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SCHOOLCHILDREN danced their way down the street as an end-of-term celebration kicked off at St John’s Upper Holloway School in Pemberton Gardens on Wednesday morning. 

Around 120 pupils from Years 1 and 2 spent six weeks preparing for a “carnival dance around the block” by making costumes with the help of older children, and taking dance classes.

“We had a dance teacher come in once a week for the last three weeks to teach them how to dance in costume,”said Year 1 teacher Laura Harrison who explained the idea behind the project: “Really, it’s to help their transition to new classes next year, because it’ll get them used to working with new teachers and it aids team work  by working with older children on their costumes. 

“We’re also celebrating diversity, because after the actual parade, which will last about an hour, we will do classroom work 

and the children will bring food from their family’s background.”

Year 1 pupil Ariel Hughes, five, said: “Oh, my God! I woke up at 5.45am this morning because I was so excited, you won’t believe how excited I was. I was glad to wake up, and normally I am not ever excited when I wake up. I’m normally a moody guts.”

Year 6 pupil Callum Docherty, 10, said: “We got to help some of the younger children, and they let us parade around the classrooms in our costumes. We are doing a carnival dance around the block, and that’s more fun than sitting down all day [in a classroom].”

Published: 15th July, 2011
by PAVAN AMARA