Borough schoolchildren go Olympics mad (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Themed events held in and around Basingstoke

9:00am Thursday 26th July 2012 in Local By Emily Roberts, Chief Reporter

HUNDREDS of schoolchildren in and around Basingstoke have been gearing up for the Olympic Games by holding their own specially-themed events.

Olympic activities have taken place at numerous schools over the last few weeks ahead of the historic London Games. St John’s Primary School, in Basingstoke, held an Olympic-themed week with various activities, including an opening and closing ceremony.

The children also visited the Down Grange Sports Complex, in Pack Lane, where they took part in various track and field events on the playing fields and running track. Marnel Community Junior School, in Popley, Basingstoke, held an Olympic project for three months.

Tricia Farley, a teacher at the school, said: “Every single class in the school represented a country of one of the children in their class who was from that country. “Each class researched their country and made a video about it, and they also wrote a speech for a UN conference and gave all the reasons why their country should be able to participate in the Olympics. They made national costumes and the country’s national flag, and paraded them on the playground.”

She added: “We sang the National Anthem, so as well as looking at the world and other countries, we also remembered that London is the host and we are British.”

Bishop Challoner Secondary School pupils took part in a challenge week using the theme of the Olympic values of respect, inspiration, courage, excitement, friendship, equality and determination.

Students designed menus from around the world, held an Olympic-themed school fair and designed, built and raced model cars. Artwork based on the Olympic Games through the ages was created by pupils at the school, in South Ham, Basingstoke, which will become permanent exhibits.

An area of the school was transformed into a new garden with painted climbers and bedding, to become a lasting tribute to the Olympic Games.

It will be added to with seating, inspirational quotes and a commemorative plaque to a former student whose fundraising subsidised part of the project. Robert May’s School pupils, in Odiham, held their own Olympic Torch Relay .

A real Olympic torch, provided by Lloyds TSB, was used at the event in which students carried the torch on a lap around the school’s artificial pitch. Councillor Martin Biermann , Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane, visited Hatch Warren Infant School, in Hatch Warren, Basingstoke, to open an Olympic-themed fortnight.

Infant and junior school pupils celebrated the beginning of the event with an opening ceremony and waved flags from different countries around the world.

And pupils at Park View Junior School, in South Ham, Basingstoke, held an Olympic day with pupils dressing up in red, white and blue.