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On 21-29 June 2010 Mildmay Infant Nursery School hosted a carnivals week as a result of funding from the Essex Carrying the Flame Small Grants Scheme. 

Essex Carrying the Flame is part of the London 2012 Inspire programme for acknowleding Olympic and Paralympic themes and values through cross curricular and extra curricular learning.

The carnivals week was a real success and was thoroughly enjoyed by the whole school. The children made new friends and really enjoyed working with different children from other age ranges. ‘ I enjoyed working with year 1s when they were stuck I helped them’ ‘I made a new friend when I worked with Rainbow Fish class’ They supported each other with activities, helped each other to make artefacts for the carnival procession and made and shared food and drink together. Throughout the project the children have had the opportunity to be inspired through finding out about a different culture and country. Five countries were represented at the carnival Brazil, Spain, Jamaica, Mexico and Cuba. They learnt new skills and worked together towards being part of the whole school carnivals procession. It was great practice for staff to plan with a teacher from outside their normal year group team and also for children from different age ranges to collaborate together.

The activities that staff planned where cross curricular, enthusiastic, creative and imaginative. This encouraged the children towards excellence in what they produced for their carnival float. Staff and children made costumes and some tye dyed t- shirts to wear in the parade! In the lead up to the procession there was a definite excited buzz around school as children were looking forward to it ‘It’s going to be fun and it will look good’. The salsa dance workshops were loved by everybody and the children showed real determination to try out the steps. ‘I liked the mambo because it is different to any other dancing I found out I was really good at it’‘ ‘It’s smart, fun and I would do it again’ In some classes this dancing continued and they tried to improve and get better. ‘I like dancing to the salsa music when we come in each morning it makes me happy’

The samba band from Moulsham High School were fabulous and the children not only enjoyed watching the performance but loved the workshops and the opportunity to try out some of the instruments ‘It was excellent’ ‘When they played it was giving me happy feelings’ ‘I felt it in my heart, it was beating really fast’ ‘It made the ground shake’

This has not only meant that we now have firmly established a link with this school but also it shows the children in our school the excellence they can achieve and possibly be inspired to be involved with in the future.

The carnivals procession with the whole school was fabulous. The children were so excited as they started the procession playing instruments they had made, blowing whistles, dancing to salsa music, waving flags and wearing masks and headdresses. Everybody looked so colourful and seeing the whole school joining together en masse in this way was brilliant. The event was attended by over parents who really enjoyed watching the procession. Staff served strawberries and cream to the parents at the after school picnic. There was lots of positive feedback from parents about the event ‘I enjoyed getting together with the children after school’ ‘It was brilliant for the whole family’ ‘It’s great as it brings the community together’ ‘There’s never been anything like this before and you should do it again’ This event has clearly continued to strengthen the relationship school has with parents and the community.
 

Click here for more information about the Essex Carrying the Flame small grants scheme.