On Tuesday 26th June a group of thirty pupils from Tor Bank School joined the girls of Year 13 for a painting project based on an Olympic theme.
Organised by Lauren R and Anna McB, and assisted by ten other Year 13s and 14s, the day began with several activities ranging from making hand-print posters to Olympic headbands and Olympic torches.
The main object of the day was to produce two canvases, one for each school, which symbolised the long-standing connection between Bloomfield Collegiate and Tor Bank. Centred by rings of hand clasping figures in the Olympic colours, the canvases then contained the hand prints of pupils from each school, again in the Olympic colours. These will be displayed in each school and will mark the long awaited opening of the new school for Tor Bank.
The associations between Bloomfield and Tor Bank have been maintained for over twenty years through various activities. The older pupils from Bloomfield go to do Community Service at Tor Bank on a weekly basis helping out as required in numerous ways including going shopping with the young people from Tor Bank, helping with cookery, mentoring individuals in various subjects, doing P.E. and KIC Drama (Kids in Control) and generally assisting as requested. Pupils from Tor Bank come to Bloomfield on a weekly basis to join the Year 11 pupils in their Drama class and Bloomfield girls assist the Tor Bank pupils in special projects such as STEM days (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), “Moneysense” and BBC days at Tor Bank School. This is inclusion at its best.
Following a lunch of hot- dogs and ice cream, an Olympic torch procession was cheered by the pupils of Bloomfield as those involved donned their headbands and waved their own personal torches enthusiastically as they processed through the school grounds. The day was deemed a huge success and was thoroughly enjoyed by all concerned.
S. Frizzell Community Service Co-ordinator
