St George’s Express Logo Designed by Anton Augustine-Gayle ISSUE 12: 12th July 2012
Welcome Back Inside this issue: Roving Reporter Interview (Mr Jones)
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Roving Reporter Interview (Mrs Brosnan & Danny)
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Cork Exchange
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Special Olympic and Sport Edition! Did you know that… the five Olympic Rings are said to represent the five continents that take part in the Olympics every four years? These are Africa, The Americas, Asia, Europe and Australasia. The colours are (in order, from left to right): Blue, Yellow, Black, Green, Red. Did you know that…
Local News
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every national flag in the world includes at least one of these colours? Did you know that...
Olympic History & Torch
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Olympic Events
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Olympic Events
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Olympic Events
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Famous Olympians
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Storytime
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the Olympic flag first appeared at the 1920 Olympic Games in Belgium. At the end of each Olympic Games, the mayor of the host city passes the flag to the mayor of the next host city. The flag is then held at the town hall of the next host city until the opening ceremony of their Olympic Games?
Goodbye and Good Luck St George’s Express have to say goodbye to our reporters in Year 6. We wish them lots of luck as they move on to secondary school and thank them for all their hard work. A special mention goes to Hannah Fallon and Megan Forshaw, who have been part of our news team since they were in Year 3!
The Ancient Torch of Athens Storytime
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Adam, The Bravest Runner On Earth. Poetry
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Puzzle Pages
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Wordsearch Puzzle Pages
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Megan’s Challenge Tommy’s Flags
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Goodbye and Good Luck to: (in alphabetical order) Ciara Aspell, Anton Augustine-Gayle, Hannah Fallon, Megan Forshaw, Melissa Hall, Edward Moss
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Our Roving Reporter Interviews Interview conducted by Erin Pitts and Claire McHugh on Monday 28th May
Interview with Mr Jones Q: How long have been teaching sport at St George’s? A: I have been teaching sports at St. Georges for 4 years Q: What is your favourite sport to teach at St George’s? A: I don’t really have a favourite sport, I like teaching all sports. Summer is a good time to teach sports because you can go out in the nice weather. Q: What is your least favourite sport to teach and why? A: I don’t really have a least favourite sport either, I enjoy teaching all sports but I suppose it does get a little disappointing when its raining and you’ve got to find space to teach PE.
Q: Have you ever taught sport in any other schools and if so, what were they? A: Yes, I’ve taught sports in different schools. I taught a secondary school in Surrey, Year 7 to Year 13 PE and ICT. I taught Year 10-11 GCSE PE and Years 12-13 A level PE.
Q: What made you become a sports teacher and how long did it take you to train? A: Well I’ve always been interested in sports. I used to love sport when I was younger. I did sports at school and GSCE sports and it’s what I have a passion for doing. The time it took be to become a teacher, well if you include my degree, it took me 4 years.
Q: What primary school did you go to and what sports did you do there? A: I went to a very small primary school with about 60 children in it, in West Wales. The sports we did there were a variety of sports. We didn’t have the same opportunities that St George’s have. St George’s have many more opportunities! The sports we did there were mainly rugby and gymnastics. Q: What secondary school did you go to and what sports did you do there? A: I went to a secondary school near West Wales. We did a variety of sports and the main sport again was rugby. We used to do a lot of rugby, football, swimming, gymnastics and basketball. Similar to what people do these days really.
Q: What was your favourite sport at school and why? A: My favourite sport at school was rugby because we had a lot of opportunities. If you were in the team for rugby you could go to other schools and play against them. We
went to Canada so it was really fun! I did see a lot of the world playing rugby.
Q: If you were given the choice, what sports would you have done at school? A: If I was given the choice, I would choose something like BMX riding as that’s something that you wouldn’t usually get do.
Q: How different are the lessons you did at your school to now? A: They’re different, you have more opportunities within lessons today. Teachers have good training. There's a lot more ICT now because when I was in school there was hardly any ICT and it wasn’t that long ago.
Q: Are you doing anything interesting over the holidays that you would like to tell us about? A: Over the summer holidays I’m going to see family and friends in Ireland and Wales. Possibly somewhere else if we have time.
Q: Do you have any tickets for the 2012 Olympic Games this year, or will you be watching it on TV? A: I have 24 tickets for the Olympic Games. I’ve got 10 for Football, 8 for Basketball and I’ve got around 6 for the Paralympics Games that are starting in September. They are for the school. I applied through the school to get tickets for the children in St George’s and they will be raffled off, so you might even have an opportunity to go to the Olympic games.
Q: What do you think about the Olympic Games and why? A: I think they’re brilliant because it brings together almost two hundred communities to compete against each other to represent their country and inspire everyone, children and adults.
Q: If you could choose any event to go to what would it be and why? A: I would probably choose to go to the one hundred metres final. It’s when they’ve reached that stage, they’re the fastest women or men in the world.
Q: Lastly, what is your favourite sport to watch in the Olympic Games? A: I would love to watch anything to do with athletics or swimming.
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More Roving Reporter Interviews Interview Questions by Olivia Dowling and Tommy Carey
Mrs Brosnan
Q: How long have you been teaching Netball? A: For about 12 years, but during that time the game at primary school has changed and we play High 5’s.
Danny
Q: What do you like most about teaching young children? A: I enjoy sharing my passion, experience and knowledge of several sports and teaching how important sport is in life.
Q: Did you know how to play Netball before you came to St. Georges?
Q: How many sports do you teach?
A: Yes, I was in charge of netball at my last school, St. Anselm’s.
A: Over 10 including Football, Tennis, Gaelic, Hockey and cricket.
Q: Has there ever been any major injuries?
Q: How long have you been teaching for?
A: Netball is a non-contact sport so injuries are usually just sprains to wrists and ankles.
A: Over 5 years. Q: What was your first job?
Q: Have the Netball team ever played games outside of school? A: Yes we are part of a Netball League and play friendly matches at other schools. Q: Why did you want to teach Netball and do you enjoy it? A: I enjoyed playing Netball at school and wanted the opportunity for children to learn the sport. Q: Has there ever been a sport that you wanted to learn but never got the chance to, and if so, what sport? A: I really enjoy seeing the children at St George’s progress in gymnastics and would have loved to have had that opportunity when I was at school. Q: Will you carry on teaching Netball in the future? A: I enjoy Netball but would probably like to give the opportunity to teach it to some of the younger members of staff.
A: I worked in an electrical shop selling stereos, TVs and CD players. Q: What inspired you to become a teacher? A: I love sharing knowledge with people and enjoy communicating with people. Q: What are your hobbies? A: I play football and tennis, I do try to go to the gym and also have a great interest in music.
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Cork Exchange UK Visit Written by Olivia Dowling On 26th April, some girls and boys from a school called Watergrasshill National School came to London and stayed with some of the children from St George’s. Watergrasshill National School is in the Irish county of Cork and about 10 miles from Cork City. I’ve researched a little background information about County Cork. Did you know it’s the largest county in Ireland? Cork is also the third largest city after Belfast and Dublin. A three arch bridge built in Glanworth, a village in Cork, was built in the 15th century and is said to be the oldest and narrowest bridge to still be in use in Europe. Cobh, a seaside port in Cork, is also said to be the Titanic's last port of call in 1912. St Finbarr is the founder of Cork and is also the Patron Saint of Cork. Some popular sports played in Cork are Hurling, Gaelic Football, Road Bowling and Soccer. The children from St George’s and Watergrasshill played a Blitz Tournament (which is a Gaelic Football tournament) This was played at Tir Chonaill Gaels GAA Club in Greenford. Two of the girls, Cliona and Ellen, stayed with me at my house and I interviewed them. Here’s what they had to say... Q: Have you ever been to London before, if so was it better than this time? Cliona: We have both been to London before but I think this time was definitely better. Q: Was there anything you wanted to do but didn’t have the time to do? Ellen: We would have liked to see Wembley Stadium. Q: It is true you went to our school disco, did you enjoy it? Cliona: Yes it was really fun and we went crazy when they played What Makes You Beautiful. Q: You went to Westfield Shopping Centre in your spare time, did you enjoy it? Cliona: Yes, it was massive and we went to all sorts of shops like Hollister and H&M, it was class! Q: Would you come back to London? Cliona: Of course! Ellen: Definitely!
Ireland Visit Written by Tommy Carey From 15th-18th June, children from Year 5 and Year 6 went to Ireland and stayed with families from Watergrasshill National School in Cork. We stayed for 4 days and 3 nights and we did a lot of activities while we were over there. When we first arrived at Cork City airport, we got a coach to Watergrasshill School and went into our host families class to meet them. We were going to have a sports day, but it was raining, so we had to stay inside, but we watched a movie in the class and when the day was over, we went to our various host families houses and got to know them a bit better. A few hours later, we went bowling with everyone from St George’s and Watergrasshill, at a place called Planet and had a lot of fun. The next day we all went to a Gaelic Blitz and played a few matches, some with the host families and some just as St George’s. We won every match and got medals at the end of it. We then got to spend some time with the host families. Later, some people went greyhound racing and won a bit of money, sadly I only won 7 Euros! We had to get up early the next day to go to Ballyhas Lakes, an outdoor activity centre. When we got there we went on the low ropes, which is like high ropes but just lower. We didn’t need harnesses and we were not allowed to touch the ground or we had to start again. When we finished that, my group was off to do raft building. It was really hard getting into wetsuits. We finally got to the lake, unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to build rafts, so we just jumped into the freezing cold lake and continued jumping in until time was up. Then we had to get dry and eat our lunch. After lunch, we went on a thing called Gladiator, where we had to be put into harnesses and it was a race to the top! It was really fun. Then it was time for the last activity of the day and that was absailing. We had to go up an 80 foot cliff and make our way down! Before we went home we got to go to the gift shop and buy things like chocolate and drinks. I was really sad when we had to leave Ballyhas Lakes. I didn’t want to leave Cork, but we had to say goodbye to the host families at Watergrasshill. We got a car to Cork City jail and were able to look around. It was really exciting! It was a massive jail and there were wax models of some of the prisoners that had been held there. We left the jail and went to a little sweet factory and watched how they made sweets and they gave us a few testers. After leaving the sweet factory, we got the coach to the airport. Before boarding the plane, we walked through a shop and bought gifts for our families. I really didn’t want to leave, it was a great trip and I definitely want to go again next year!
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News From Pupils Irish Dancing Written by Christabelle Addo and Illustrated by Olivia Dowling. On 28th of April 2012, Claire McHugh and I competed in a Feis. A Feis (pronounced Fesh) is an Irish dancing competition, where you can win trophies and medals. The cost for entering a Feis is £3.50 per dance and we participated in three dances. The dances we participated in were the Reel, the Light Jig and the Single Jig. Here is a summary of our day. Sinead, our Irish dance teacher, picked us up and checked that we had everything. We had a fully black outfit, poodle socks, Ghillies (dance shoes) and lots and lots of hair bands. It took a while to reach the Feis as it was in Luton and the drive was a hour an a half. When we arrived at the Cardinal Newman High School, it was about 10:00am. We then went to a separate building, signed in and were given our competing numbers. We went to the sports hall that we were dancing in, and got ready to dance. We had to warm up for about twenty minutes and then we got to look at some dresses for sale, we then watched some of the older dancers.
Dance. First up was the Reel. The Reel is the easiest Irish Dance and usually the first dance you learn. I received a Highly Recommended and Claire received a 3rd. Next was the Light Jig, Claire was placed 2nd in this. Lastly was the Single/Hop Jig, neither of us were placed in this, but we are hoping to improve for our next Feis in July.
When it was our time to dance, we sat on a bench on the side of the stage and were called up, three at a time. Claire and I were not allowed to dance together because we were from the same school of Irish Dance, The Wright Academy of Irish
After School Club Trip to Hobbycraft Written by Megan Kelly Before Easter, the After School Club won a competition for the best Easter bonnet. This was organised by Hobbycraft. On Tuesday 15th April, four children who created the Easter bonnet were selected to go and collect the prize of £175.00 of vouchers from Hobbycraft. The winning children, Jasmine Shiramba (1B), Alyssa Shiramba (5BT), Gemma Songui (5BT) and Christabelle Addo (5D). were taken to Hobbycraft in Greenford in the school mini bus by Mrs Madden and Val. While they were waiting for their prize they had a good browse around the shop to give them ideas of what they might like to spend the vouchers on. They looked at cookery tools and lots of creative ideas for the Queen’s Jubilee. They were then greeted by a member of staff, who presented the winners with their vouchers. The prize was divided up.
£100.00 went to the
After School Club and £25.00 each to the following classes 5BT, 5D AND 1B, as they were the winners classes.
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The Olympic Games Olympic History Researched and written by Matthew Goold and illustrated by Lukas Roberts The Olympic Games started over 2,700 years ago in Olympia, in southwest Greece. According to legend, the Ancient Olympics were founded by Heracles, a son of Zeus. However, the first Olympic Games, for which there are written records, were held in 776 BC. The Greek Olympics were held in honour of Zeus, the King of the Gods, and were staged every 4 four years at Olympia, a valley near a city called Elis. The games were part of a religious festival. People all over the Greek world came to watch and take part. The ancient Olympics grew bigger and bigger until a Roman emperor called Theodosius abolished them. Then about 1500 years later, a Frenchman named Pierre de Coubertin brought them back again. The Greek Olympics inspired the modern Olympic games which began in 1896. Great Britain, is the name under which the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland competes at the Olympic games. Great Britain was one of 14 teams to compete in the first Games in the 1896 summer Olympics and has competed at every Olympic Games since then. Athletes representing Great Britain have won 715 medals at the summer Olympic Games, and another 22 at the winter Olympic Games. Great Britain is the only team to have won at least one gold medal at every summer Games!
The Olympic Torch Researched and written by Claire McHugh and illustrated by Lukas Roberts The Olympic flame is lit in front of the ruins of the Temple of Hera in Olympia, Greece, showing the connection between the ancient games and the modern ones. The modern use of the Olympic Flame began in 1936. 8,000 people are carrying the Olympic torch this year. Torchbearers are carrying the flame through more than 1,000 cities, towns and villages in the UK! The Olympic Flame arrived in the UK on the 18th of May 2012 before setting out the next day on a 70-day Olympic torch relay, bringing the excitement of the games to everyone. Some 1400 cities will have been visited by the Olympic torch. Here is a list of the first cities visited on each day. Day 1-19/5
Day 11-29/5 Day 21-8/6
Day 31-18/6 Day 41-28/6 Day 51-8/7
Day 61-18/7
Lands End
Beaumaris
Middlesbrough Lincoln
Hastings
Day 2-20/5
Day 12-30/5 Day 22-9/6
Day 32-19/6 Day 42-29/6 Day 52-9/7
Day 62-19/7
Plymouth
Chester
Hull
Deal
Day 3-21/5
Day 13-31/5 Day 23-10/6 Day 33-20/6 Day 43-30/6 Day 53-10/7 Day 63-20/7
Exeter
Stoke-on-
Kirkwall
Day 4-22/5
Day 14-1/6
Day 24-11/6 Day 34-21/6 Day 44-1/7
Day 54-11/7 Day 64-21/7
Taunton
Bolton
Stornoway
Reading
Day 5-23/5
Day 15-2/6
Day 25-12/6 Day 35-22/6 Day 45-2/7
Day 55-12/7 Day 65-22/7
Bristol
Liverpool
Aberdeen
Salisbury
Day 6-24/5
Day 16-3/6
Day 26-13/6 Day 36-23/6 Day 46-3/7
Day 56-13/7 Day 66-23/7
Gloucester
Belfast
St Andrews
Portland Bill
Day 7-25/5
Day 17-4/6
Day 27-14/6 Day 37-24/6 Day 47-4/7
Day 57-14/7 Day 67-24/7
Worcester
River Bann
Edinburgh
Bournemouth
Day 8-26/5
Day 18-5/6
Day 28-15/6 Day 38-25/6 Day 48-5/7
Day 58-15/7 Day 68-25/7
Cardiff
Londonderry
Alnwick
Southampton
Day 9-27/5
Day 19-6/6
Day 29-16/6 Day 39-26/6 Day 49-6/7
Day 59-16/7 Day 69-26/7
Swansea
Dublin
Gateshead
Portsmouth
Stranraer
Glasgow
York
Dumfries
Kendal
Lytham St
Salford
Leeds
Sheffield
Nottingham
Derby
Birmingham
Coventry
Leicester
Peterborough
Norwich
Ipswich
Cambridge
Luton
Oxford
Maidstone
Greenwich
Redbridge
Lewisham
Kingston
HARROW
Camden
Day 10-28/5 Day 20-7/6
Day 30-17/6 Day 40-27/6 Day 50-7/7
Day 60-17/7 Day 70-27/7
Aberystwyth
Durham
Brighton
Newcastle
Grimsby
Chelmsford
Hampton Court
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Olympic Events Researched and written by Megan Kelly, Matthew Good, Christabelle Addo, Claire McHugh, Elizabeth Woods, Jiji Masuku, Olivia Dowling and Erin Pitts In the next few pages, we will give you some details about the Olympic Events and list some Team GB members for each sport to watch out for during the Olympics...
Watch out for Tim Brabants, Liam Heath, Jess Walker & Rachel Cawthorn.
Cycling (BMX)
Archery Archery will be held at the Lords Cricket Grounds from 27th July-3rd August. Archery dates back 10,000 years when bows and arrows were first used for hunting and warfare. Now over 140 countries are practicing it around the world. Watch out for: Alan Wills, Larry Godfrey, Naomi Folkard & Alison Williamson.
Athletics There are 2,000 athletes competing in 47 events. Athletics is also the largest sport in the games. Athletics is taking place from 3rd-12th August at the Olympic Stadium. Watch out for David Webb, Mo Farah, Paula Radcliffe & Claire Hallissey.
Badminton Badminton will be held at Wembley Arena from 28th July5th August. Badminton was first created in India and was first known as Poona. Watch out for Chris Adcock, Rajiv Ouseph, Imogen Bankier & Susan Eglestaff.
Basketball Basketball will be held at the Olympic Parks Basketball Arena from 28th July-12th August. Basketball was first discovered in America, and has become one of the most popular sports in the world. Watch out for Kieran Achara, Eric Boateng, Stefanie Collins & Julie Page.
Beach Volleyball Beach volleyball will be taking place in Horse Guards Parade from 28th July-9th August. This sport was created in the 1920’s at Santa Monica, California. Watch out for Steve Grotowski, John Thompson, Shauna Mullin & Zara Dampney.
Elton Dorney, Buckinghamshire. It wasn’t until the 19th century that the first official canoe and kayak races were held.
Garcia-
This will take place from 8th-10th August at the Olympic Park BMX Track. Cycling BMX first became an Olympic sport in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics. Watch out for Liam Phillips and Shanaze Read.
Cycling (Mountain Bike) Cycling Mountain Bike will be taking place from 11th-12th August at the Hadleigh Farm, Essex. Mountain Biking first took place in the Olympics in 1996. Watch out for Liam Killeen & Annie Last.
Cycling (Road) Cycling Road will be taking place from 28th-29th July and 1st August at The Mall, Box Hill and Hampton Court Palace. According to popular legend, the first ever bicycle race was held in Paris in 1868. Watch out for Chris Froome, Mark Cavendish, Lucy Martin & Emma Pooley.
Cycling (Track) Cycling Track will be taking place from 2nd to 7th August in the Olympic Park Velodrome. As early as 1870, large crowds were drawn to races held in England on indoor wooden tracks, which closely resembled the velodromes of today. Watch out for Geraint Thomas, Chris Hoy, Jessica Varnish & Danielle King.
Diving Diving will taking place from 25th July-12th August in the Olympic Aquatic Park. Diving requires acrobatic excellence and supreme coordination skills, as athletes dive from heights of up to 10m into the waters below. Watch out for Tom Daley, Chris Mears, Hannah Starling & Sarah Barrow.
Equestrian
Boxing will be taking place from 28th July-12th August in ExCel. Women’s boxing will be part of the Olympics for the first time.
Equestrian is taking place in Greenwich Park from 28th July-9th August. The Equestrian competition at London 2012 is made up of three disciplines: Dressage, Eventing and Jumping. Each discipline requires different skills from the riders and horses competing.
Watch out for Anthony Joshua, Andrew Selby, Nicola Adams & Natasha Jonas.
Watch out for Carl Hester, William Fox-Pitt, Zara Phillips & Mary King.
Canoe Slalom
Fencing
Canoe Slalom will be taking place from 29th July to 2nd August in Lee Valley White Water Centre, Hertfordshire. Canoe slalom first became an Olympic sport in 1932.
Fencing will be taking place from 28th July-5th August in ExCel. At the first modern Olympic Games of 1896, the fencing programme consisted of men’s Foil and Sabre events, with Epée making its debut at Paris 1900.
Boxing
Watch out for David Florence, Richard Hounslow, Etienne Stott & Lizzie Neave.
Canoe Sprint Canoe Sprint will be taking place from 6th-11th August at
Watch out for James Honeybone, Richard Kruse, Anna Bentley & Louise Bond-Williams.
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Olympic Events Researched and written by Megan Kelly, Matthew Good, Christabelle Addo, Claire McHugh, Elizabeth Woods, Jiji Masuku, Olivia Dowling and Erin Pitts Football
Sailing
Football will begin on 25th July and end on 11th August. A number of venues are being used: City of Coventry Stadium, Hampden Park, Millennium Stadium, Old Trafford, St James’ Park and Wembley Stadium. Football was introduced as an Olympic sport in Paris in 1900.
On open water sailing requires speed and skill. It first became an Olympic event in 1900. The 2012 sailing will take place from 29th July-11th August in Weymouth and Portland in Dorset.
Watch out for Ryan Giggs, Jason Steele, Kelly Smith & Rachel Williams.
Gymnastics (Artistic) Gymnastics Artistic will be taking place in North Greenwich Park from 28th July-7th August. The term Artistic Gymnastics was first used in the 19th century. Between its appearance at the Athens 1896 Games and the 1920s, the event evolved into what we know as modern Gymnastics. Watch out for Sam Oldham, Louis Smith, Jennifer Pinches & Elizabeth Tweddle.
Gymnastics (Rhythmic ) Gymnastics rhythmic will be taking place from 9th-12th August in Wembley Arena. This is one of just two womenonly sports in the Olympic Games. Rhythmic Gymnastics is a combination of gymnastics and dance. Watch out for Jade Faulkner, Francesca Francesca Jones & Lynne Hutchison.
Fox,
Watch out for Luke Patience, Iain Percy, Saskia Clark & Hannah Mills.
Shooting Shooting will be held at the Royal Artillery Barracks from 8th July-6th August. During the London 2012 Olympic games, nearly 400 competitors are shooting for gold across 15 dramatic events! Watch out for James Huckle, Richard Charlotte Kerwood & Jennifer McIntosh.
Faulds,
Swimming Swimming will be held at the Olympic Park Aquatics Centre and Hyde Park from 28th July–4th August. A total of 950 competitors will take part in 34 events in the swimming competitions. Watch out for Michael Rock, Michael Jameison, Jessica Lloyd and Sophie Allen.
Synchronised Swimming
Handball will be held from the 28th July-12th August and will take place at the Olympic Park Basketball Arena. Handball was originally held outdoors as field handball.
Synchronised Swimming will taking place from 5th August10th August at The Olympic Park Aquatics Centre. Although one of only two “women only” events, Synchronised Swimming originally began as a sport for men in the 1800s.
Watch out for Martin Hare, Bobby White, Kathryn Fudge & Nina Heglund.
Watch out for Jennifer Knobbs, Katie Skelton, Asha Randall & Jenna Randall.
Hockey
Table Tennis
The hockey will take place on the 29th July-11th August at the Olympic Park Riverbank Arena. Hockey demands speed, stamina and a great coordination.
Table Tennis will be taking place from 28th July-8th August. Other names for Table tennis include ‘Ping Pong’, ‘Whiff Waff’ and ‘Flim Flam’.
Watch out for Ian Mackay, Harry Martin, Alexandra Danson & Emily Maguire.
Watch out for Andrew Baggely, Liam Pitchford, Kelly Sibley & Joanna Parker.
Judo
Taekwondo
Judo contests are a five minute whirlwind of combat attack and defence. The Judo competitions run from 28th July3rd August at ExCel.
Taekwondo will take place from 8th-11th August at ExCel. Expect plenty of excitement!
Handball
Watch out for Winston Gordon, Euan Burton, Karina Byrant & Gemma Howell.
Modern Pentathlon The modern pentathlon will be held on 11th-12th August in the Copper Box, the Aquatics Centre and Greenwich Park. it is made up of swimming, riding, running and fencing. Watch out for Nick Woodbridge, Sam Weale, Mhairi Spence & Samantha Murray.
Rowing Although the sport of rowing goes back centuries, it only consisted as a competitive sport 200 years ago. The Rowing runs from 28th July-4th August and will be held at Eaton Dorney. Watch out for George Nash, Zac Purchase, Natasha Page & Debbie Flood.
Watch out for Lutalo Muhammad, Martin Stamper, Jade Jones & Sarah Stevenson.
Tennis The Tennis competition will be held on the grass courts of Wimbledon from 28th July-5th August. Tennis appeared at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. Watch out for Andy Murray, Colin Fleming, Heather Watson & Laura Robson.
Trampoline The Trampoline made its first appearance in Sydney, Australia in 2000 Olympic Games. The Trampoline will be held at the North Greenwich Arena on 3rd and 4th August. Watch out for Katherine Driscoll.
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Olympic Events Researched and written by Megan Kelly, Matthew Good, Christabelle Addo, Claire McHugh, Elizabeth Woods, Jiji Masuku, Olivia Dowling and Erin Pitts. Illustrations by Lukas Roberts. Triathlon The Triathlon will be held at Hyde Park on 4th and 7th August. 55 men and 55 woman are competiting. The course is a 1,500m swim, followed by a 43km bike ride and finishing with a 10km run! Watch out for Alistair Brownlee, Stuart Hayes, Vicky Holland & Helen Jenkins.
Volleyball Volleyball made its debut in Tokyo in 1964. This year it will be held at Earls Court from 28th July-12th August. Watch out for Dan Hunter, Chris Lamont, Maria Bertelli & Rachel Laybourne.
Water Polo Water Polo will taking place from 29th July-12th August at the Olympic Park Water Polo Arena. Water Polo was developed in the 19th century as an aquatic version of rugby! Watch out for Jake Vincent, Ciaran James, Hazel Musgrove & Rosemary Morris.
Weight Lifting Weight lifting will be taking place from 25th July-7th August at ExCel. Weight lifters put chalk on their hands to help them grip the bar. Watch out for Peter Kirkbride, Jack Oliver, Zoe Smith & Natasha Perdue.
Wrestling Wrestling will be taking place from 5th-12th August at ExCel. Before point scoring was introduced, wrestling matches continued until one wrestler was finally forced to the ground. Watch out for Olga Butkevych.
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Famous Olympians Sir Steve Redgrave from Great Britain Rowing Medals—5 Gold, 1 Bronze Sir Steve Redgrave is often thought to be Britain’s greatest ever Olympian. He was the first athlete to win gold medals at five successive Olympic games.
Chen Yanqing from China Weightlifting Medals—2 Gold Chen Yanqing became the first woman to win gold medals in weightlifting in Olympic games.
Mark Spitz from USA Swimming
Paolo Bettini from Italy Cycling (Road)
Medals—9 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze
Medals—1 Gold
One of the greatest swimmers of all time. Mark Spitz won seven gold medals at the Munich Olympic games in 1972, each in a world record time.
two
consecutive
Paolo Bettini won the men’s individual road race at Athens 2004 and became one the greatest Olympic road cyclists of all time.
Reiner Klimke from Germany Equestrian
Michael Jordan from USA Basketball
Medals-6 Gold, 2 Bronze
Medals—2 Gold
Reiner Klimke's six gold and two bronze medals over six different Games make him the most decorated rider in Olympic history.
Michael Jordan is one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Before he turned professional, he represented the USA at the Olympic Games in 1984!
Gregory Louganis from USA Diving Medals—4 Gold, 1 Silver Gregory Louganis is thought to be one of the greatest divers of all time and was only 16 years old when he first took part in the Olympics. Olga Brusnikina from Russia Synchronised Swimming Medals—3 Gold Olga has been a synchronised swimmer since the age of 9 years. She once said, “After so many years of training, I feel at home in the water. I’m used to living upside down!”
Carl Lewis from USA Athletics Medals—9 Gold, 1 Silver One of only four Olympians to win 9 Gold medals. Carl is considered to be one of the greatest Olympic idols on the 20th century. Stephanie Cook from Great Britain Modern Pentathlon Medals—1 Gold Stephanie has the honour of being the first ever female gold medallist in Modern Pentathlon.
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Story Time The Ancient Torch of Athens Written by Elizabeth Woods, illustrated by Olivia Dowling and Lukas Roberts.
In the Olympic Stadium, Wenlock and Mandeville were in hysterics. “The Olympic Torch has been broken in its procession through L o n d o n!” said Wenlock. “But the Olympic Torch is so important, it can’t be broken” said a hysterical Mandeville. “That’s not all, no-one can fix it and there's no time to make another torch.” said Wenlock. “I’ll have to go off and see if I can find anything that might help us fix the torch,” he worriedly said.
shouted Mandeville. As the two of them bent down over the trap door the ground suddenly gave a horrible lurch and next Wenlock and Mandeville were were falling down into the deep hole, with the wind rushing through their ears. They landed with a thump on the tunnel floor and saw that the walls were carved out of rough stone. “Where are we?” asked Wenlock. “I think we’re down where the torch is buried,” said Mandeville. “Come on, it might be near here”. They journeyed deeper into the tunnel into a stone chamber. In the middle, glistening on a stone table, was the Ancient Olympic torch.
Next morning, Mandeville met Wenlock looking around the stadium. Wenlock looked depressed. “Well, I found out this” Mandeville said. “Long, long ago, in Ancient Greece, on the final of the Olympic Games there was trouble. When Athens won, the Corinthians felt that they had cheated, so in their rage, they tried to destroy the Olympic torch but didn’t succeed. It is said that you can make a wish from that Olympic torch that the Corinthians never managed to destroy. Legend has it that the very torch is buried deep under Athens in Greece.” explained Mandeville.
“Stop! It might be booby trapped” cried Wenlock anxiously.
“Great, so now we have to find the torch and wish for the our torch to be fixed again!” said Wenlock. “Now, the only trouble is getting to Greece and finding out where the Olympic torch might be,” said Mandeville. “Well, we can get there by travelling on our rainbows,” said Wenlock, “We can go tonight!”
They got very hot as they ventured through Athens and were relieved when the time came to travel on their rainbows back to London.
So, that evening they set off for Greece. Mandeville set off on their rainbows bringing a shovel and some food. They landed in Greece that same night. They set out to find somewhere to start digging but unfortunately Wenlock and Mandeville were small and the spades were like huge weights. They would have to try something else! Maybe they might be able to find a hole down underground and start burrowing under. ”Do you ever think we will find a tunnel?” asked Wenlock, after a half an hour of going through alleyways and looking down them hopefully. Then suddenly, Mandeville saw it! A wooden trap door in a corner beside a large rock.” I’ve found it Wenlock! Come over here and have a look!”
“Only one way to find out! Mandeville replied, as he ducked under Wenlock’s outstretched arm and grabbed the torch. At once the chamber started caving in. ”RUN!” shouted Wenlock and they both dived out of the chamber and started sprinting down the tunnel, back up the shaft and into daylight. “That was super close!” puffed Mandeville. “Never mind that. Come on!” shouted Wenlock.
”That was cool!” said Wenlock. “Now come on, we need to fix the torch!” said Mandeville. The old torch from Athens still looked perfect, so with all their might, they made a wish. They wished that the 2012 Olympic Torch could be fixed. Sadly, nothing seemed to happen so Wenlock and Mandeville went back to the Stadium where they had left the broken torch. The torch was still but strangely, it better than before. gold and gleaming. been fixed!
there, looked It was It had
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Story Time Adam, The Bravest Runner on Earth Written by Lukas Roberts There was once a 25 year old man named Adam Davidson. He lived in Chelsea. He was a man who was taking part in the Olympics, and trained 2 hours every day. He woke up one morning, feeling unusual, but was sure there was nothing wrong. Adam put his Adidas training kit on and his trainers, still feeling unusual. Adam lived with his wife, and two little girls, who were twins. Fiona was the taller one, and Leslie was a little shorter. They were both six years old. His wife was named Gabriella. Adam walked halfway downstairs and stopped. He already knew the twins were being naughty and fighting. “GIRLS!” he shouted. Then he sighed. He had always wished he had a son. “What did I tell you about fighting?” Adam walked downstairs and opened the living room door. Fiona ran up to her dad shouting, “Leslie’s been playing with my Barbies!” “To pay her back for the time she was playing with mine.” Leslie interrupted. Adam replied, “Look guys, I’ve got to go. Be nice!” He went outside and took a deep breath. He was young. He would manage until the Games. “There is absolutely nothing to worry about. It’s just an upset stomach!” he thought to himself. Adam started jogging, and instantly vomited. “I’ve been wrong before!“ said Adam, heaving. He wiped everything up and stood up straight, chest out. He put a weird look on his face. With a French accent, he said, ”Oh, vomit 28 has just been evacuated from Adam Davidson’s stomach! Thank you.” He plodded along the road back home. Back at the house, the doorbell rang—ding, dong! Gabriella opened the door. There stood Adam, pale as a ghost. “Adam, what happened?” asked Gabriella. ”I don’t know,” replied Adam as he explained what happened. Adam drove his car to the clinic… “Well do you know how it happened?” asked Dr. Smurphy, a tall man at Chelsea Clinic. “I—it just … came out of me. I guess I was just nervous. I mean, thousands of people counting on you is a very difficult thing to bear.” explained Adam. “Go home, drink this medicine and it will help you feel better, and don’t be nervous. It will just make it worse.” explained the doctor. Dr. Smurphy handed Adam a bottle about 6cm tall, and 3cm wide. “Thank you Dr. Smurphy,” said Adam, and he went back home. The next day— IIII days until the day. The next day— III days until the day. The next day— II days until the day. The next day- I day until the day. On this day… “DADDY!” shouted the girls, giggling. “We’ve made something for you.” said Leslie. ”TA-DA!” Leslie and Fiona presented a gigantic card, big as a nine year old, just for their daddy. It read: Good Luck Daddy! We love you! “Aw, that’s sweet.” said Adam. He gave his daughters a
big hug. Hours later…zzzzzzzzz! Adam was sleeping. The sun came up. Now, it was the big day. He was woke up, feeling unusual again. He ran downstairs to go for a jog and realised he didn’t feel unsure. He caught a train and travelled to the stadium. He had enough time to warm up. The race. The day has come. Adam ran to the starting line, and looked up. There he saw Gabriella, Leslie and Fiona. They were holding up a flag saying: GO ADAM. They smiled at each other. Adam looked beside him to find the guy that bullied him at school, Ludo Cotter. He usually beat him in races and made fun of Adam. When Adam was a little lad, he dreamt about things like this, and beating Ludo to get his revenge. Adam was still dreaming then...poof! The starter sounded. He ran as fast as he could. The first race. 100 metres sprint. He passed everyone. But Ludo was still in front of him. 50 metres left. But he seemed to be falling behind. Adam felt weird and believed he was running really slowly. He was actually way in front of everyone! What a shock! Adam passed the finish first! There were two more races left. He didn’t win the next one but now it was time for the last race. He could not let his fans down. He also had to prove that he was best to the those fans of Ludo. They had to run all around the track. Go! The starter sounded. Poof! They all ran round the track. Adam was behind everyone. He was nervous. He had an upset stomach! He shouldn’t run. But he did. He passed people to get to 4th. He passed two more. Ludo. 1 metre ahead. UGH. He didn’t feel good. But he passed him. Amazing! He had won! Ludo wouldn’t bully Adam any more. When Adam arrived home with his family, they all celebrated with a party!
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Poetry Olympic Poem Written by Erin Pitts
Olympic Games, Olympic Games, Who’s going to hold the flames? I was just sitting on my porch, When something came, THE TORCH! The Olympic Race, The Olympic Race, But don’t go too fast, keep your pace. And remember to tie your shoe lace, So you can win the race! The Olympics, The Olympics, I could see some lovely crystals. But suddenly something went off, THE STARTING PISTOLS! The Olympics, yeah, The Olympics, I can hear the Olympics starting. The opening is with singers,
The Olympics Written by Olivia Dowling
Inspirational athletes all over the world, and fans of the Olympics with their banners unfurled. Just shows how much it means to them That the Olympics have begun. Let the race begin as the starter Pulls the trigger of the gun.
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Olympic Wordsearch M O E M N N F E R U E Q S E N I R E G E F H H H I
G E V N I M L O A E E H Z B A D M I N T O N G E V
T E E I N P R K K C V U F I I C C J Z O I E J E E
S M C N E Y P C I N A S O S R R S E S C P S J I A
L P G K J S F S A L E P H E T C K P I Q C O H J S
P L A Z V A Q S N N S T S B S I Y S M I G E E Y E
S N A S A G P O E S A T H L E T I C S O D A P Y L
J L N T W Y O N O Y S A O Z U M Z G L F D G T S D
A O S T U T E D R A C G I R Q W N E L I I M C A C
G L T E V R R L M Z B Q R U E I A L V C N E I F F
R N O F E H N L H D E G Z I M R E I L F S G E V H
N M I S O N J A K E A S G M C D N I E S U T E Y O
E O E C L T S B Y L N H I H J G H G I H I C D R I
P E K I N L K T O L T W E D U T E O H G R O I C H
I E I T J E Q O H L S R W B F I T U L Z R L Q M J
Y B D S Q S F O I A Y E A L N N D V T A E E X F J
A M N A F A M F O B S S O M H G I Z M Q O R R E L
M D N N Q I T L T Y K T D A P M Z O B S O H E J H
E S I M G I I L M E N L U E L O P E E P A I S I U
Z O R Y N V D A T L N I J D O S L E O M V H O O U
R L E G T T A B T L G N I L I A S I E O R I G T W
R O W I N G A D E O N G I Z T S L M N N K P O D E
S R Q T E L G N O V R G N S G D U S S E M X E A T
N A N E L O I A L E T G N I X O B A N Q H F D Q I
H I N L S V S H O O T I N G B G L A F T A O E E E
Find the following hidden words: archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, cycling, diving, equestrian, fencing, football, gymnastics, handball, hockey, judo, rowing, sailing, shooting, swimming, tennis, trampoline, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling.
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Megan’s Challenge for Pupils & Parents Written by Megan Kelly
Each number has some initials after it. Just work out what the initials mean as the numbers are the clue. For Example: 7 D in a W equals 7 days in a week
26 L in the A 7 C in the R 6 W of H the E 7 S on a F P P 1000 M in a K 64 S on a C B 1066 B of H 366 D in a L Y 93 M M to the S 10 G B H on the W
10 Green Bottles Hanging on the wall 93 Million Miles to the Sun 366 Days in a Leap Year 1066 Battle of Hastings 64 Squares on a Chess Board 1000 Metres in a Kilometre 7 Sides on a Fifty Pence Piece 6 Wives of Henry the Eighth 7 Colours in the Rainbow 26 Letters in the Alphabet
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Flags You Might See At The Olympics Illustrated by Tommy Carey
Algeria
Eritrea
Jamaica
Sweden
Great Britain
South Africa
Canada
Palau
Tonga
Angola