Pupils and teachers at Cardinal Griffin High School, Cannock are celebrating after becoming the first school in Staffordshire to be officially welcomed in to London 2012’s Get Set network, in recognition of their commitment to the Olympic and Paralympic Values.
Get Set is the London 2012 educational programme which offers children and young people aged 3-19 years from schools and colleges across the UK to learn more about the Olympic and Paralympic values and play their part in the 2012 Games.
Pupils and staff at the school have been working hard to incorporate the Olympic and Paralympic aims into their work, delivering assemblies in feeder primary schools in the area and leading a mini Olympic Games at St. Joseph and St. Theresa’s Primary School, Chasetown in December. The event involved years 1-6 taking part in running, jumping and throwing events in an indoor intra school athletics competition. Earlier this week, Young Ambassador Amy Massey visited St. Mary's in Cannock and led an assembly on the value of Courage linked into the Winter Olympics and Paralympics which start in Vancouver on February 12th.
Erin Munns, Education Manager for The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) awarded Rose Brown, School Sport Co-ordinator and Staffordshire Young Ambassadors Laura Graham and Amy Massey from Cardinal Griffin High School a plaque and certificate to acknowledge their involvement in the London 2012 education programme at the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent 2012 Conference held in Burton upon Trent last week.
They now join schools and colleges across the UK as members of a special London 2012 community – the Get Set network - and will receive access to exclusive competitions and 2012 Games related opportunities over the coming years.
County Councillor Ben Adams, Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture and one of the Staffordshire representatives for the West Midlands Leadership Group for the 2012 Games said: “Congratulations to everyone at Cardinal Griffin High School. Get Set is an exciting programme which is bringing the inspiration of the London 2012 Games into the classrooms and lives of young people across the UK. We are delighted that we have so many of our Staffordshire schools already registered with the programme and are proud that this school has become the first in the county to take the next step to become part of the Get Set network”.
Erin Munns, Education Manager, London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, said: ‘Pupils at Cardinal Griffin High School are excellent examples of how London 2012 is helping to spark young people’s imagination and inspiring them to get involved and make a difference. They have clearly demonstrated that London 2012’s education programme extends far beyond PE and sport and I hope they will motivate other young people to join their journey.’
Mr. Michael Burrowes, Headteacher at Cardinal Griffin High School said:” We are delighted to have been awarded this recognition. The Get Set programme is inspirational and is providing our students with a wide range of opportunities and adding an exciting new dimension to the curriculum”.
To find out more about Get Set, please visit: www.london2012.com/getset
To find out more about how Staffordshire is playing its part in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games please contact: Chris Kirkland, Staffordshire Co-ordinator for the 2012 Games on 01785 854595 or chris.kirkland@staffordshire.gov.uk