Education

Community Education

Val Tookey 260566

Little Hands

Karen on 01763 260964

Melbourn Playgroup

Jane Crawford 07842 151512

Notre Ecole

Janet Whitton 261231

Primary School

Headteacher Gary Casey 223457

U3A (Univ. of Third Age)

Chairman Arthur Alderton 260399

Village College

Warden Elaine Stephenson 223400

www.melbourn.org.uk/speakers-corner/

Melbourn Village College

The spring term is often a relatively short one but no less busy for that. Staff and students have been extremely busy and involved themselves in some excellent opportunities.

In the Performing Arts, Dance took centre stage with two very successful events. Over 200 students (more than one third of the college) were involved in ‘Dance Fever’, not only performing but organising back-stage, sound and light. More than 20 different dances included a range of styles such as street, contemporary, lyrical, ribbon and even balloons. The two evenings showcased the best of the college’s talent and the range of students involved indicates that we can look forward to a very strong future for Dance at the college. Earlier in the term, the GCSE Dance class had performed their own choreographed routines to an audience as they prepared for their final exam. Each student had designed a performance around a diverse selection of topics, ranging from the effects of media on children to the four seasons. Highlights for the Summer term include a musical evening, linking drama, dance and music, and the return of ‘Melbourn’s Got Talent’.

In February 40 students went on a ski-ing trip to Passo Tonale in Italy. This was a very successful experience and staff are already planning for 2011.

In March, Year 10 gained a valuable insight into the world of work through a two-week work experience placement in a wide variety of settings. The feedback from employers was very positive with many saying that the students were a credit to the college.

The introduction of a local Village Market and the car boot sales have been very successful and have opened up the college grounds to members of the community at the weekends. Look out for the signs in the village giving details of when they are running.

Just in case anyone thought it was all play and no work, GCSE exams continued this term with students in Years 10 and 11 sitting modules in Science and Mathematics. By the time you are reading this the exam season will be in full swing with a large number of students completing their GCSEs and BTECs in a range of subjects. We wish them every success and look forward to results day in August. Simon Holmes, Assistant Warden.

Activities

Dance Leaders Over Easter a group of 14 young people age 13 – 16 years old took part in the Dance Leaders course at Melbourn Village College. All the young people passed and are now qualified to lead community dance groups under supervision. As part of their training they needed to spend an hour volunteering and teaching children dance skills. They teamed up with Melbourn Sports Centre playscheme and taught groups of boys and girls age 5 – 12 years dances they choreographed themselves.

They only led a short session but produced a fantastic final showing with children performing a range of dances including Michael Jackson’s Thriller and street dance pieces.

Arts Development If you are part of a group interested in working with an artist, hosting an arts event or if you run an arts related group and need some support? Then contact your local Arts Development Manager, Kirstin Bicknell. She can support with everything from marketing and fundraising advice to contracting an artist.

Kirstin is part of the stART partnership between village colleges and South Cambridgeshire District Council. StART run a number of district wide initiatives including an equipment bank and mobile cinema for community groups to hire. See their website www.start-arts.org.uk for more information or contact Kirstin, phone 07770 643165, email Kirstin@start-arts.org.uk Chinese Artist Visits MVC Just before Easter Melbourn Village College received a visit from Chinese artist, Chen Hong, a renowned fish painter. His visit was part of the Stories of the World project hosted by the Fitzwilliam Museum. During his visit he taught the GCSE Textiles group basic fish painting techniques and created a fish scroll, which was donated to the Village College.

Students have taken on the challenge of producing textile works inspired by his visit, which they hope will be exhibited in the Fitzwilliam Museum education space. The Academy - Beauty and the Beast This summer the Academy returns to Melbourn with a fun week of musical theatre workshops on the theme of Beauty and the Beast. Young people age 8–16 years can improve their singing, dancing and acting skills while making friends and enjoying themselves! Dates are 26th to 30th July, from 9.30am – 5pm. For families with work commitments, early and late collection is available from 8.30am – 5.30pm. Cost is £125 for 5 days, £75 for additional siblings or low income families.

This year there is also an advanced week performing Sweeney Todd by audition for 13–18 year olds at Comberton Village College, 16th – 21st August. For more details on either of these contact Kirstin Bicknell on 07770 643165, email Kirstin@start-arts.org.uk Congratulations Melbourn Village College The College has received congratulations from the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust for our performance in the 2009 GCSE examinations. We are now in the top 15% of all specialist schools in the country (over 3000) receiving recognition for the following: • 60% (64%) or more 5+A*–C results including English and mathematics; • 53.7% (national average) (72%) or more 2+A*-C results in science subjects; and • 28% (national average) (42%) or more 1+A*-C results in modern foreign languages. (MVC statistics are in bold)

Melbourn Playgroup

This year has been going well with several new families joining the playgroup. We have been investigating growing by planting beans and potatoes which we hope will bring us crops to pick later in the year. At the end of the term we also made our usual trip to the primary school with our preschoolers which went very well.

We would like to let you know about some changes we are making for September 2010. At this time there will be available 15 hours free for funded children. We will be offering this in a flexible way which should allow you to bring your children when it is suitable to you and not in set sessions. This will make it possible for us to take children from 9am – 3pm including a lunch hour if required. Telephone 07842 151512 www.melbournplaygroup.btik.com

Meldreth Pre-School

This month’s write-up could not start without saying a huge THANK YOU to everyone who organised, attended and helped support the Meldreth May Fair over the Bank Holiday weekend. The Pre-School Committee worked

extremely hard in a relatively short space of time to pull together the first May Fair to be held in Meldreth since the early 1960’s. As a parent of a Pre-School child and on behalf of other parents, I would like to thank the committee for their tireless commitment to fundraising for the benefit of the Pre-School. This is in addition to the legislative, financial, and management roles that the voluntary committee members undertake. Never has fundraising played such a critical part in keeping the Pre-School open and functioning as it does currently. If you feel in anyway able to support the Pre-School by sitting on the committee or helping out at future fundraising events then please contact Michiel on 01763 260623 or Mo on 01763 262306

There was some apprehension prior to the fair as heavy rain had fallen in the few days preceding it. The weather forecast was not good but the organising team remained positive and hopeful and were rewarded by a lovely warm and sunny day. The marquees and stage were assembled during a torrential downpour on the Friday night but dried off nicely in time for the event on Saturday. When the ‘gates’ opened at 1.00 there was steady stream of visitors and this continued throughout the afternoon. There was a fun and lively atmosphere with live music from “Bob” and “The Live Jazz Band”. On the stage arena we had a display “Dusty Bluebells” by the Pre-School children and Turkish dancing from “Tabeeya”. The beer tent, cake stall and hog roast were busy all afternoon. We had visits from the local police and fire departments who showed children (and adults) around their vehicles and talked about various aspects of safety. For the children there were fairground rides and stalls, a bouncy castle, go-karting, crazy golf and some of the smaller animals from Shepreth Wildlife Park. The welly-wanging competition went on late into the afternoon with adults and children competing for prizes. The scarecrow competition was won by the Meldreth Toddler Group but it was difficult to judge as there appears to be a high standard of scarecrows in the village! At 4.00 the sky was filled with rainbow coloured helium balloons as they were released for the balloon race. We wait with interest to see which balloon travels the furthest and where it is returned from. What sums up a successful May fair? I watched a family sitting with friends in the sun on the grass. They were eating and drinking, laughing and chatting. The children played nearby with prizes they had won on the stalls and were dancing and singing along to the band. What more could you ask for on a bright May afternoon? Thank you everybody for making the day so great.

Elsewhere in the Pre-School the children have continued to look at their topics of Spring and Growing. The Pre-School garden has become a riot of colour with mobiles and wind chimes hanging from the trees and windmills blowing round the fences. The children have planted flowers and strawberries and are looking forward to seeing (and tasting) the fruits of their labours. This term the older children will make a number of visits to the primary school and begin their gradual transition into the reception class.

We still have some places for children wishing to start Pre-School in September. The Rising 5 sessions are particularly popular and fill up quickly. We advise parents to book their child in soon to avoid disappointment. Please note that half term is 31st May until 4th June.

University Of The Third Age (U3A)

The U3A has added to its list of learning groups a second French Conversation Group and there are hopes of a second Scrabble Group. The list of both learning and activity groups maintains a healthy level and the membership of the U3A is now about 340 members. About 100 of these are joint memberships where husband and wife or partners pick either the same group or different ones to maintain their interests.

The winter months are now behind us and the walking groups can now step out in ideal walking weather and the Excursions Group can now enjoy outings in the daylight. The AGM on Wednesday 18th August is the only time in the year when we leave the Village College and its familiar surroundings and meet at Foxton Village Hall for our Annual General Meeting. Here the various Groups man a stall where they show their programmes and exhibit such items as pottery, textiles, needlework or their collections of “collectables” for both new and old members to enjoy and maybe to consider joining of the groups on show. There is an invitation there for our readers to join us on a “no obligation” basis and see if the U3A is for you. The only qualification is that you should be “over 50 years of age and not in full time employment”. Does that mean you? You will be very welcome.

Ring Arthur Alderton on 01763 260399 for details of membership. Colin Limming

Genetically Modified Foods

There has been a lot of controversy over the use of “GM crops” in the Cambridge area but do many people know what exactly genetically modified food is?

Will global population demands, increasing at the current rate, soon out strip supply?

GM can help to create plants that are resistant to drought, pests, herbicides and it can even increase nutritional value. This will, in theory, create larger yields (the uncertainty arises as farmers in the developing world do not necessarily grow food in ‘lab conditions’).

Some crops could be adapted for environments where food is most needed e.g. sub-Saharan Africa.

However research has suggested that the spread of genes from modified plants to unmodified plants might produce species of weeds resistant to herbicides. This has not happened yet, but a British study has shown that genes can be spread from oilseed rape to wild turnips.

Also, the standards applied to food grown in this country do not always apply to that imported from abroad. As a result many people will be surprised to hear that most of their processed foods such as frozen dinners and breakfast cereals will contain corn soy or cotton seed oils which contain GM ingredients.

So, is genetically modified food a good or bad thing? William Broughton Melbourn Journalism Club MVC