17/02/11………They’re making dreams at Thame school

DREAMING in school is usually not encouraged but at one Thame primary school this week, its exactly what the teachers want.

For the theme for John Hampden primary school’s Arts Week this year is Dream Time and the whole school and the nursery have been encouraged to make dream catchers, fairies, dream jars, prints, junk models and all sorts of creative responses centred around the idea of dreaming.

The centre piece of the culmination of this weeks work will be a truly massive model of the BFG that reaches to the hall ceiling.

The work is being co-ordinated by teacher Jackie Nichols with the help of an enthusiastic band of enthusiastic volunteers including ex teaching staff who have returned to John Hampden School specially to help out in what has become one of the highlights of the school’s curriculum. Real artists, including Julie Long from Cheshire, the aunt of a JHS pupil, and local print maker, Christine Tacq have been working with the children during Arts Week.

Jackie Nichols said: “This year?s Artsweek has been dominated, literally, by the GIANT BFG that has invaded our school hall, blowing ?fizzwizard? dreams to fill our Dreamtime Artsweek World!

“Artsweek has involved everyone in our school community, from artists, grandparents and parents, with over 60 volunteers, to the whole school body of teachers and students, from Nursery to Year 6.

“It has enabled every child to shine through artistic activities ranging from Dream Junk Worlds to Wild Aboriginal Snakes! The Dream Bedroom project has really taken off, with children, families and teachers alike making their dream or childhood bedrooms, which have taken over the corridors and classes of the school. We have even had a competition to guess which bedroom belongs to which teachers for an arty prize.

“The whole week culminates tomorrow (Friday) in a Fairtrade Arts Caf