The Grapevine MagazineJuly 2007 Issue No 223 |
School News |
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Up, Up and Away!
In June the whole school visited the Hendon RAF Museum as part of our topic on ‘Flight’. Although the 40 mile journey there took some 90 minutes in the latter part of the Thursday morning rush-hour, it was certainly worth the wait! The very presence and magnitude of some of the aircraft was quite awe-inspiring and the sense of history was quite palpable to both children and adults alike. Here the children reflect on the learning and inspiration derived from their visit.
In June the whole school went to R.A.F Hendon Museum for the day. It was most enjoyably. There were helicopters, planes and experiments. We even got two tours about helicopters and forces.
In the helicopter tour we got to look at helicopters and to test propellers. In the forces tour we got to use every experiment in the room. It was great fun, but the first thing was the best. We got to go to the aeroplane hanger room and see lots of really cool planes. The whole school enjoyed it and I would love to go again!
By Mike, Year 4
Our trip to the R.A.F. Museum was so much fun. We saw the Lancaster Bomber and it was massive. It was an English plane that dropped bouncing bombs on dams. The bombs crushed the dams. It must have been really scary.
After that we went to go and have a look at all the other planes. We even saw a Helicopter that the queen went in. It was called the Wessex Helicopter and it was red and blue, and it could pick up other vehicles. It had steps on the side but they weren’t normal steps: they were all spaced out and there were only two of them. It wasn’t the most elegant way to get up. After that we went home. The day was the best.
By Annie, Year 3
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The school playground was transformed on Saturday 16 June into an area of great creative activity and fun. The weather did its best to dampen spirits – but between the torrential down pours the sun shone and everyone had great fun visiting the various stalls and activities as well as enjoying the delicious BBQ and bar..
One of the highlights was the Jackson Pollock corner – a homage to the artist who used dripping techniques to create his art. The children had tremendous fun as they used every means possible to create their ‘masterpieces’. This included throwing, squirting, brushing and dribbling paint onto the canvases – whilst completely covering themselves in paint too! The children also had the opportunity to make paper, jewellery, gifts for Father’s day, decorate pots and cakes and have a go at drumming or karaoke. Many of the children also enjoyed being decorated themselves with very artistic face paints, henna tattoos and nail art.
The Friends of Lewknor School would like to thank everyone who was involved in organizing, settting up and running all the stalls. It was a great team effort and FOLS really appreciate the support by everyone for giving up their time and adding to the great enthusiasm on the day, as well as everyone who attended on the afternoon despite the weather. A special vote of thanks goes to Jim and Jean Senior for their delicious BBQ, Kevin Avery for his sponsorship and Fabric Fields for their donation of all the fabric for the Jackson Pollock stand.
The Art Fete raised over £1200 which will be used by the school towards further learning and teaching resources. Mr Walker, the headteacher, wrote in the School Newsletter “I would of course like to add my thanks to all parents and children who participated in Saturday’s Art Fete and to our village community for their continued support. It was great to see everyone having such a fantastic time. Thank you to everyone.”
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We have had an excellent first half term under the new name and the enormous advertising drive that the Committee have put in has paid off as we already have 5 more names for next term! Huge thanks again go to Jeanette and her team for creating such a happy environment. This half of the term Krakatoa are focusing on The World and are looking into the culture and way of life in just some of the countries across the globe. If anyone can contribute anything from any of the following countries then I am sure that the Pre-School would be very grateful for your input... Holland, Egypt, Japan, Kenya, Australia and the Americas.
We are also extremely grateful to those who have contributed to the Krakatoa Wish List. There are still a couple of things that would really help the Staff out! Should anyone have a spare laptop or photocopier to hand, then we would be delighted to relieve you of them!!
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Don't forget the Safari Supper (see advertisement in this edition of Grapevine). This is time for the adults to really let their hair down and have some fun. For just £20.00 you get to have a 3 course meal and meet and exchange stories with people you would never otherwise have met. Afterwards Tara and Ian Hargrove (Moor Court) have very kindly asked us all back for port and coffee where we will also draw the Raffle.
Krakatoa will be having a "FUN DAY" on SATURDAY 21ST JULY 2007. This will give you the opportunity to come and watch the children doing races as well as the rest of the family enjoying loads of games for the young and old! Everybody is welcome even if you have nothing to do with Krakatoa, just come and have some fun!!
On a rather sadder note, we were very shocked and appalled to see that Krakatoa's new Wendy House which has been up for only 2 days has already been vandalised. It is unbelieveable and pathetic that someone could enjoy ruining the children's toys, particularly when so much care and attention went into making it. If anyone spots someone entering the children's area at the Village Hall out of Pre-School hours I would be very grateful if you could report them (even anonymously) to Alex on 353855.
Finally, many thanks to all those who came and supported us at the Clothes and Jewelry Sale - it was a huge hit and many requested another one! We managed to raise a total of £300.00 as well as raising £73.00 at the Cake Stall. Every little helps!
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Watching for older child car seats. Road safety officers will be keeping a lookout for varieties of the many very old child car seats that are still being used. These seats are inferior in quality and can actually put children at additional risk. From May 2008 it will become illegal to use a seat that does not conform to safety standards.
Councillor Ian Hudspeth, Oxfordshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Transport, said: "I am encouraged to see Oxfordshire County Council staff doing such a lot to help parents fit their children's seats safely.
Julie Jones, county council Road Safety Officer, said: "We must not forget that the majority of parents that we help are the ones who are trying their best to protect their children.
"They often have a car seat but aren't making best use of it. The biggest risk of serious injury or a child's death comes from those parents or carers who don't even provide a seat for their child - I regard that as negligence."
For advice on choosing and fitting child car seats or a free check, contact Julie Jones on 01865 321682. For more information on road safety go to www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/roadsafety.
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To Grapevine
From Mrs Jill Evans, Blenheim Farm, Postcombe
APOLOGIES
“To the residents of Lower Road, Postcombe my apologies to anybody who might have had a disturbed night on June 19 ’07.
It was caused by a dog that we rescued which had been into our yard and fields with miniature Shetland ponies and foals, some of which are smaller than the dog, which was a German wire haired Pointer, with NO COLLAR on so we had no alternative but to notify the local rescue and Police. They were all closed, only messages to leave and it was only 5.30pm. The SODC person I spoke to at the pest control office was particularly unhelpful.
Eventually, Aylesbury Police read from their computer screen the services to contact, all of which I had done, and the final idea on the screen was, if I couldn’t look after the dog or take it to a Police Station that was open, TO TURN IT LOOSE ON THE ROAD. It beggars belief that we are an animal caring country. Needless to say we fed and watered the dog, night and morning, and kept him safe in a stable.
When I contacted the Dog Warden lady at SODC at 8.30 am next day, she was most apologetic and the dog was collected 2 hours later, she had not received my message from the day before. When a man came to collect him I was told that had he been contacted up until 9 pm on the day in question he would have come out.
So if you had a bad night as we also did, I am sorry”
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In June we read ‘Human Traces’ by Sebastian Faulkes which in length and subject was something of a tour de force. Faulkes uses the history of two young men who decide to become doctors to’ mad patients’ in the latter part of the nineteenth century , one of whom is influenced by the developing Viennese school of psychoanalysis whilst the other is more involved in the evolutionary theories of Darwin. The novel’s settings range from France, England, Austria, Africa and the United States with a vast array of characters along the way some of whom are better drawn than others. Faulkes has three pages of acknowledgements and it is obvious he has done a great deal of research into the history of the treatment and diagnosis of mental disorders of a 100 years ago. Unfortunately, he puts too much of the detail into his book which tempts readers to skip the long descriptive passages of post-mortems and learned lectures. It could be recommended perhaps to aspirant medical students or psychologists happy to learn how much psychiatry has progressed from these earlier times.
Next month we are reading ‘Restless’ by William Boyd which has come highly recommended and ‘The State of The Union’ by Douglas Kennedy in August. Later in the year, on the list is Philip Pullman’s ‘Northern Lights’ and Terry Pratchett’s ‘ Good Omens’ will give us an opportunity to enter a fantasy world other than our own.
Elan Preston-Whyte
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Smokefree England from July 2007... As the deadline to the smokefree laws came into force the District Council was advising local businesses to get ready for the introduction of the new legislation. The District Council is responsible for enforcing the ban and is working to ensure that people are well informed. Research from the Department of Health has shown that whilst people are aware of the ban many are unsure of the exact requirements. For example many people do not realise that smoking room in work places had to be closed by 1 July 2007, and that work vehicles are also be covered. Information for individuals and for businesses is available on the District Council website www.southoxon.co.uk
Council's high performing planning service saves tax payers money The Government has financially rewarded South Oxfordshire District Council’s planning service this year, thanks to its efficient performance. The Council will receive the first half of a planning delivery grant worth £44,660 for 2007/8, to help it deliver and improve its planning service – the second highest amount given to a district council in Oxfordshire. The Council will use this money to invest in improving services – without the cost falling on the council taxpayers.
All 43 Oxfordshire libraries are to receive fast new computers The council’s 43 libraries already have 263 public computers with broadband connections and special software for people with limited sight, and these are extremely popular: After many years of very intensive use, these public computers - which help people, particularly those on low incomes, access the Internet - need replacing with faster, more modern ones. The money for the new computers is a slice of a £1million (£965,000) government reward for Oxfordshire County Council’s work in encouraging business growth in Oxfordshire.
£106,000 to fund local safety projects South Oxfordshire Community Safety Partnership has approved grants of £106,000 to fund local safety projects during 2007 and 2008. Whilst South Oxfordshire is a safe place to live there is always more that can be done to address specific safety concerns. Projects receiving funding include a scheme to tackle alcohol fuelled crime and antisocial behaviour, and support for victims of domestic violence.
District Council achieves Investors in People success Following a recent reassessment, SODC has retained full recognition as an Investor in People (IiP), as well as becoming the first council in the South East to achieve this award against some tough new criteria. In almost all of the levels of achievement, the Council has exceeded the requirements of the IiP Standard. The Council’s IiP achievement is based on the quality of its business strategies; the effectiveness of its management; the way it involves and empowers staff; and its focus on continuous improvement. Compiled by Angie Paterson
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There will be a BBQ and family open day on Sunday 8th July, at Adwell House. We are planning this with Tom Birch Reynardson, of Adwell House. The gardens will be open from 4pm, with a BBQ, beer and wine tent, teas, labyrinth and guided earth walk, open air swimming, and possibly circle dancing! There will also be a child-friendly outdoor service led by A Rocha. Entry is £5 per car, but free for those walking from Lewknor or elsewhere! We would love to have more helpers- if you’d like to help please contact Simon Brignall on 01844 281 827/ simon.brignall@arocha.org Children are very welcome at this event.
Looking further ahead, we are planning a ‘LOAF’ fayre for Sunday 14th October, to be held in St.Margaret’s in the afternoon. LOAF stands for ‘Local, Organic, Animal-friendly and Fairtrade’, and we will be hosting stalls that fit this criteria- to which will be added ‘eco-friendly’!. If you’d like to have a stall, or can recommend local food suppliers or suitable local businesses, please contact us. We plan to have activities for children such as making recycled Christmas decorations, and perhaps bell ringing! The day after, there will be a visit from a Franciscan Brother of the Hilfield peace and environment project in Dorset, speaking about ‘living lightly’.
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Environment Sunday, 3rd June 2007
The following is an account of her journey
The Camelot Kilimanjaro Challenge 2007
This June I took part in an amazing challenge with 19 of my colleagues from Camelot plus some friends and family and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in aid of a local charity called Light in Africa and The National Deaf Children’s Society.
Together we have raised nearly £100,000 for the charities and it is Camelot’s greatest fundraising effort to date. Light in Africa We spent the first two days of our stay in Tanzania working on a building site owned by Light in Africa. It’s quite literally a green field site where they plan to build 25 houses to provide safe and loving homes for their 100 or so orphaned and abandoned children. We marked out the perimeter of the land and set about making a total of 468 breeze – block sized bricks by hand. They need 80,000 of them to build the houses – that’s about 2 years’ work for the two labourers on the payroll who get paid £3.50 per day. It’s not much, but it’s twice what the teachers at the orphanage get. Many of the children have come from families where their parents have already died from AIDS or have become too ill to take care of them. Other children are disabled and have been abandoned by their parents into the care of an elderly relative who can no longer cope. One 20 year old downs-syndrome boy had been kept in a room by his grandmother for 18 years. He’d never been outside.
In spite of all of this, these children are loving, playful and incredibly grateful for the safe haven of love, hope, medical care and education provided by Light in Africa, which they could have never before imagined. To have sufficient food to eat every day at set times is a wonder in itself. For the home to have a "no beating policy" is something unbeknown to the children, the local residents, or even the Social Welfare Departments. For them to receive a kiss or a cuddle from the staff is something that was previously denied to them.
The climb On Sunday June 10th we set off for the Machame Gate, the start of the 6 – day route to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and back. The highest freestanding mountain in the world, Kilimanjaro is also the highest mountain on the African continent at 5895m – over 19,000 feet - with huge permanent glaciers flowing down from the summit. It is the highest place on earth you can walk without mountaineering skills, if you can survive the effects of the extreme altitude. That day we climbed through rainforest to our first campsite at 3,000m and the next day we climbed above the tree line to 3,800m. The effects of the altitude started to affect us from then on and we struggled with headaches, nausea and sleeplessness as we walked up to 4,600m the next day and back down to 3,900m to sleep, following the mountaineers’ code to “walk high, sleep low” to help our bodies acclimatize to the extreme altitude.
On Wednesday we left camp at 7am and walked all day to the freezing, barren campsite below the summit called “Barafu” – “Ice” in Swahili. We arrived there at 5.30pm, tried to eat but failed and had our summit attempt briefing. We would be called at 10.30pm for a check up with the team doctor before leaving camp at midnight. We got about an hour’s sleep and dressed in everything we had. It was about -15 degrees when we left, accompanied by 8 guides, walking up steep frozen scree for the next 7 ½ hours with a headtorch. Along the way 7 of the team turned back due to the effects of altitude and extreme cold. Our water froze at 2am. As the sky lightened at around 6.30am, I was one of the 10 of us to reach Stella Point, the edge of the crater, and over the next hour we dragged ourselves past the incredible Southern Ice Field glacier on the final ascent to Uhuru Peak, the highest point on the mountain at 5895m above sea level, known as the “Roof of Africa”.
4 hours later we stumbled back into camp, had an hour to rest and then walked another 2 hours to another site at lower altitude to help us recover. In total we had walked for 24 hours out of the last 33 and slept for just 2. Another 5 hour walk awaited our aching legs and bruised toes on Friday morning as we made our way slowly to the gate and off the mountain. The Camelot team hope to continue the work we have started by arranging another fund raising event next year. If you want to donate to the National Deaf Children’s Society you can do so at Mountainmania or to Light In Africa.