Wincanton's Children Become Journalists! "Our Olympic Torch Relay"
Children from Wincanton Primary School and Our Lady of Mount Carmel RC Primary School become Wincanton Window's youngest ever reporters, recounting their experiences of the exciting Three Towns Olympic Torch relay staged in Wincanton, Castle Cary and Bruton on 15th June 2012.
Wincanton Primary School
Stella Deane, Class 3 and 4 teacher at Wincanton Primary School, explains how the children got involved with journalism.
"The children in Year 3 and 4 at Wincanton Primary School have taken advantage of the unique opportunity to be involved in the Three Towns Olympic Torch Relay as a 'hook' into report writing.
"They have been learning how to be reporters and wrote their own scripts which they then presented to their classmates whilst being filmed on camera. This gave them a good understanding of the necessary skills used by television presenters and many realised it is not as easy as it looks!
"One of the skills they have developed is that of asking open questions to gather information for the report. The children interviewed each other, both before the event and afterwards, to obtain a range of opinions to include.
"All the children felt a huge sense of achievement as they completed their reports. It has been a very successful few weeks!"
Here is Zinny's report on the events that have been happening around his school:
On Friday the 15th of June 2012 local schools gathered to watch a mock Olympic torch relay as it went past Wincanton primary school. This was in celebration of the Olympics coming to Britain. The children had been waiting patiently all morning to see this exciting event. The torch started off that morning in Castle Cary before passing through Bruton and then finally making its way to King Arthur's at Wincanton. 9 pupils who had been selected were waiting anxiously for the arrival of the torch. They then ran down the high street towards Wincanton primary to an awaiting cheering crowd. As the police car escorted the runners past the gates of the school people were shouting and clapping the local heroes. One of the children Daisy said that she was not only excited but felt privileged to be part of the extravaganza. Everybody was pleased that it all went according to plan.
'Today is a day we will all remember forever and, who knows, we may have seen a future Olympic athlete!' commented Sun class teacher Mrs King. The pupil's from all the local schools certainly had a once in a lifetime experience.
This is Emily's report of the same event:
On Friday the 15th of June 2012 in the afternoon at Wincanton Primary School, the Olympic Torch replica arrived. All the children and some parents lined the streets to watch the torch. The roads were unusually busy. The tension in the air was building as the children eagerly watched to try to get a glimpse of the Olympic Torch.
After waiting for half an hour, the torch finally arrived. First a police car came by with its sirens going. When the torch reached the school gates, it stopped and a photograph was taken. The children all got a good view of the torch. The children's friend, Evie, even got to hold it.
All you could hear was the shouting and cheering of the adults and parents as they cheered it on. The torch eventually passed and the next place for it was Moor Lane, the final stop. After the torch came past Sienna said, 'I didn't expect there to be a police car in front of the runners.' Evie described the experience as 'breathtaking and outstanding.'
It was an amazing experience for everybody.
The Olympic Torch
by Lucie and Danielle
Welcome to the 6 O'clock News.
The Olympic torch came to Wincanton. On Friday, June the 15th a replica of the Olympic torch was carried by school children from Castle Cary via Bruton. Ten lucky children got picked to run with the Olympic torch. 25 children ran past Wincanton Primary School, King Arthurs and Our Lady's finishing at Moor Lane sports ground. The torch relay happened because the Olympic torch did not come to Castle Cary or Wincanton instead it went through Yeovil. "It was the best day of my life," said Matthew, a pupil of Wincanton Primary School. Everyone was getting tired as the torch went by. Sadly the torch had gone but they know that they would never forget that extraordinary experience.
Bye Olympic torch we wouldn't see you for another 4 years.
Our Lady Of Mount Carmel RC Primary School
Class 4 teacher Mrs Diana Hatt worked with Year 5 and Year 6 children who took part in the event to help them write reports about their own experiences in the Olympic Torch Relay.
Darrell Seager
On Friday the 15thJune ten children from each school in Somerset got to enter in an Olympic torch run. These are the children from Our Lady school year 5 Emily R and Bethany, Nancy, Szymon and Me. Year 6 Edward, Josh, Horace, Georgina and Vera.
We started by walking to K.A. which was the starting line, when we got there our teacher took our coats and then we got told were we were going when Wincanton arrived .Then we were given numbers 1 to 20, I was number 1.
Then we started running and we ran down West Hill. I had to step 25 steps then pass the torch on to Vera.
Then we got to the bottom of west hill we had to go up another HILL! When we got up the hill I was given a medal then a BABY held the torch! We went down the hill to our school Our Ladys.
Everybody waved and cheered then we continued down the hill. Then we went down the hill to
Wincanton school, then we went back to school.
Edward Young
My school was asked to do the Wincanton torch relay and ten people from Class 4 could go. Mrs Hatt my teacher said that she would pick five Year 5's and five Year 6's. A visitor at the school picked the lucky ten children's names out and I was one of those lucky five from Year 6. We got a letter to say it was on Friday.
When Friday came at quarter past two, we got ourselves ready to walk up to King Arthur's School. We stormed up the hill and got there a quarter of an hour early. The King Arthur's pupils were already there, the Wincanton primary pupils came at about 3:20. The Mayor and Stewart (the person who runs Wincanton Sports Ground) decided to hold the event. Stewart gave us numbers for the order of who would hold the torch first. He also said that once we had done twenty five steps we would pass it on. I was the 3rd person to hold the torch after Vera and before Emily.
We then set of with Darrel leading the way. It was soon my turn to run with it. We were going quickly down West Hill and there was only one injury which was Luke Ireland. He had fallen over. When we got to Mill Street there were quite a lot of people waiting and cheering. Once we got there they took a few photos with a big banner then a partially sighted boy walked with the torch, we were all walking behind him. We then ran down to my school Our Lady's to find the whole was standing outside cheering us on. We carried on running to the primary school where there were a few more photographs taken.
My Mum and Dad took me down to Wincanton Sports Ground. There were drinks provided; I had my photo taken with the real torch. This was one of the most fun things I've done in my life.
Georgina Cochrane
On Friday the 15th of June 2012, we ran with an Olympic torch made by the King Arthur's community school. Castle Cary, Wincanton, and Bruton children ran. There were at least 10 children running from one school. My school had 10 runners their names were, I ,Georgina Cochrane, Daryl Seager, Emily Ruppersbery, Vera Amorim, Horace Keung, Josh Smith, Nancy Cureton, Bethany Williams, Edward Young, And ,Szymon Frychel. We ran from K.A to Wincanton Primary, then our parents picked us up, and we went to the sports ground to have our picture taken with the real Olympic torch.
Horace Keung
On Friday 15th of June, Horace Keung, Joshua Smith, Edward Young, Darrell Seager, Szymon frychel, Georgina cochorane, Vera Amorin, Bethany William, Nancy Cureton and Emily Ruppersbery went up to King Arthur community school for the Olympic torch run. On the way we met Emily, granny and granddad and stopped [and] chatted to them. Once we got to King Arthur's we saw a police car, some pupils from K.A, a man and a police man. The policeman said that we have to go behind the man all the time. Then he said that we had the torch for 25 steps then we will have to pass it to the next person. He told us our numbers (I was number eight) so we know whose turn it is [to] hold the torch. I don't know why my mum came up to King Arthur to see me. We were supposed to stop at the post office and people will take photos of us. We started jogging down till we reached this hill then we started running up to the post office. Once we got there we got a medal from the mayor. People took photos of us. Later on a toddler held the torch until we gone past a shop. We ran up to our school and waved hello to my friends and my mum and dad. Soon we quickly ran to Wincanton primary school and went back to school.
Josh Smith
On Friday 15 June 10 pupils of Our Ladys of Mount Carmel went to do a Olympic touch run through Wincanton from King Arthur's school. Wincanton primary school came and did it as well with us. The Mayor arranged this to the schools around Wincanton, Castle Cary and Bruton. Joshua Smith, Edward Young, Horace Keung, Georgina Cochrane, Szymon Fryche, Vera Amorim, Emily Ruppersbery, Nancy Cureton, Bethany William and Darrell Seager completed it.
Firstly we all got numbered 1 to 10 in schools. Darrell Seager started with the torch. The police man drove ahead of us and led the run. We all did 25 steps each for the run. We ran down the steep hill that we came up and over the bridge and up the hill and stopped to have our pictures taken and got our meddles from the mare. Then [we] ran on to our school and had even more pictures taken and went back to school exhorted [exhausted - Editor].
Nancy Cureton
First we all started at K.A. and all lined up neatly, ready to start. As soon as Chuck said go we all jogged off, everyone had 25 steps with the child version of the torch so we had to make sure everyone had a go with it. We jogged down West Hill, we all had numbers, I was number 8. When I got to hold the Olympic torch I felt so proud of myself because I doubt that I or others will never hold it again. We got down to the bottom of West Hill and then ran up to North Street. Once we got up to North Street everyone decided to let a little boy called Charlie hold the torch, we let him have a go all the way back to our school because he's partially blind. He had ginger hair and little toddler feet to waddle on. We all followed Charlie down the road to our school, after we got to our school we got our picture taken for the paper. I went with Bethany, Josh, Darrell, Szymon, Vera, Emily, Horace, Edward, Georgina.
Szymon Frychel
On Friday the 15th ten children from class 4 went to KA. We were the first class to get there. We saw a police man the police man had to do something to Horace. Then the other school came and a man gave us numbers, then we ran down the hill. We got to hold the torch. When got down we ran another hill. When we got up there we got photos, we saw the real torch and the man who was running with it. Then we got our medals. There were none left for me, then somebody got me one. Before I got my medal we had the picture with the KA children and the Wincanton children. When we finished the photos a little baby with the torch it ran a little way then we ran the rest of the way. When we got to Wincanton Primary we stopped and went back up the hill to school. When we got there we packed up our stuff and we went home.
Bethany Williams
THE MAYOR OF WINCANTON AND THE K.A P.E. TEACHER ORGANISED A VERY SPECIAL OLYMPIC TORCH RUN!!
I got picked out of a pot with my friends. On the day after some school me and my friends walked up West Hill to K.A. Finally it was time to go and start running. So we started running down West Hill.
We saw lots of waving crowds to our school. Half way to our school we got a medal with the Olympic torch. When we got to our school we saw everyone waving at us! Then we ran down to Wincanton primary but then we went back up to school.
Emily Ruppersbery
Me (Emily Ruppersbery), Bethany Williams, Nancy Cureton, Darrell Seager, Syzmon Frychel, Joshua Smith, Vera Amorim, Georgina Cochrane, Edward Young and Horace Keung got picked out of a pot to run with the torch! It was on Friday 15th June. I was so excited, some of my friends were disappointed. On the day I was excited and nervous, it was strange as well. Our school stood each side of the road near the school. We walked up to K.A. when we got there the organizer was there and he explained to us what we were going to do. Then Wincanton Primary turned up they were late. He had to explain all again. We got numbers to hold the torch, I was number 3. We started running, when it was my turn I felt excited! When we got to the top of Mill Street we had a picture and got a medal. Then a little boy called Charlie that is blind held the torch in the market place. Then we carried on from there to our school (Our Ladys) and had a photo. After that we went down to Wincanton Primary for a photo. Then our school went back to school because it was home time. I LOVED IT!!!
Vera Amorim
Ten people took part of the Olympic run.
When we walked all the way up to KA I was a bit worried because I had no idea what I was going to do there. There were people and KA students to help us. When we started to run it was fun, we had photos and we stopped 2 or 3 [times] for Georgina, Horace , Josh Bethany , Nancy, Emily, Edward, me, Symon.
Wincanton Window would like to thank Mrs Deane and Mrs Hatt for their help in putting this article together, but most especially our thanks to all the children who made such a fantastic effort to write their reports for us. You all make wonderful junior journalists and we hope to hear much more from you in future!
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