2012 OLYMPIC TORCH ROUTE

Dear Parents and Carers This letter is unusual in that it comes from the Headteachers from our Pyramid of Primary Schools and includes Dennington, Charsfield, Easton, Earl Soham, Wickham Market and Sir Robert Hitcham’s in Framlingham. We are thrilled to be able to share with you the part we would like your children to play in the progress of the Olympic Torch on its journey to London. Easton Primary School children in Y5 and Y6 will be preparing model school Olympic torches for a relay to take place between all the Pyramid Primary Schools in the weeks leading up to the arrival of the official Olympic torch in our part of Suffolk. The schools have also been working together with the Local Education Authority and the District and Parish Councils to organise for our children to view the torch relay as it passes through Wickham Market on Thursday 5th July at 2.59pm. To mark this momentous event the morning of the 5th July will be given over to individual schools to organise activities on their sites. After lunch coaches will transport children, staff and helpers to Wickham Market Primary School who have kindly offered the use of their school facilities, where activities will be planned for the children until the time comes for them to move into their viewing positions as directed by the Torch Relay organisers for the town. After the torch has passed by, the children will be escorted back to the Primary School site where they will be given a packed tea. Coaches will then begin to return them to their schools. Any children who normally travel home from school by bus will still be taken home by bus and all children who are normally collected from school will be returned to their own school to be collected by their parents. Times for the return journey will be confirmed in another letter nearer to the time however it is envisaged that all children will be returned to their school or normal collection point by 5.45pm at the latest. This is a unique educational opportunity for all our children to experience a little of the excitement of the Olympics. We would therefore not be authorising any absence requests from school on that day. Each school will organise their own supervision of the children which may include volunteer help, however families are actively discouraged on advice from Health and Safety from the District and Parish Councils from joining their children at the viewing site due to the pressure of many children in a small area. Final details will be sent to you as soon as they are in place, however as you can imagine the organisation for the event is immense and involves many individuals and groups so we do thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as details may alter as we approach 5th July. Yours sincerely Mrs H Picton, Headteacher Framlingham Sir Robert Hitcham’s CEVAP School