Schools in tribute to Olympics
12:00pm Friday 10th February 2012 in News By Tom Mooney
Sam Shuker from John Bentley with children from Holy Trinity School in Calne
Youngsters in Calne will be treated to the full Olympic experience, complete with a torch route, competitive sports and opening and closing ceremonies.
The Calne Games, a tribute event to mark London 2012, will involve 10 primary schools from in and around the town.
The festival of sport, being hosted by John Bentley School, will see every one of the 2,000 pupils take part in at least one of the Olympic or Paralympic events.
Sam Shuker, school sports co-ordinator at John Bentley, said: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to celebrate the Olympics coming to our country.
“We will have everything from swimming and archery to wheelchair basketball and rugby.
“The aim is to have every child from all of the 10 schools take part in at least one event.”
There will also be all-singing, all-dancing opening and closing ceremonies, and the celebrations will extend further than merely the sports field.
Mrs Shuker said: “Every school will pick a country and will focus on learning about that country in the lead up to the event.
“At the opening and closing ceremonies schools will carry the flag of their adopted nation and put on a performance. Students from John Bentley will be going to the primary schools and helping the children with their performance ideas.”
The sporting events take place at John Bentley and Calne Leisure Centre in June. But, beginning in March, there will be a torch relay, to build up to the real Olympic torch coming through the town.
Mrs Shuker said: “We are hoping to get our own actual torch. Lord of the Dance is currently on at the Colston Hall in Bristol where they use flames so I am trying to contact them for some ideas.
“The torch will go to each school for a week and they can do events to commemorate it being there.”
