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Romania. It’s a demanding, two-week residential project that touches the souls of those involved. In this morning’s assembly Year 13s Iona Ashworth, Rachel Blackman-Mack, Jessica Brough, Amelia Coe, Elise Goodwin, Alicia Johnson-Cole, Ese Overo Tarimo and Alice Patchett explained why they found this summer’s experience so engaging. The history helps; this is a project in which we’ve been engaged for 12 years, so there’s a wealth of understanding on which to draw. What’s so special is that the British volunteers work alongside Romanian sixth formers using sports, music, art, crafts and drama to develop confidence and skills in the children, who are a mixture of abandoned, special needs and local village children in the forest setting, Transylvania. It all leads to the grand finale, or Spectacol.
Exhausting, yes, and of course it’s hard planning lessons that can work at different levels and connecting with some of the children, but on the whole their enthusiasm is infectious. The thrill of seeing how much the children loved sporting their medals, reciting their lines, rehearsing their dance moves, making hats, and throwing themselves into role-play, especially as Captain of the Pirates, is worth it. The JAGS helpers learnt something of Romanian culture too, and appreciated the amazing skills of the Romanian sixth formers in traditional dance. (Justin Bieber got a look-in too!)
Thanks to Head of Sixth Form and Community Action, Vikki Askew, for steering this very special project. Read more
21 September 2011
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