Deborah Walsh writes:
On Saturday 5th March 2005 Hastingsbury Upper School hosted the Destination Imagination UK Tournament. Schools from around Bedfordshire, and as far afield as Kiev, Ukraine, competed against one another in this Creative Problem solving competition.
Each team of up to seven members selects a challenge, from five, and works on a solution over a period of months. They also take part in an Instant Challenge which tests their abilities to work together as a team to solve a problem on the spot.
The Biddenham teams, 'Out in the Rain with a Paper' and 'Frosty the Snow Girls and the Hypothermic Huskies, took on the Radio challenge. They had to produce a radio play, with live effects, a commercial with jingle and a newsflash, and present it within eight minutes. The standard of all the participating teams was very high so when the Lakenheath team was named in third place we knew we had first and second place.
First place went to 'Out in the Rain with a Paper Hat' who are Sam Bassick, Emma Element, Valerie Kotze, Jonathon Reynolds, Mariam Vakilpour, and Anna Walsh. The team manager is Deborah Walsh.
'Frosty the Snow Girls and the Hypothermic Huskies' took second place. Well done to Ashley Cook, Jamie Element, Jack Flemming, (Newnham Middle School), Anna Larsen, Danielle Mayhew, Eve Oliver and Charlotte Toner. Deborah Walsh is also their team manager alongside Adam Baker. Both teams are now through to the Global Finals in Knoxville, Tennessee, held 24th May 2005.
The teams are now embarking on a fundraising drive to raise money for travel and accommodation expenses needed to take part in the Global Finals. If anybody wishes to sponsor one or more member of the teams please contact Mrs. Walsh at Biddenham Upper School.
Robert Leggat writes:
When a number of young people congregate together, they are often seen as a threat by older people. There is a regular crowd that meet outside Andys Fish and Chip shop in Putnoe. Not that they do any harm, but to see fourteen year olds trying to pretend to be grown up, smoking their heads off and speaking very loudly and coarsely attracts little more than derision from those waiting to be served!
But that's not a fair picture. Some young people knocked at our door the other day, saying that they were raising money for a charity, and could they wash our car. There was much hilarity as they did the job - perfectly. Their parents would have been proud of them. They are at Biddenham Upper School, where I am proud to be a governor. That is only one of many activities the young people at the school do for good causes. Well done to them all!