Embracing the Olympic Dream
Why Get Set?
With a whole school focus on London 2012, Ysgol Bryn Alyn had already set up a student Olympic Dreams committee and through a successful entry in the BBC and British Council Olympic Dreams competition had been linked with a school in Iowa attended by US gymnast Shawn Johnson.
Joining Get Set was seen as a means of encouraging students to take pride in their country and to use the stories of athletes to inspire students to achieve their own dreams.
The Journey So Far
The timetable has been collapsed for a successful series of World Olympic Dream days working on activities to promote the Values and inspire students to understand more about the world. Each curricular area focused on one of the three themes of ‘World’, ‘Olympics’ and ‘Dreams’. A range of engaging and exciting activities included:
- Making huge dream catchers
- Researching the sustainability of the Olympic Venues
- Taster coaching sessions in volleyball
- An African drum workshop
- Olympic Torch map work.
Organised by the school’s COPE group, the school’s front garden has been transformed into an Olympic Garden with fundraising efforts by students and donations from the local community.
Friendship continues to be fostered through work with the link school in Iowa. Curriculum projects are being shared and students have developed a Facebook page ‘Bryn Alyn Southwoods’ to communicate with each other and enable sharing of video clips and photographs.
Positive Values
The Olympic Dream Days incorporated topic teaching across the curriculum with many examples of different learning and teaching styles; students enjoyed experiences they would not normally have been given and the Values could be promoted.
Students have become more aware of sacrifices made by athletes to achieve their dreams, being particularly inspired by the story of Shawn Johnson.
And the highlights for students?
- “We are more aware of what the Olympic Games stand for (not just sport!) and want to achieve dreams of our own whatever they may be”
- “Equality between Paralympic Games and Olympic Games”
- “Having contact with an Olympic Champion who was just a normal pupil like us.”
Towards 2012
Through international links the students’ knowledge of the world is already increasing. Ysgol Bryn Alyn aims to encourage students’ development into global citizens and there are plans to develop the Olympic Dreams Committee into an International Committee.
It also wants to build on the success of the collapsed curriculum days aiming for students to talk about the run up to London 2102 with excitement and enthusiasm, to be more interested in ‘their’ Games than they have been in others and to realise that the Games is not just about sport but the fulfilment of dreams.
“Ultimately we want our pupils to realise that anything is possible if you work hard and are determined – something that they can take forward into the rest of their lives.”
