- Community News round-up
- Primary schools twinned with islands ahead of Island Games
- Pictures from the Macmillan Jersey Rowathon
PRIMARY schools have been celebrating the NatWest Island Games and the fact that they are being hosted by Jersey this summer.
St George’s and other schools have been twinned with an island participating in the Games and have received the flags of those islands.
Plat Douet was the first school to receive its flag – that of Menorca – and it was presented by Cliff Chipperfield, a member of the Games organising committee, and Games Makers Ethel Southern and Clare Germain.
And last Friday First Tower School was visited by a group from Anglesey, with which they are twinned.
The visitors included that island’s sports development officer, Tom Rogers, and one of its top athletes, Iolo Hughes, a gold medallist in Bermuda, who led a number of sports sessions with the pupils.
Stuart Pallant, subject leader for physical education and geography at Plat Douet School, said that the Year 6 pupils were studying the 24 participating islands as part of their coursework.
‘We will also be taking the pupils to the Games Village and hope that the Menorca team will visit our school while they are in Jersey,’ he said.
‘The Games will be a fantastic spectacle, and being part of it all makes it real for pupils.
‘We can also get out of the classroom and do some outside learning.’
First Tower School teacher Selena Smith said that letters from pupils of four schools in Anglesey had been delivered by the group, who also presented the school with some sports equipment.
The Island Games will involve 24 islands and about 3,000 athletes and will take place from 27 June to 4 July.
PUPILS of St George’s Preparatory School entered into the spirit of the NatWest Island Games on their open day this year by holding their own Games opening ceremony.
The children of Form 4 paraded across the front lawn carrying the flags of each island, while their friends in Form 6 sang Islands in the Sun.
Interviews with each flag carrier provided interesting facts about the islands, and members of staff recounted their personal experiences as representatives at previous games.
Flags of all the islands were also placed throughout the school for an Island Games treasure hunt.
The school has been twinned with the Isle of Man and pupils in Form 4 have linked up with their counterparts at Cronk-y-berry School as they look forward to the Games, which are being held in Jersey from Saturday 27 June.
Malcolm Chevin, attaché to the Isle of Man, was accompanied at the ceremony by Debbie Robinson, attaché to Bermuda, and Games Makers Ethel Southern and Claire Germain.
At the end of the ceremony, Mr Chevin presented St George’s with the flag of the Isle of Man.
Pulling together for Cancer Support
MORE than 300 Islanders rowed the equivalent distance from Sark to Jersey at the annual indoor rowathon held at Les Ormes in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support Jersey.
Altogether, 55 teams of six rowers completed a 30,000-metre row, with each team member rowing 1,000 metres at a time in a rotating relay.
The fastest men’s team was Jersey Crossfit 1, who completed the distance in 1 hour 47 minutes and 53 seconds.
Jersey Crossfit 3 were the fastest women’s team in 2.07.01 and Jersey Crossfit 5 won the mixed team event in a time of 1.51.34.
The event is now in its sixth year and has raised more than £100,000 for Macmillan Jersey, which provides support for people with cancer, including a recently introduced well-being programme.
Andy Smith, a director of the charity, said that they had raised £23,000 on the day, with more to come, and praised the spirit and effort of the competitors.
‘Every year the atmosphere is fantastic and we never seem to lose the competitive side of the event,’ he said. ‘People take part knowing it’s for a good cause.’
Mr Smith’s colleague at Macmillan Jersey, Beth Moore, added that it takes great energy, will and competitive spirit to take part, and thanked the participants for creating such a good atmosphere.
