China Link

Our link school in China is The Primary School Attached to Hunan Vocational College for Nationalities – it has 2225 pupils!

Mrs Eveleigh visited our link school in China in October

Link School in Bristol – Knowle Park Primary School

We are very proud to have a link with Knowle Park School in Bristol.  In the summer of 2010 the reception classes from Knowle Park came to visit Mallard Class. 

The children from Knowle Park really enjoyed their visit as Meare looks very different to Bristol.  The children enjoyed seeing the countryside and having lots of room to run and play outdoors.  They visited Station Farm and they were thrilled to see all of the different animals – they even fed the lambs!

The children from Meare really enjoyed meeting the children from Knowle Park they all made friends quickly and had a good time playing together.

This year we are looking forward to taking our turn to visit Knowle Park.

Kenyan Link School - Mudindi School, Kenya

Our School is very lucky to have a Link School in Kenya called Mudindi. We have had the link for about six years and every year, we have had one of the teachers come and visit for a least two weeks.


Madam Jessica visited us again this year in February 2012 along with other teachers from different Kenyan schools

Our latest visit was from Madame Joan (Joanne). We held a greeting assembly and sang some of our Kiswahili songs. Whilst she was here she made some interesting toys with Moorhen including card board vehicles. With Swan, she made a popular food called Ugali and she taught the whole school a new song. When she came, she also brought some of the work that the children in Mudindi School for Swan to look at. On the first week of her arrival, Madame Joan introduced us to some people from another Kenyan school that performed some Kiswahili songs. At the end of her visit, we held a Goodbye assembly and we presented her with a book of memories and photos of her time in Somerset.

Our link school is very big compared to our school with over 100 pupils in one class! We have previously had the Head teacher come to our school, her name was Madame Jessica.

We hope that Madame Joan can come again as we have thoroughly enjoyed her visit.

Madame Joan's Visit
Last Monday Madame Joan came to visit. She stayed at some of our houses, including me! When she did stay with me, she gave my Mum a pair of earrings and a pot from Kenya. At school she taught us some songs, dances and poems. She also made ugali with us. ( She gave me the recipe so I can make it at home!)

Some Kenyan pupils from Masana School came. They told our class a story about a chicken and a hawk. Then they sang some songs which we could join in with. They were fun!

I really enjoyed Madame Joan's visit and I hope she can come to stay again!

Ella-May Binns - Kingfisher Class

Madame Joan's Visit
When Madame Joan came to visit Meare School my family were one of the hosts for Madame Joan to come and stay for a bit. We took her home in the taxi to our house. When we got home, we had some lemon cake and Madam Joan really enjoyed it. She even had some for breakfast! She gave my Mum some really pretty earrings and she also gave us her phone number and we gave her ours.

On the last night of her stay, we went to play skittles at the Ring O' Bells pub at Ashcott. There were some more Kenyan people there. There were two pupils from Masana School. They were called Alfred and Jael and there were two other teachers there. The other teacher had really cool hair. It was all braided in little plaits and beads and it only took ½ an hour! Because there was a chute to put the balls in, my sister Annie trapped her fingers in the two balls! We had to get ice and put it on her fingers.

Soon we took her to Crispin School to catch the mini bus to go to Bridgwater. We all said our good-byes and they went on. Ms Bernstein went with them to Bridgwater. I really hope she can come again. I really enjoyed her stay.

By Grace Dyga - Kingfisher Class

---

'A link school is a school in a different country which you link up with and compare the work you have done in class such as food miles and transport.'

Coline and Jack Class 4

We have a link school at Mudindi in Kenya. Each year some members of our staff visit Mudindi and we in turn, host a return visit for their teachers.

Meare Village Primary School does a lot of shared projects with Mudindi including work on water, waste, food and transport. The children are able to make comparisons with life in Mudindi and also appreciate the differences between our two cultures.

The children have learnt a lot about life in Mudindi - including how they recycle everything, the food they eat and once they have walked to collect their water, how careful they are about using it! When the Mudindi teachers visit they teach the children songs in Swahili, organise drumming workshops and last year taught class 4 how to make toy vehicles out of recycled card!

Miss Cresswell accompanied students and teachers on a visit to Kenya over the summer half term break. She has now returned to us, excited but exhausted and eager to share her experiences with the children.

In May 2007 Class 4 raised £61 at their car wash. This money has been sent to Mudindi School in Kenya to buy paint to paint teaching and learning resources on the walls of the school. Well done everyone!