EXCITEMENT is building for the arrival of the Olympic Games at one Weymouth school.
As the eyes of the world turn towards Weymouth and Portland, schoolchildren at Conifers Primary School are already geared up for the Sailing events.
Some eager year four pupils proudly held up their giant Bring on the Games sticker after kick-starting the celebrations with an Olympic-inspired assembly.
The assembly travelled through time as the children acted out chariot racing and boxing to teach the rest of the school about the history of the Games.
It came before the arrival of the School to School Torch relay escorted to the school from Beechcroft St Paul’s Primary.
The school torch was welcomed by lots of cheer from all the Conifers Primary and Little Firs Pre School pupils.
It was then passed to the youngest and the oldest pupil from Conifers on its trail around each of the 25 schools in the Chesil Education Partnership.
Teacher Jane Forty, who is the school Olympic champion, said: “All of the children really enjoyed it.
“We have incorporated the Olympic and Paralympic values in to our teaching and have an Olympic countdown board in the main corridor.” The torch was then taken to St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School by bicycle.
Ms Forty added: “We decided to transport it by bike as many of our year five and six pupils have taken part in a ‘Bikeability’ course.”
The Olympic theme has been embedded into the school curriculum all year.
Children at the school also enjoyed a special visit from the Olympic caravan The tiny space, which has been filled with sporting memorabilia, has been decorated by teachers of schools in the Chesil Beach Partnership and has been touring in the run-up to the Games.
An actress is employed as part of the project to tour with the caravan and all the schools receive a resource box so they can continue learning about the Games.
Lorna Rees of Gobbledegook Theatre, whose character is called Athena Sporta, tells tales of sporting characters through history using items placed in the caravan.
Mrs Sprague said: “It is great for their imaginations.
“The older children, who understand the stories are fictional, can create ideas around other items and use them to do more research.
“By the time the Olympics come to Weymouth, they will have a much better understanding of what it means.”
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