23/05/12….Thame pupils to form Guard of Honour for athletes’ parade
CHILDREN from John Hampden Primary School, Thame, will help form Guard of Honour at start of Athletes? Parade for the 2012 London Olympics.
The School has been selected as a ‘Get Set network’ school and will join 249 other schools from across the UK in the network to line the route as the athletes make their way through the Olympic Park into the Olympic Stadium, for the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.
At the start of the Athletes? Parade, the students from John Hampden school will join 249 other schools from across the UK, making up the 2,000 student Guard of Honour, holding lanterns and banners they have created to support one of the 204 competing teams. For many of the 10,500 athletes the Guard of Honour will be their first experience of the London 2012 Games.
The children have been preparing to provide a vibrant and diverse welcome for athletes competing at the Games. The Thame students are already learning about the cultures and athletes of the Honduras team as part of their celebrations for London 2012 World Sport Day, taking place next month on June 25. World Sport Day, presented by Lloyds TSB, will see schools across the UK join together in celebrating how sport can bring the cultures of the world together.
John Hampden Primary School have been selected through the reward and recognition programme of the Get Set network, the official London 2012 education programme. They have demonstrated a commitment to living the Olympic and Paralympic Values and incorporating them into their school lives and curriculum.
The pupils at John Hampden School are looking forward to taking part in the Guard of Honour: “I?m feeling really nervous because there are going to be loads of people,? said Jamie Howard Green.
?I will be overwhelmed at seeing the athletes,? commented Clayton Ford, and Alex Buchanan added: “It?s nerve racking knowing that we are going to have a once a life time opportunity.?
?I am stunned that I got chosen to go,? said Nadia Pedley.
The school’s plans for World Sport Day and what they have learnt about their chosen teams include:
– Opening Ceremony including march past with flags of
our school houses and Honduras
– Whole school participation in the Mascot Dance
– Track and field finals
– Medal ceremony
LOCOG Chair, Seb Coe said: “The presence of so many young people at the start of the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony will continue to show London 2012?s commitment to put young people at the heart of the Games. For athletes, the Guard of Honour will provide a stunning welcome to the Games and the perfect curtain raiser for the Athletes? Parade.”
As well as having the opportunity to cheer on the world?s best athletes and be part of a global moment, the school children will also get the exciting chance to tour the Olympic Park and see some of the London 2012 venues before the world turns its attention to Danny Boyle?s Olympic Games Opening Ceremony in the Olympic Stadium later that day.
The Athletes? Parade will see the participating teams enter the Stadium, nation by nation. Teams enter in alphabetical order, according to the language of the Host Country and IOC protocol order, apart from the Greek team which enters first for the Olympic Games, and the team of the Host Nation (Team GB), who enter last.
PHOTO: Pupils from John Hampden School, Thame, with the flag of Honduras
