dcu july 2014
DESCRIPTION
NewsletterTRANSCRIPT
Devon Children’s
University
At the moment students from
Children’s Universities all
around the country are
celebrating their achievements
by graduating—but what does
that actually mean?
A graduation is a very important
event in a person’s life. It marks
great achievement through hard
work and dedication to learning.
For the actual ceremony a
traditional outfit known as the
‘cap and gown’ is worn. The
cap is also known as a mortar
board. This academic outfit
dates all the way back to the
12th Century!
To celebrate such an amazing
achievement the families of
those graduating (the graduates),
are invited to come and see them
presented with their scrolls and
certificates.
Check out how our
graduation went p. 5&6
It’s summer time and here at DCU Central we are absolutely loving it!!
So far this month we’ve been cycling, kayaking and hiking! We’ve seen some ponies up on the moors and lots of people down at the beach. Now
is a brilliant time to explore the great outdoors!
Check out!Check out!Check out!
Newsletter July 2014
Congratulations Ger!!
Ger Graus is the founding Chief Executive of the
Children’s University - he’s the big boss! He has
recently been appointed as an honorary Officer of
the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
(OBE), to celebrate all his hard work with children
and young people across the whole country!
This means that he will get to go and meet a
member of the Royal Family up at Buckingham
Palace and will receive a very special badge too!
Well done Ger!
At the beginning of June the DCU Team packed
ourselves and our stuff into a (very large) car and went
off to the Royal Cornwall Show down in Wadebridge.
Having never been before we were excited to have a
look around. While we were there we met an assortment
of both animals and people, as you can see from the
pictures!
The theme of the show this year was scarecrows, and
visitors to the event had the chance to go on a scarecrow
treasure hunt around the whole show ground!
Children who visited our stand in the BBC Radio
Cornwall marquee got the chance to make their very
own scarecrow puppets. They also had the opportunity
to design a colourful postcard that they could send to
family or friends, and to make some paper boats to race
against each other!
We had a brilliant time and even got to hang out with
Torbay and Cornwall Children’s Universities as well :)
Plymouth 2014
Here at Plymouth’s Lord Mayor’s Day 2014
we had fun chatting to some VIP guests and then
making crazy monster puppets!
There was absolutely loads going on both here at
Plymouth University, and in Plymouth city
centre. There was a parade through the town
with costumes and giant puppets, there was
musical entertainment down at the Piazza and
there were lots of stalls and displays all around.
The theme of the day this year was the merging
of the Three Towns of Devonport, Stonehouse
and Plymouth, the Amalgamation (what a great
word) 100 hundred years ago!
It was also a chance for people to come
and see the newly renovated (new walls,
new grass, new trees and flowers, new
waterfall and lots, lots more), Drake’s
Place Gardens and Reservoir which
opened the day before. The people of
Plymouth used to come and collect their
water from here before they had taps in
their own homes! - Imagine that!
This month some prospective
DCU Students from
Horrabridge Community
Primary School,
Gulworthy Primary School,
Lamerton C of E Primary
School,
Whitchurch Primary School
and
St Rumon’s CE Infants
School came to visit us at
Plymouth University for the
day. While they were here they
had the chance to make
puppets and put on a puppet
show, take a look at some
amazing fossils in our Natural
History Quiz, get involved in
some crazy science and find
as many stars as they could on
a treasure hunt across the
entire campus!
Take a look at some of their
comments below :)
On 26th June 2014
children from schools all
over Devon, and their
families, came here to
Plymouth University to
celebrate reaching Gold!
They came to collect
certificates for 100 hours
(Gold Award), 200 hours
(Gold Certificate) or, in
some cases even 300
hours (Gold Diploma)!
While they were here
they had the chance to
have a go at some
activities such as making
star wands from willow
sticks, shooting some
hoops with the basketball
team and adding their
names to the Devon
Children’s University wall
of fame!
They were also treated to
performances from Street
Factory Studios and
Hartley House Dance
Club.
From the pre-graduation
party the students
paraded through campus
behind the Plymouth
University ceremonial
mace, used at the
University’s own
graduation services.
Ger Graus started off the
service with a video
message congratulating
everyone for all their hard
work, and reminding us
of the importance of what
the ceremony represents.
Then Prof. Iain Stewart,
famous for leaping down
volcanoes and wrestling
alligators presented scrolls
to our graduates, while
their families clapped and
cheered.
Following the graduation
we headed up to Drake’s
Place for the moment
everyone had been wait-
ing for. Everyone lined up
on the steps and 1,2,3
hats in the air! - and then
on the roof and even in a
tree!
With all hats safety
retrieved it was then sadly
time to say goodbye to
our proud graduates and
their families.
It was such an amazing
day for all of us here at
DCU Central, and we
hope that those who were
there enjoyed it as much
as we did!
Finally a big shout out to
all the people who gave
up their time to help
make it so special
including CU Learning
Destinations:
Babcock LPD
Barbican Theatre
Devonport Royal
Swimming Association
Hartley House Dance
Club
LABplus
Masters Academy
Plymouth
Nature Workshops
Orchard Learning
Studios
Plymouth East Girl
Guiding
Plymouth Raiders
Street Factory Studios
Theatre Royal Plymouth
Wild Futures’ Monkey
Sanctuary
Student
Corner
Children’s University Column
By our Junior Journalist Jessica Budd
Book Review - Looking for Alaska by John Green (Author of ‘Fault in Our Stars)
Looking for Alaska is a book about different paths in life, the choices you make and how you
decide to live. It is about last words, impressions and legacy. What you leave behind that
makes you who you are. Whether you believe that your destiny is to fulfil a great purpose or
whether you always live in the moment leaving that memorable mark.
Looking for Alaska includes romance, humour, tragedy and bittersweet moments. This book will
make you think, laugh and cry. Filled with riddles and mind-blowing last words this book is John
Green at his best.
“You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you’ll escape it one day,
and how awesome it will be. Imagining that future keeps you going, but you never do it. You
just use the future to escape the present.”
Another reviewer said: “Looking for
Alaska cannot be merely written off as a
typical boy-meets-girl love story, because
it isn't. it's more of a tale of how love isn't
as translucent as it seems.”
In conclusion I would say that this story
captures the hardships and the beautiful
moments in life. The author encapsulates
all the emotions being experienced by the
characters and communicates them in a
way that is exceptionally believable. A
quirky love story that is not just as simple
as boy meets girl.
Have you got something to say? Want to have a go at being a CU Junior Journalist?
Write a review of a book you’ve read, a film you’ve seen or an activity that you’ve tried -
we will include it in our newsletter and send you a stamp for your passport!
Activities to get involved with this month!
Collect stamps at Haldon Forest this
summer! Simply download the
worksheet from the Children’s
University website (press Ctrl and click
the picture), have fun learning about all
the things you can find in the forest and
then email it back to
Quay Climbing Centre (click on the
name to go to the website) in Exeter
are running a Holiday Club over the
summer on Tuesdays, Wednesdays
and Thursdays 10:30-12:00. It gives
you the chance to have a go and
have fun while learning something
new. Plus—climbing is cool!
Activities to get involved with this month!
The Summer Reading Challenge takes place every year during the summer
holidays. You can sign up at your local library, then read six library books of
your choice, collecting stickers and other rewards along the way – all FREE.
The theme for this year’s Summer Reading Challenge is Mythical Maze! Last
year an absolutely enourmous 810,089 people took part! So let’s get
reading!
Illustrations by Sarah McInytre
What have you been up to ?
We are always on the look out for new learning destinations to add to our list. If you have been
involved in any activities or projects that you think deserve to be part of Children’s University,
then let us know by completing a nomination form which can be found here. Then either email it
to us at: [email protected] or post it to:
Devon Children’s University
c/o Plymouth University
3 Endsleigh Place,
Drake Circus
Plymouth
PL4 8AA
We love to hear from you!
Even more…….
Activities to get involved with this month!
Well Done
Graduates!!
Hobby Box
What? Cycling
Why?
The sun is shining and there’s lots
to be seen! So pretend you’re in the
Tour de France and race against
your friends!
Who?
Cycling is for anyone and everyone!
Although you need to take care
around roads!
How?
Get your bike and helmet and off
you go!
When?
Anywhere, anytime. Although if you
want to collect stamps you will need
to find a club!
Where?
Check out your local Halford’s Bike
Club
There’s a whole lot of fantastic
workshops taking place at Orchard
Learning Studios over the summer.
From cooking, to sewing to creating
fabulous mosaics—click on the link
for more information.
Up at Exeter Phoenix there’s also a
lot happening. Including Family
Saturdays, Bronze in a Month,
Singer Songwriter Workshops,
Animation Workshops and Wet
Hand Felting—click on each link for
more information.