Sherington - School - On the Internet

The following article appeared in the April/May 99 issue of Milton Keynes Council's magazine, The Messenger.

Six year old e-mail fans from a small local school are looking forward to their first face-to-face meeting with friends they have made over the internet - they will meet at London Zoo!
Five to six year old pupils from Sherington CE First School have been exchanging messages with children of a similar age in a school in Dover since last July. In July this year they will meet their e-mail buddies for the first time when both schools visit London Zoo on the same day.

The local school made a bid to the Government under the Multimedia Portables (laptops) for Teachers Project. Two laptops and half a day's training later teachers at the school were able to use their laptops for making up worksheets and databases and also as a teaching tool.
Headteacher, Isabel Fleming, explained, 'We picked up an e-mail from a small school in Dover asking for a similar but inland school to link with. That's how it started. Now the younger pupils at our school each have an e-mail friend who they can write to. This kind of IT work comes into the national curriculum in later years so our pupils will have a head start on it. Using e-mail can also give pupils a purpose for writing.'
A total of 17 schools in Milton Keynes have been loaned laptops under the scheme in the past few years. At Sherington, internet connections costs and line rental have been met by BECTA.
'Parents have been very interested in the lessons as well. And the good thing is the children have taken the whole thing in their stride. They think it is nothing unusual to e-mail children they have never met on the other side of the country!' added Isabel.

Some of the children e-mailed the Messenger to explain why they like using e-mail:

Christopher: 'My partner is Kylie. It is fun sending e-mails and having a friend so far away. I like sending e-mails because I just do. At the zoo I want to see a rhinocerous.'
Ashley: 'I like sending e-mails. My partner is called Ashley too. I like sending e-mails because I can write to Ashley. I am looking forward to going to the zoo because it is going to be fun to meet Ashley.'
Emily: 'I like sending e-mails because they are fun because it is fun sending messages to my partner who is called Emily too. I am looking forward to going to the zoo to see a bear and I am looking forward to seeing Emily too.'
Jamie: 'I like sending e-mails because it is fun. I brought mine to school on one of my Dad's disks. My partner is a girl called Bethany. I hope there is a snake and a tiger at the zoo.'

Latest update: 12 October 2003