UK students forge lasting links with Lanka
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The murals painted by Tibshelf Community
Project. |
Eighteen pupils from Tibshelf Community School have returned from a
three-week trip to Sri Lanka.
The group were led by staff members Sue Allen, Martin Lloyd and
Hilary Smith and spent the first week of the trip acclimatising and
travelling through the country.
The highlights were going to Sigiriya Rock, an elephant ride, a Jeep
safari, a visit to an elephant orphanage and a seven-hour train journey
to Ella where they lost heavily in a volleyball match against Tamil tea
pickers.
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Tibshelf pupil Annabel
Pidduck, left, being welcomed by her pen pal. |
The remaining two weeks were spent at Tibshelf’s link school,
Ihalagoda, working on four building projects.
Pupils Jack Bloomfield, Ben and Evie Brockwell, Naomi Brown, Beth
Clarke, Lauren Findlay, David Harris, Alex and Tom Hook, Amber Jones,
Emily Pearce, Annabel Pidduck, Kerry Simons, Rachel Tatham, Chloe
Underwood, Matthew Vaughan, Imogen Webster and Georgina Williams worked
in four teams to paint a mural, plaster and paint the main classroom
block, build a volleyball court, and paint and refurbish the staff room.
They had raised funds to also replace the roof tiles on the main hall
and staff room, and security grilles for two classrooms.
On the last day at Ihalagoda, the Tibshelf pupils organised a sports
day for the local community.
Bunting depicting Sri Lankan and British sporting heroes was
displayed and a competition was based on the television programme
Britain’s Got Talent.
The day ended with pupils visiting their pen friends’ families.
Mansfield Chad.UK
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