STARS is the theme for 2012’s National Poetry Day,  on Thursday October 4th.

It’s a day for poetry readings, events, competitions, quizzes, exhibitions, commissions, creations, recitations and more, all planned and launched by the poets and poetry lovers of the UK. Find NPD on Facebook, follow the Tweets for updates and announcements.

Click HERE to visit the NPD website for more information, resources and events around the country.

Don’t Forget ……..

Schools in our region will be able to celebrate with a FREE  live Video Conference  to local poet and author David Harmer. A couple of spaces are still available click HERE for further information and booking details. David’s Happy working with all keystage and can taylor the sessions round any  subject or theame.

If you and your pupils would like the opportunity to meet David virtually this October, we have a limited number of slots available – book now to avoid disappointment!

Schools will need to source their own VC equipment. However, YHGfL and some local authorities have systems that can be loaned out if necessary. We also have other linking technologies available so if you are interested please do contact us at contact(at)yhgfl.net.

Each VC will last approximately 30 – 40 minutes and be adjusted to the age of the participants.

A little more about David can be found here http://davidharmer.com/about/

For further details and booking information click HERE

Would your class like to take part in a live interactive magic show?!

Date Friday 13th July

Liskeard School and Community College are looking for a year 7 or year 6 group of 15-30 students. Liskeard students are taking part in Magic School as part of the school’s Challenge Week, and will be learning how to perform magic tricks and make their own magic film.

The show will last around 45 minutes on Friday 13th July and can take place anytime between 9am and 1pm, depending upon what is suitable for the interactive school!

If you are interested, please contact John Golding ‎- JGolding(at)liskeard.cornwall.sch.uk

As usual YHGfL will be able to support any schools new to the technology. email contact(at)yhgfl.net

Nov. 26-30, 2012

Would you like to make a difference?  Would you like to compete with schools all  over the world?  Would you like participate in a legal academic decathlon?   Then take a look at the World Class Schools Joint  Project.
For the  ninth consecutive year, World Class Schools will be organizing video  conferences.  The past eight years has seen the amount of schools grow from a  handful to over 100 schools in 22 different countries this past year. If you  students are aged 11-17 years, then please register!

Now the plans for  next year are developing around an unique concept.  World Class Schools will  offer World Class Competitions.They are seeking partner secondary schools from  around the world to compete in some truly unique competitions
including:

Model UN- You represent your own country- other schools represent their country.

Youth Parliament- House of Commons- Debates- Discuss, debate, and make laws which can solve problems facing our society
today.   You will do this with the future leaders of the world today- right  now.

South Australian Mock Trials.  Three different South Australian Magistrate Court Cases.  Learn International Law

Plus many others

They will have two different tournaments  Nov. 26-30, 2012  and then  one in the Spring TBA

All participants will be recognized with certificates.  Winners will have their pictures and names published and trophies
of the top two teams per event per group.

This will be a true world class competition and a real legal or argumentative academic decathlon.

FREE to take part
Please go to http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22FS4VJFCUG and register.

As usual YHGfL will be able to support any schools new to the technology. email  contact(at)yhgfl.net

The World Class Website is HERE

Isidra del Guzmán Secondary School in Madrid are looking to collaborate with an English speaking secondary school via videoconferencing from September.

We are an active secondary school very near Madrid capital city with around 600 students aged 12-18. In our curriculum we give great  importance to  ICT and foreign  languages as cross-curricular competences, as well as to the areas related with Sciences, etc. Our previous international experiences include, for instance,  exchanges with Dutch and French schools. Our city and area are rich in educational and cultural resources (heritage city and historical university, very near Madrid and well communicated, etc.)  

We’d like to find a native or bilingual  English speaking partner for a project based on the use of VIDEO CONFERENCE.   We have the necessary equipment and are pondering various possibilities such as exchanging virtual conferences on specific  topics, using other resources in the two regions (museums, experts collaboration, etc.), making a calendar of extra-curricular videoconference events or, else, using it as a class activity in one or more areas.  

 If you are interested in partnering with the Spanish school on a range of topics (to be decided between you), please contact Inmaculada Reguero Melida -

inmaculada.reguero.melida(at) madrid.org

Museum of London have two Fire of London KS1 videoconference sessions available on Monday 28 May at 11.15 and 13.30. Join a  fun, interactive storytelling session, drawing on first-hand accounts of the fire and investigation of objects from the period. Sing songs, act out moments in the story and ask questions about this key historical event.

For more information about the session please visit the  Schools website HERE

To book please complete the booking request form at

http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/Schools/PlanVisit/primvc-request.htm.

A couple of places still available:

May 31st 2012 1.00 to 3.00

A videoconferencing opportunity in true ‘Euro Vision’ style for YHGfL member primary schools.

Schools can perform a short song, no longer than 3 minutes in a MFL. (French, German or Spanish)

Schools will watch other schools perform, then after a short break, vote for the best performance reporting back in true Euro Vision style – there will be no ‘0 points’

Performances will be judged along the lines of:

• Are the children joining in?
• Is it an enthusiastic performance?
• Are the children having fun?

The winning school will then perform their song again, and have the opportunity of the performance been featured on YHGfL’s video host eViews (subject to copyright).

Certificates will be awarded to all schools.

Time is dependent on the number of schools taking part, expected to run 1.00 to 3.00

As usual YHGfL will be able to support any schools new to the technology and has an amount of loan equpment available.

See http://shareit.yhgfl.net/enews/?p=234 for a video of a previous year.

To register for this year’s event click HERE

Friday June 15th 2012

Carpenters Primary School from the London Borough of Newham in partnership with Video Conferencing for Learning would like to invite all schools registered on JVCS  to take part in a multipoint Video Conference to celebrate the 2012 Olympic Games on Friday June 15th from 8.30am – 12.30pm.

A number of session are planned throughout the morning to showcase specific work in KS1 to 3 that embraces the values of the Olympics, locally, nationally and internationally via Video conference

Schools can Click HERE to find out more about the programme and how to register for the event and must do before  May 31st. Limited places are available so those who register first will be allocated sessions.

31 May 2012

A FREE videoconferencing opportunity in true ‘Euro Vision’ style for YHGfL member primary schools.

Schools  perform a short song, no longer than 3 minutes in a MFL. (French, German or Spanish)

Schools will watch the other schools perform, then after a short break, vote for the best performance and report back in true Euro Vision style –  there will be no ‘0 points’

Performances will be judged along the lines of:

• Are the children joining in?
• Is it an enthusiastic performance?
• Are the children having fun?

The winning school will then perform their song again and feature on the YHGfL video host eviews.

Certificates will be awarded to all schools.

The time is dependent on the number of schools taking part, places are limited. We may split into  key stage sessions if numbers allow.

As usual YHGfL will be able to support any schools new to the technology. Can be done with just a computer and webcam.

Click HERE to visit the YHGfL website to register and for further information.

You can watch a previous year’s video HERE on eViews.

For the regions schools using the JVCS Desktop system to Video Conference an improved desktop client
(ConferenceMe) is now available for download, and will be required for all sessions from 10th April.

You will be able to access the service from your computer as normal, with just a webcam and headset.  The new client software will allow  you to share content on full screen and control your own microphone and audio  levels through the running client program.

After 10^th April it will  also work at sites where a web proxy is used, as in many educational  institutions.

You can click here to download and test  the new client:  www.ja.net/desktopcheck

If you have an old version of  the JVCS Desktop client, just remove the existing software from your computer  and then install the new version. Please note the old client will not work
after 10^th April.

To find out more please refer to  the user guide http://www.ja.net/documents/services/video/jvcsdesktopguide.pdf.

YHGfL is able to help and support its schools in the use of this technology and to get you started can be run on as  you see above  a web cam and FREE downloadable software. To find out how we can support you email contact(at)yhgfl.net.