading
like Anthony McGowan, Patrick is. We now have peer-to-peer read-
Ness, Kate Cann, Ali Sparkes and ing promotion groups called GRO
Sarah Singleton visiting schools and BRO, which stand for Girls
throughout the week. On Friday 13 and Boys Reading Only, as well as
November author Darren Shan will a group called 4UReaders aimed at
give a talk at the Wyvern Theatre.” a younger age range.”
Log on to
Alison Slaven-Holder, back, with Nova pupils ready for the literature festival
www.you-candoit.co.uk

Enter your details to let us know you’re
coming and you could Win £150 to spend
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For further information contact Student Services on 0800 731 2250 or
email: [email protected] Visit: www.swindon-college.ac.uk
Swindon College, North Star Avenue, Swindon SN2 1DY

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