V-Flyer and Education

Seriously, if anyone would like to come and take part in any of the activities, then please let me know. The whole school will be involved in much of it and we will be having a 'workshop' type carry on for things like the Egg Challenge and also for making a model of the London Eye, with smaller groups competing against each other.

If a few of you would like to come down together to help out (especially engineers!) that's cool (I appreciate entering a classroom again might be a daunting prospect and you may need someone to hold hands with!). The only thing that will need to be sorted is clearance from the Criminal Records Bureau, so that you are able to work with children. I can provide details for this, but it needs to be done in advance as it does take a few weeks to sort.

Sarah - the school trips have to be funded completely by parents as there is very little in the kitty for anything these days (especially when the darned science co-ordinator goes on a spending spree buying water rockets and hatching caterpillars [ii]). The head did say she can spare a little though.

Ok, with all these brilliant offers, I need to firm up my timetable of events and stuff then...the Head has just given me permission to extend the week into two weeks [y] It's a darn good job I get an afternoon a week for planning, prep and assessment (something the government did get right, even if it has to be funded by the school).

Originally posted by GatorBaiter
... I don't expect Gordon Brown is going to make any useful changes there today [:(]

Wrong.... he's given you an exra 8 billion i think.... you could set up a pretty major airline with that ....

Oh, what do you mean it's not all for you? [n]

Can't remember which University it is, but there is one that does an annual paper plane design and flight contest. That may be a good practical session.

Many moons ago, when Mrs csparker was a teacher rather than a mother, she took a group of year 8s to STN for a day. Probably a similar experience to LHR, but it was pretty good.

[HighFlyer]

Can't remember which University it is, but there is one that does an annual paper plane design and flight contest. That may be a good practical session.

AFAIK, the idea started at Jefferson High School in the US, but most Universities that teach Aerospace have a 'fun' module on this. I used to go to deHavilland University and they used to teach this as well.

I remember being in the library and seeing a thousand paper planes being hurled across the field in the name of science - and thinking 'darn im on the wrong course'!

Thanks,
Sarah

Originally posted by GatorBaiter
The only thing that will need to be sorted is clearance from the Criminal Records Bureau, so that you are able to work with children.

As a school governor, I would point out that this is only necessary if the volunteers are to have unsupervised access to children. Otherwise, they can be treated in the same way as contractors or visitors to the school.

Pat, Many schools and other organisations (my wife and I are both workers for our local church's youth and childrens' groups) are CRB checking everyone even if there is no unspervised access. The rationale is that if a person is out in front of a group of kids, then that puts them in a position of trust (for example, a kid could see the same person in the street). They would rather be sure that everyone is worthy of that trust.

Not necessarily the letter of the law, but certainly a safety first approach.

Sorry that I was away while this topic was discussed - why not write to VS and see what they can do to help - if you explain your love of VS and the v-flyer site then they might be able to get you some "behind the scenes" activities!! And I guess we would all like to go on them with you!! ( oh sorry - forgot the kids!!!)