First News - National Literacy Trust

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THE WEEKLY NEWSPAPER FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
£1.30 8 – 14 JUNE 2012 Issue 313
Working with
more than
a million*
readers
Winner of the national newspaper of the year*
2012 tour
First News supports
children’s charities
First News is touring UK schools this week as part of our
2012 My Way! campaign with Henry Winkler. This year we
are shining a light on the dark issue of bullying. See page 8
DIAMOND KIDS
THE Diamond Jubilee weekend might be over, but First News is proud to announce our own celebration to mark The Queen’s 60 years on the throne.
Diamond Kids will be a show put on by children and
young people to celebrate The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
year. Britain’s most entertaining young people will perform
in the Diamond Kids Jubilee Gala, attended by royalty,
at one of London’s best-loved West End theatres – the
Apollo, Victoria.
With Diamond Kids host, Jason Donovan, First News will
be launching a national search, working with ITV Daybreak,
Heart Radio, Ambassador Theatre Group and First Family
by editor Nicky Cox
Entertainment, to find entertaining children through
schools, dance, singing and other organisations involved in
children’s talent.
All the details of how to get involved will be announced in
a month’s time, when performers will be able to upload films
to the Diamond Kids website.
From these films, a panel of judges will select some of
Britain’s most entertaining young people to perform at one
of six regional Diamond Kids shows where a jury and the
audience will choose those to perform at the royal gala.
The regional shows will be held in the autumn, with the
Diamond Kids Jubilee Gala taking place on Sunday
4 November.
Proceeds from the gala performance will go to ChildLine,
which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. ChildLine is
part of the NSPCC, of which the Queen is patron.
Inside: The Diamond Jubilee Weekend celebrations, p2 and 3
*The 2012 Newspaper Awards: Best weekly national newspaper and best niche market newspaper. Also, Plain English Campaign: Best national newspaper. *Source: First News Readership Survey, January 2011, Opinion Matters
2 FirstNews Issue 313
8 – 14 June 2012
FIRST NEWS HEADLINES AND NEWS IN PICTURES SPECIAL
Diamond Jubilee
DIAMOND Jubilee celebrations have been taking place all over the country to celebrate the
Queen’s 60 years on the throne.
From local street parties to huge national events, the
nation has been getting in the party mood.
by editor Nicky Cox
More than 1.2 million people were in London on Sunday to watch
the Thames river pageant and cheer on the royal barge, the Spirit of
Chartwell. It was wet and windy but no wash-out.
The Queen’s royal barge led a flotilla of more than 1,000 boats that
made its way along the Thames.
Boats
The Queen stands with members of the royal family. On the left is Prince Charles, the Queen’s eldest son, who is next in line to
be King. He is Prince William and Harry’s dad. Next is Prince Philip,the Queen’s husband. Then there’s Camilla, Duchess of
Cornwall, who is married to Prince Charles. In red is Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, who married Prince William last year. He
is standing next to her and is next in line to be King after his dad. Last in the line-up is William’s brother, Prince Harry. The photo
was taken on the royal barge Spirit of Chartwell during the Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the River Thames on Sunday.
THE RIVER PAGEANT
The boats passed under all 13 central London river crossings from
Battersea Bridge to Tower Bridge, in what’s thought to be the largest live
public event ever held in London.
Nancy Prall, from Palm Beach, Florida, came over from America
especially for the Jubilee. She said: “We were at the Derby yesterday and
we are going to all the events to mark her 60 years of service. I just love
the royal family. They seem so friendly.”
The pageant achieved a new world record for the largest parade of
boats – beating the previous record of 327 boats set in Bremerhaven,
Germany last year.
Meanwhile, millions more people were at street parties up and down
the country as part of the ‘Big Jubilee Lunch’.
The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee was also marked with a star-studded
BBC concert in front of Buckingham Palace on Monday.
Bands
The concert, organised by Gary Barlow, included performances from
stars such as JLS, Jessie J, Robbie Williams, Ed Sheeran, Elton John and
Sir Paul McCartney. There was even a performance on the roof by a band
called Madness!
At the end of the show, the Queen lit one of the last of around 4,500
beacons across the globe – in celebration of her 60-year reign.
The Queen’s rowbarge Gloriana (front)
leads hundreds of rowing boats,
barges and steamers as the flotilla
passes the Houses of Parliament.
Spectators watch the action from their building during the Thames
Diamond Jubilee Pageant
Far left: The Queen’s younger two sons, Prince Andrew, Duke of York (left) and
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (right) pose together during the river pageant as
it passes a large picture of the British royal family.
Left: The Queen’s only daughter, Princess Anne, arrives at the pageant.
FirstNews
Issue 313
3
8 – 14 June 2012
FIRST NEWS HEADLINES AND NEWS IN PICTURES SPECIAL
celebrations
THE PARADE
EDITOR’S
COMMENT
Editor Nicky Cox MBE
IT’S been a fantastic week of
celebrations for the Queen’s
Diamond Jubilee.
But, as you will have read on the front
page, it doesn’t end here. There are many
other events and celebrations continuing
throughout the Diamond Jubilee year.
We are very excited, of course, about
First News’ own royal gala for the Diamond
Jubilee, which will give many of our
readers the chance to perform for royalty in
celebration of the Queen’s 60 years on
the throne.
All will be revealed in a month’s time!
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The Queen’s grand-daughter, Princess Beatrice of York,
visits a Big Jubilee Lunch at All Saints Church, Fulham, as
part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations on Sunday. Her
dad is Prince Andrew, the Queen’s second son.
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THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
The Queen waits to present the trophies to the winners
of the Diamond Jubilee Coronation Cup race at the
Epsom Derby on Saturday.
On the final day of the Diamond Jubilee weekend, the Queen and other senior
members of the royal family travelled in a formal carriage procession to a
service at St Paul’s Cathedral.
After a 60-gun salute at Buckingham Palace later, the Royal Family appeared
on the balcony to watch an RAF flypast.
THE BUCKINGHAM
PALACE CONCERT
In 2002 the Queen celebrated her Golden
Jubilee. She marked her 50 years on
the throne with a mammoth tour of the
Commonwealth and UK. The highlight of
the celebrations was the ‘Party at the Palace’,
where stars including Sir Paul McCartney
and Elton John (like this year) joined forces
to entertain the crowds at Buckingham
Palace. The concert began with Brian May,
from rock band Queen, performing God
Save The Queen as a guitar solo on the roof
of Buckingham Palace.
ALTHOUGH I’m only a teenager, I know that attending the Diamond
Jubilee Concert will be one of the best memories of my life.
by junior journalist Barney Cox
The concert to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee featured artists who have
recorded in every decade of her reign.
The stars performed on a stage around the Queen Victoria Memorial in front of
Buckingham Palace, watched by the Queen and many members of the
royal family.
It wasn’t only the guitars that were electric, the
atmosphere was too.
As each artist came on, I kept thinking: “This is going to
be the best bit!” and then they were matched by the next
performance. Everybody was brilliant, from current stars
like JLS and Jessie J, to classic performers such as Sir Paul
McCartney.
I’m a guitarist and wonder if I will be lucky enough ever to
play at an event as massive as this. They don’t come along
very often! It was the biggest and best concert in the world
anyway, but with the incredible backdrop of Buckingham
Palace for the amazing light projections and fireworks, it was a
night fit for a Queen.
Send pictures of how you celebrated the Diamond Jubilee to [email protected] for our online gallery.
8 – 14 June 2012
FIRST NEWS HEADLINES
For the latest on these headlines, go to www.firstnews.co.uk/news
Digital takeover
Soldiers in Syria
DIGITAL music sales in the UK have
beaten CD and record purchases
for the first time.
In the first three months of this year,
£155.8 million was spent on music in
the UK. More than half of this came from
digital downloads, subscriptions and
music services.
Music sites such as iTunes and Spotify
have made downloading music much faster
and easier, with more and more people
downloading music every day.
The latest figures also show that American
singer Lana Del Ray has had the biggestselling digital album of the year so far.
However, music experts have said we
shouldn’t write off CDs just yet. Paul
Williams from Music Week said: “The CD still
makes up the majority of album sales in the
UK and that’s going to remain the case for
some time.” He also said that older people
generally still prefer to buy CDs.
How do you and your family buy music?
Tell us at www.firstnews.co.uk.
An Olympic ban for Syria?
TOP politicians and athletes from Syria might not be allowed to come to London for the Olympics this
summer. The country has faced brutal violence for over a year.
Lana Del Ray
My Money Week 2012
MY Money Week comes to schools
from 25 June. The week is all about
learning how to manage your
money.
by Tracey Bleakley, pfeg
Now in its fourth year, we think My Money
Week is an important part of the school
calendar. pfeg (personal finance education
group) sends schools free resources and
activity packs and sets competitions for
students. Teachers get help too.
In the past, schools have hosted fashion
shows and fetes, taken part in gardening
projects, debates, young peoples’
parliaments, community projects and
used maths, English, drama, PSHE
education and even geography to learn
more about money.
The Saturdays, Sir Chris Hoy and Tinchy
Stryder have all been ambassadors for the
week in previous years.
Look out for fun and creative ways to
learn about money, and why not enter the
competition to design a money box? It’s a
great chance to win prizes for you and
your school!
Take this to your
teacher if you’d like
to get involved in My
Money Week. Find out
more at: www.pfeg.org/
mymoneyweek.
UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said
Syrian people who have been involved in
the fighting “will not be able to come into
this country”.
Battles are taking place because some
people are not happy with the way Bashar
al-Assad is running Syria. President Assad
has been the country’s leader for twelve
years, but people there don’t get to vote
for who they want in charge. The Assad
family took control of Syria in 1970. They
by Callum Jones
gained power through a revolution, not an
election. President Assad has never called
an election over his leadership.
Earlier this year, people in Syria voted
some politicians in to the country’s
Parliament, but there have been questions
over the fairness of this election. Some
experts think allies of the Assad family
cheated.
Galaxies to collide
OUR galaxy, the Milky Way, looks set to crash into another
galaxy known as Andromeda… but don’t panic, it’s not likely
to happen for four billion years!
The two galaxies
are currently around
2.5 million light years
apart. It has long been
known that they are
being pulled together
by the force of gravity.
However, astronomers
using the Hubble
Telescope have now
worked out exactly
when a crash is likely
to happen.
Andromeda
The Milky Way
They have also worked
out that two billion years
after crashing, the two
galaxies will have merged
completely to form one
single galaxy.
Although it is thought
that the sun may be
flung into a different part
of the galaxy in the crash,
the good news is that
Earth is unlikely to be
destroyed.
People have been fighting over whether
or not President Assad should step down.
Thousands of men, women and children
have been killed or badly wounded over
the past year. People from around the world
are now working hard to bring an end to
the fighting.
Kofi Annan – a top official – has been
sent to Syria to try to end the crisis. He said
last week that “the people in this country
cannot continue to suffer”.
Duke of Edinburgh
in hospital
THE Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, Duke of
Edinburgh, had to miss some of the Jubilee
celebrations after being taken to hospital
with a bladder infection.
The 90-yearold Duke was
admitted to
the Edward VII
Hospital last
Monday
(4 June).
On Sunday,
The Queen with her husband,
he attended
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
the Diamond
Jubilee pageant
on the River Thames, on board the Spirit of Chartwell
royal barge. It is thought that this may have led to the
Duke becoming ill, as the weather was very bad and he
and the Queen stood for a long time in the cold.
The Duke had to miss the rest of the Diamond Jubilee
celebrations, including the Jubilee concert on Monday
and the Service of Thanksgiving on Tuesday.
Prince Charles asked crowds at the concert to cheer
loudly enough for Prince Philip to hear them.
As First News went to press, the Duke was recovering in
hospital, but it was thought likely that he would be out in
time for his 91st birthday on Sunday (10 June).
FirstNews
Issue 313
5
8 – 14 June 2012
The United Kingdom
SPECIAL REPORT
FirstNews finds out
A separate
Scotland
Callum Jones looks to the future of Scotland in the United Kingdom.
A referendum
politicians in Edinburgh would have to make all
sorts of choices. They might even have to choose
if Scottish shoppers would still use British money.
Alex Salmond, First
Minister of Scotland
In a few years’ time, the people of Scotland
will make a huge decision. They will choose
whether or not they want Scotland to leave
the United Kingdom. A big vote known as a
referendum will take place in 2014.
In a referendum, a question is asked to a
group of adults. The adults can either answer
the question by voting ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Adults all over
Scotland will be asked if they think their country
should become independent.
Last week, a campaign was launched to
convince people in Scotland to vote ‘yes’ and
split from the UK. At a big event in an Edinburgh
cinema, politicians that supported the move got
together to persuade the people of Scotland.
A rival campaign is expected to launch later
this year.
What is the
current situation?
Scotland is already an individual country, but it is part
of the United Kingdom. This means that most of the big
decisions about Scotland are made at the UK Parliament
in Westminster.
However, some decisions are made by the Scottish
Parliament in Edinburgh.
Who wants what?
Alex Salmond and the Scottish National Party
have wanted Scotland to be a separate country
for a long time. Mr Salmond said last week that he
wants his country to be independent “because it’s
as good as any other country”. He later said that
“we can definitely win this”, but admitted that it
would be “a huge struggle”.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron, however,
does not want Scotland to become independent.
Instead, he wants the United Kingdom to
stay as it is. “I believe we are stronger together,
rather than breaking apart”, he said earlier
this year.
What is the Scottish Parliament?
The Scottish Parliament, also called Holyrood, was created
in 1997. Politicians that work there are known as MSPs.
Right now, the party with the largest number of MSPs in
the Scottish Parliament is the Scottish National Party. Alex
Salmond is leader of this party, and First Minister of Scotland.
The First Minister is the top politician in Scotland, and they
head up the Scottish Government. Mr Salmond does not
like the fact that Westminster holds a lot of power over his
country. He wants all political decisions
The Scottish flag
about Scotland to be made in Edinburgh
at the Scottish Parliament.
What would Scottish
independence mean?
An independent Scotland would
no longer be a part of the UK. The
Scottish Parliament would take charge
of all decisions about the country, and
Westminster would no longer have a
say. Politicians in Edinburgh would be in
complete control for the first time.
We don’t know many details at the
moment, because they will only be decided
if people in Scotland actually decide to split
from the rest of the UK. If this happens, top
David Cameron, Prime Minister of the UK
What happens now?
Over the next two years, both teams will try to convince
people in Scotland to agree with them. Politicians will
talk to as many people as possible, and celebrities will film
TV adverts.
Both ‘yes’ and ‘no’ supporters think they can win, but the
big vote is still a long way off. Only the Scottish people will
decide if their country becomes independent.
SCIENCE
8 – 14 JUNE 2012
Sponsored by GORE-TEX® products. Win a trip to Germany! See www.firstnews.co.uk/competitions.
Heat is on
for solar
power plane
Getty
Jet car aims
to break
land speed
record
A SOLAR-powered plane is
making its final series of test
flights ahead of an attempt to
fly around the world.
The Solar Impulse plane took
off from Switzerland and travelled
across the Mediterranean to
Morocco. The pilots and ground
crew are using the flight to learn
important lessons for their round
the world attempt in 2014.
The trip from Europe to North
Africa means it has completed its
first intercontinental flight.
The £100m plane is basically a
huge wing with 12,000 solar cells
fitted across the top of its
64m-long wingspan.
It also has a bank of batteries that
charge up ready to be used at night.
The organisers want to highlight the
uses of clean, renewable energy.
It’s unlikely you’ll fly away on
your holidays on a similar aircraft,
because it’s quite slow, cruising at
just over 64km/h (40mph).
An illustration of the
Bloodhound SSC attempting
to break the land speed record
Thousands of schools are following an attempt to smash the land speed record.
The super-fast car is being
designed by world-leading experts
who want to share their knowledge
– especially with young students.
That’s because they want to inspire
a new generation of scientists,
engineers and designers.
The Bloodhound SSC will be
powered by a jet engine that is
normally used in the Typhoon
Eurofighter. The driver should feel
at home, though – he’s a former
jet fighter pilot.
A separate engine normally
found in an F1 racing car will be
used to pump huge amounts of
fuel into the rocket engine.
The team behind the record
attempt hope the car will reach a
speed of 1,600km/h (1,000mph)
World’s smallest
artificial heart
saves toddler
at salt flats in Hakskeen Pan, South
Africa. That’s almost one and a
half times the speed of sound and
would smash the current land
speed record of 1,228km/h (763
mph), which was set 15 years ago.
Everything about the car will
have to cope with this amazing
speed. The wheels, for example,
will be solid aluminium. They
are being designed by a Scottish
company and are built so they
won’t disintegrate as they turn up
to 177 times a second.
The Bloodhound Education
Programme is available to all pupils
in primary and secondary schools.
Nearly 4,000 schools have registered
already. You can find out more at
www.bloodhoundssc.com.
Hello. Is
anybody there?
Getty
Transplant surgeon
Dr Antonio Amodeo
?
Did you
know
The amount of energy
absorbed by the Earth from
the sun in just a few minutes
is more than all the combined
energy we use on our planet
in a whole year. It takes around
eight minutes for the sun’s
energy to reach our planet.
THE world’s smallest artificial heart
has saved the life of a baby boy.
The baby was kept alive for two weeks as the
tiny titanium pump sent blood round his body.
This gave doctors time to find a donor heart
for the 16-month-old tot. This new donor heart
will grow as the boy grows. The little boy was
suffering from a disease which affects his heart
muscles. The device was fitted by Italian doctor
Antonio Amodeo at a hospital in Rome.
It was a world first, as the device had only
been tested on animals. Amodeo described the
operation as a “medical milestone” that would
help other babies and young children as they
waited for donor hearts to become available.
The artificial heart weighs just 11g and can
pump 1.5 litres of blood around the body
every minute.
SCIENTISTs have decided the biggest
radio telescope ever built will span
across different continents.
The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will
be made up of 3,000 dishes split between
Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Each
dish will be 15 metres wide, but they will all
work together to act as one giant dish that is
one kilometre wide.
It means when the £1.2 billion project is
completed in 2024, this network of telescopes
will have a massively increased range and
sensitivity compared to existing radio
telescopes. They will scan the sky 10,000 times
faster and with 50 times the power of any other
telescopes. Radio telescopes, unlike optical
telescopes, pick up radio frequencies which are
given off by astronomical events.
Astronomers from 20 countries will use the
SKA to search for clues about the origins of the
universe and look for the elusive ‘dark matter’
which scientists believe makes up much of
the universe. It will also detect weak signals, if
there are any out there, that might indicate the
presence of extraterrestrial life.
Check out www.firstnews.co.uk/discover for
more great science stories.
FirstNews
Issue 313
7
8 – 14 june 2012
OUR STORIES
Northern Ireland
Royal visit
A date has been set for HRH the
Queen’s visit to Northern Ireland.
She will visit Enniskillen and Belfast
on 26 and 27 June as part of her
Diamond Jubilee tour of the UK.
She will be accompanied by her
husband, the Duke of Edinburgh,
for the visit. In previous years only a
select few people would have met
the Queen when she was visiting
Northern Ireland and most people
would not have even known she
was there.
For more home news, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/news
Home News
Gloucestershire
Scotland
Scotland
Cheese rolling
race returns
Lots of Scots
Help for Japan
The population of Scotland
has reached its highest ever
level, according to records. The
National Records of Scotland
have revealed that by June 2011,
5,254,800 people were living in
Scotland. Current data is being
collected, but Scotland is a
popular place for people moving
to the UK from abroad.
Experts who have spent the
last four years clearing nuclear
particles from the beaches and
the sea bed in Dounreay have
offered to help Japan. They
have offered their expertise
and advice on ways to clean up
nuclear waste. The Japanese
town of Fukushima suffered
from nuclear damage after a
local power plant was severely
damaged by a tsunami in
March 2011.
An unofficial cheese rolling
contest has taken place in
Gloucestershire. Hundreds of
people turned up to watch the
annual race, which was cancelled
last year due to health and safety
fears. The local event draws
competitors from around the
world, who chase 3.5kg wheels of
cheese down a very steep hill.
Scotland
Officially brilliant
More than 60 beaches in Scotland
have been given awards for their
cleanliness, safety and water
quality by Keep Scotland Beautiful!
(KSB). The charity is celebrating the
fact that in the past 12 years, the
number of brilliant beaches has
quadrupled. The awards come just
after six beaches were given the
international blue flag awards for
their high standards.
Somerset
Shropshire
Sand castle record
Tremors shake town
A town in Somerset has claimed
to have broken the world record
for building the most sand castles
in an hour. A total of 993 sand
castles were built at Barnhamon-Sea this week, as part of
the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
celebrations. Each castle had to
have four turrets and be 0.6m
across and 0.6m high.
Tremors from a 2.5 magnitude
earthquake have been felt in
Ludlow and Church Stretton. No
one was hurt by the tiny tremors,
although locals reported feeling
a shake “like a lorry pulling away
from the traffic lights.” Church
Stretton is built on a well-known
fault line. No one was hurt by
the tremors and experts say the
earthquake happened 14.5km
underground.
Wales
Extinct mammal
spotted
Wales
More than 40 people have
reported sightings of pine
martens in Wales, despite the fact
that they are thought to have
become extinct in the 1990s. The
very rare animal is related to the
weasel and was once common in
the UK. So far the sightings are
unconfirmed but wildlife experts
are investigating them.
Flood protection
for homes
Around 60 homes in the
Ceredigion area of Wales have
been given their own flood
defences. The homes have been
damaged numerous times when
the River Teifi has flooded during
heavy rains. Mandy Thomas from
Environment Agency Wales said:
“This scheme will help the people
of Cardigan to protect themselves
from flooding. It has also done a
great deal to raise awareness of the
risk of tidal flooding in the area.”
THE WEEK IN NUMBERS
8
June is World Ocean Day,
a day to celebrate and raise
awareness of issues affecting the
oceans and the animals that live
in them.
13
days is how long the
Olympic torch relay managed to
travel around the UK before it was
hit by rain.
4,000
beacons have been lit
around the UK this week to celebrate the
Queen’s Jubilee.
6,000
buns have been thrown
from the roof of a building in Abingdon,
Oxfordshire as part of a 250-year-old
royal tradition. Top Gear star James May
joined in the bun throwing!
450
pounds is how much a
Hertfordshire council paid to fill a water
fountain in Welwyn Garden City. The
fountain was switched off because of the
hosepipe ban, so the council bought the
water from a local landscaping business.
130,000
people attended
the Epsom Derby this week, including
the Queen.
8 – 14 june 2012
Thanks to
by editor Nicky Cox
When it’s hard to learn
Henry and Nicky on an earlier My Way! tour
WHERE YOU CAN MEET HENRY
4pm on Tuesday 12 June: WHSmith, Victoria Centre, Nottingham
4.30pm on Wednesday 13 June at WHSmith, Trafford Centre,
Manchester
2pm on Saturday 16 June: Coventry Literally Festival, Sidney
Stringer Academy
12 noon on Sunday 17 June: Waterstones, Bluewater Shopping
Centre, Greenhithe
First News is launching its 2012 My Way!
campaign on Monday.
Sarah Teather is the Minister of State for Children and Families. She has been working on a new
Government green paper to help children who find learning hard. She spoke to Nicky Cox.
The My Way! campaign is in its third year
of raising awareness of children who find
learning difficult, helping them to get the
understanding and support of the adults
and other children around them.
Look out for campaign champion, Henry
Winkler, on ITV Daybreak at around 8am
on Monday morning. Henry is the dyslexic
author of Ghost Buddy and Hank Zipzer, the World’s Greatest
Underachiever. His dyslexia made school really hard for him,
so he is working hard to make sure that other kids don’t have
to feel as bad as he did.
He says: “School was unbelievably hard for me. Teachers
didn’t know what dyslexia was at that time. So I was labelled
a troublemaker. I was the class clown. I got a bad grade in
everything but lunch. I was great at lunch! I was told I was
stupid, lazy and not living up to my potential most of my life.
And, when you’re younger and you’re told that, you believe
it. Just because we learn differently, that does not mean that
we are not incredibly smart human beings. How you learn
has nothing to do with how smart you are. That’s something I
need every child to understand.”
After Daybreak, Henry and First News editor Nicky Cox
are holding an event at Speaker’s House in the Houses of
Parliament, which is being hosted by Mr Speaker, John
Bercow. He’s the man who says: “Order! Order!” in the House
of Commons and tries to stop the MPs getting too rowdy in
their debates!
We will be joined at Speaker’s House by Children’s Minister,
Sarah Teather, who is in charge of special needs education for
the Government. Read an interview with her on this page.
For this year’s campaign, First News has partnered
with leading education charity Achievement for All,
which is working with schools around the country to
improve progress in reading, writing
and maths for children who have
difficulty learning.
Look out for Henry and Nicky as they
tour schools and theatres around the
country meeting as many children as
they can. They will be in a distinctive
First News Citroen DS5 car, so see if you
can spot them on their travels!
What is a green paper and is it
printed on green paper?
Well, a green paper used to be printed
on green paper. It’s not printed on
green paper anymore, but it’s really
just a way in which we can set out
what we’re thinking of doing and then
people can tell us what they think
about it, and we do that as a stage
before we produce a law.
So how will the changes in it help
children with special educational
needs to do better at school?
I hope it will really improve things for
them. I mean, some young people
already get a really good education
and really good support, but not
everybody’s lucky like that and, for
lots of children, they and their families
might have had to fight very hard to
get the kind of support that they need
and the extra help they need. So, what
we’re trying to do is make that process
easier. We’re going to change the
statementing process so that it’s
more joined up.
So, for the benefit of our
readers, can you just tell us what
a statement is?
Well, a statement is a document that
is used to describe what kind of needs
somebody has and what kind of help
will be provided to support them, and
we’re changing that. We’re calling it
an education, health and care plan. So
all the people who might look after
a young person and their family will
have to come together and look at their
needs, and think about what they need
to help them achieve their potential.
There are other things too. We’ve got
a new scheme to help teachers so that
they can get extra training so that they
can be better at helping young people
with special educational needs.
We brought several ‘My Way!’
readers to meet you. Every single one
of them said that they’d been bullied,
so it’s something that we’re really
focusing on this year. Why do you
think it’s so important to tackle this
issue and what do you think we can
do about it?
I think it’s really important to tackle
the issue of bullying because if
you’re bullied at school that can last,
unfortunately, because of how you
feel about yourself, into being an adult
as well. It can really ruin children’s
education. Lots of children don’t
want to go to school because of their
experiences. We know that children
who have special educational needs
very often do experience bullying. But
some schools are really good at tackling
this and they have a kind of zerotolerance attitude.
First News is linking up with
Achievement for All now – what
makes it a great partner for us?
It’s a fantastic organisation that we
know has made a real difference to
how well children do at school. It’s basic
common sense; so about making sure
that you set clear goals and that you
check that you’re achieving those
goals, and that you ask parents
what they think.
It’s a lot about communication,
isn’t it?
Yes – getting better at talking to one
another, and perhaps most importantly
about getting better at listening to one
another – because everyone can talk
but not everyone can listen.
How have children and young
people been involved in these
changes, and how can they continue
to be involved?
I’ve been particularly grateful to First
News and your involvement in helping
us, but with other children and young
people as well. Save the Children’s
young ambassadors have helped us
and asked lots of often very difficult
questions about how our plans are
going to support them. I think it’s
really important to continue to involve
children and young people because
they’re the people who we’re trying to
help and, if it’s not going to make their
lives any better then, frankly, we’ve
failed in what we’re trying to do. So I
would say to your readers, that if you’ve
got views about the things we’re saying,
it’s worth getting in touch with us, or
getting in touch with First News.
So, finally, we’re looking forward
to seeing you at Speaker’s House next
Monday, with Henry Winkler.
I know Henry Winkler’s been really,
really good at supporting this issue, so
I’m really excited that he’s involved in
your work and really looking forward to
meeting him.
FirstNews
Issue 313
9
8 – 14 june 2012
GLOBAL STORIES
For more world news, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/news
World News
SNIPPETS
Experts say that 800 starfish
that beached themselves in
Japan did so because they
were starving. A population
boom caused a food shortage
in their habitat.
USA
Pacific
Spain
Italy
Flying mystery
Olive oil crisis
Double quake
There is an olive oil crisis in Europe.
The price of the cooking oil has
dropped and Spain has produced a
bumper crop of olives. The changes
are threatening the livelihoods of
farmers in Spain, Italy and Greece.
The oil is used in baking and also for
salads and bread.
Two earthquakes have hit Northern
Italy, leaving more than 16 dead
and almost 14,000 homeless.
Churches, homes and factories all
collapsed in the worst quakes to
hit the region, near Bologna,
since the 1300s.
Has a 75-year-old mystery about
flying ace Amelia Earhart been
solved? She disappeared in the
Pacific during an attempt to fly
around the world. Researchers
have found a 1930s face cream
pot on the remote island of
Nikumaroro, where she may have
lived as a castaway after crashing.
Redneck Games
A spoof alternative to the
Olympics was held in East Dublin,
Georgia. The Redneck Games
are held by rural communities to
celebrate their culture in a fun way.
Events included armpit serenade
(below), belly flops into a mud
pond, and toilet seat throwing.
‘Ghost’ squadron
A lost squadron of WWII fighter
planes has been discovered in
Burma. The 20 Spitfires were
buried in crates by the British
military during the war so they
didn’t fall into enemy hands.
The planes are thought to be
in excellent condition and are
being brought back to Britain
for restoration. Only around 35
Spitfires are still flying.
Getty
Japan
Penguin on the run
A penguin has been re-captured
after more than 80 days on the
run – or rather having a nice
swim in the harbour. The oneyear-old Humboldt penguin had
escaped from Tokyo Sealife Park.
He survived eating fish from
Tokyo Bay and was caught
by coastguards.
USA
Super-sized soda
The Mayor of New York, Michael
Bloomberg, is waging war on
expanding waists in the city, with
a proposed ban on giant-sized
sweet fizzy drinks. He wants to
ban super-sized soda drinks in
cafés and restaurants to tackle
obesity. However, the drinks
companies say it’s up to the buyer
to decide what they eat and drink.
Mexico
Malawi
Sierra Leone
Volcano ash
Street boys get
album deal
War crimes
Popocatepetl volcano has been
blasting a tower of ash over nearby
villages. Its activity is being closely
monitored, as 25 million people
live within a 10km radius. Town
leaders are already planning
evacuations in case the volcano
becomes dangerous.
A KID’S WORLD
A group of boys who sold mouse
kebabs along the roads in
Malawi are releasing their first
album around the world. The
Malawi Mouse Boys play their
music on instruments made from
recycled rubbish.
A former African leader has been
sentenced to 50 years in jail by a
special court for his role in a civil
war in Sierra Leone. Thousands of
children were forced to fight there as
soldiers. Charles Taylor was the leader
of neighbouring Liberia but helped
rebel soldiers in Sierra Leone.
To find out more about Just a Drop visit www.justadrop.org
Name: Eva Lepeta Age: Ten Lives: Kenya
Eva’s school fees are seven pence per month; however, she can only attend her classes if she takes her own water to school.
Eva says: “Sometimes, after
walking for five hours, we
would reach the river, only to be
chased away by an elephant.
“We would have to return to
our village empty-handed and I
wouldn’t be able to go to school.
Even when we were able to
fetch the water, the distance was
so far, I would miss half of
Burma
my lessons.”
With help from Just a Drop,
Eva’s village now has access to a
well, which provides clean water
for the whole community.
One of the women, Mama
Nico, explained the difference
it has made: “Our village is now
full of happy faces! The children
can go to school and no longer
have to walk 30km just to
collect water. We are growing
potatoes and tomatoes now,
which are a great addition to
our diet, and Eva’s mother is
able to resume her small beadmaking business.”
Eva is also delighted that she
can join her classmates. She
particularly enjoys her science
classes and hopes to learn
how to take care of the village’s
animals after completing
her studies.
Learn how Just a Drop
supports other children just like
Eva and how you or your school
can get involved by visiting
www.justadrop.org.
SNIPPETS
A plane has crashed into a
printing factory and houses in
Lagos, Nigeria this week, killing
all 153 people on board. An
unknown number of people on
the ground were also killed.
8 – 14 june 2012
GREEN NEWS
For more green news, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/discover
with Keilly Swift
Youth Summit
YOung people from London attended a Youth Summit to talk about ways
that the world’s leaders can help to protect the planet.
The 12–14-year-olds discussed important
Young people at the summit
issues such as energy, food and the world’s
oceans. They then put together their own
document called ‘The Future We Want’.
The event was held at ZSL (Zoological
Society of London). It was called the
ZSL+20, as the young people looked at the
topics that will be discussed at the Rio+20
Earth Summit, which is happening in Brazil
at the end of this month. At the Rio+20, the
world’s leaders gather to decide how to deal
with issues such as poverty and threats to the
environment.
Some of the children who attended
the ZSL+20 took their document to Sir Robert Watson, Chief Scientific Adviser to the
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Sir Robert said he was so impressed
with their ideas he would take them to Rio with him.
The children also had the chance to help ZSL and
ClientEarth’s ‘Pledge for a Better Planet’ by stamping their
fingerprints on the pledge and signing their names.
ZSL will present the pledge at Rio+20. They hope that it
will encourage the world's leaders to keep promises, such as
helping to stop species going extinct and reducing pollution.
The pledge has so far been signed by over two thousand
people and has had support from some famous faces,
including the band Coldplay.
ZSL said they hoped the summit would take notice
of young people’s views. Their Director of Conservation
Putting fingerprints on the
Programme, Jonathan Baillie said: “I think it’s the next
‘Pledge for a Better Planet’
at ZSL+20
generation that’s going to change things.”
Redcoats go green
THE famous Redcoats at Butlins holiday camps are turning green!
Butlins are working with local Wildlife
Trusts to encourage visitors to explore the
seaside at their holiday resorts.
Greencoat Guides at Bognor Regis,
Minehead and Skegness will be trained
by local wildlife experts, so they can help
holidaymakers explore the seaside and
discover all the wildlife that live there.
The aim is to encourage more young
people to enjoy the outdoors and to find
out ways they can help to protect the
environment.
Pete Crawford from Sussex
Wildlife Trust said: “Wildlife is
one of the things that makes
a trip to the UK seaside so
special, whether it’s the
hidden treasures in our rock
pools or the seabirds soaring
overhead. The more we learn
about the wildlife in our seas,
the more we’ll want to help
protect it.”
The Greencoats will wear
a newly designed, green
version of the Redcoat
I’m Andy Thompson, 31 years old and a senior
instructor at The Outward Bound Trust. I work with
young people aged 9-24, taking them out into
the Lake District for abseiling, climbing, kayaking,
gorge scrambling and sailing adventures.
HOW I GOT MY JOB
From an early age, my mum noticed I wasn’t
interested in books and I also found a lot of
school work hard. At six, I was diagnosed with
having dyslexia. My mum was just relieved to
know that my problems with reading and writing
were properly recognised and a diagnosis would
mean getting the right support in school.
Because of my dyslexia, I never excelled in
literacy or numeracy. But I loved the outdoors (I
grew up in Somerset) and was always passionate
about sports. So I decided to focus lots of my
energy on outdoor sports activities and see
what happened.
I got a sports scholarship to a secondary boarding school for boys with dyslexia, where I
played cricket, rugby, football, cross country running and athletics. I left at 16 and went to
A new Greencoat helps some
kids explore the seaside
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
What do you do to help fight climate change? How do you get your friends, family and school
to do their bit too? Tell us and First News readers. Log on to www.firstnews.co.uk/discover,
or write to [email protected] or the address on page 21.
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Chances are, most of you will have heard that
question at home, in class or in the playground. The
truth is, there are so many different jobs out there.
You don’t need to be brilliant at absolutely everything
at school to get a good job. You need to dig out your
talent and what makes you special. Then, when the
time comes, find a career that suits who you are! In
First News’ Just the Job, you will meet lots of
different people with lots of different jobs!
WHAT I DO
uniform, along with green trainers, so they
are ready for exploring. Jae Hopkins from
Butlins said: “This is the first time in our
75-year history that we’ve introduced a new
colour to the famous Redcoat wardrobe, but
it’s important that we show our long-term
commitment to preserving and promoting
Britain’s great beaches.”
To download the Butlins British Beach
Activity Booklet for free, go to www.butlins.
com/beachwalks.
pson
Andy Thom
Instruc tor
college, studying for a three-year BTEC National Diploma in sports science, followed by a
degree in outdoor education at university.
In 2003, three days after my university exams, I started working at The Outward Bound
Trust as an instructor.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT MY JOB
I love being outside and I’d always wanted to teach, so this job is really ideal for me!
I particularly like working with children who find working in a classroom environment
challenging, because I found it hard too. It’s great helping kids to be more resilient,
learning through experience, pushing themselves, and focusing on outdoor activities that
they can learn and be good at.
WHAT’S DIFFICULT ABOUT MY JOB
Being an instructor at The Trust means that I not only need to be fit and active to take
young people out into the mountains, I also need to be organised and be able to deal with
complex situations and challenges. More importantly, I need to be able to work with young
people from a whole host of backgrounds and with a wide range of needs.
AND REMEMBER…
Anyone who has dyslexia should always ask lots of questions, push for support and help.
It’s not all about academic achievement. Try to be resilient – this will help you through
knockbacks in life and is one of the key skills I teach to young people on Outward
Bound courses.
FirstNews
Issue 313
11
8 – 14 June 2012
ANIMAL NEWS
For more animal news, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/news
Keep them
cool!
AT long last, summer seems to have arrived
in Britain. But while we all bask in the
warmer weather, it can be dangerous for
our furry friends.
As temperatures soar, the RSPCA is reminding all pet
owners to keep their pets cool this summer.
Every year, people are reminded not to leave their
dogs in hot cars, but conservatories, caravans and even
garages can be just as deadly.
Just like humans, dogs can suffer from heatstroke, so
you should always make sure there is shade for your dog,
and if you think they are getting too warm, cool them
down by spraying them with cool water. It is not just dogs
that are at risk in warmer weather. Make sure all pets have
access to shade and fresh cool water at all times.
You can find tips on how to check if your dog is
suffering from heatstroke online at www.firstnews.co.uk.
Adder warnings
Be barbecue aware
WARNINGs have been issued across the UK
after the warm weather has brought adders out
to enjoy the sunshine.
Panda plans
In the past three years, around 200 people have been
bitten by adders. Adders are the UK’s only venomous snake,
so walkers and people visiting the countryside are being
reminded not to touch or disturb them if they spot one.
Their bites can usually be treated but are extremely painful
and can cause some serious side effects.
Adders are not aggressive animals and will only attack if
they are disturbed, for example if they are trod on or picked
up. So be careful when you are running through fields and
meadows. Adders like to bask in the sunshine, which is why
they are seen more frequently when the weather is warm.
A RARE female red panda at the Galloway
Wildlife Conservation Park in Scotland has got
herself a boyfriend!
Pichu has been joined by a male red panda called Ruben,
who has arrived at the park from Paignton Zoo in Devon.
It is hoped that the pair will become part of the European
captive breeding programme and produce some cubs.
Red pandas are extremely rare and it is believed there are
only around 2,500 left in the wild. They are mainly found in
India, Nepal and China, where they mainly feed on bamboo.
AS summer arrives and barbecues get lit, it is
important to beware of the barbecue dangers that
face our pets.
As well as scoffing food that is bad for them, or still too
hot from the barbecue, pets face other dangers from
barbecue leftovers.
Cats can easily jump onto barbecues to investigate and risk
severely burning their paws, while many dogs are notoriously
greedy when it comes to food. Last summer, vets at the PDSA
in Leicester operated to remove a 15cm kebab skewer from
the stomach of a Staffordshire bull terrier cross called Missy,
after she gobbled it up at a barbecue. And PDSA vets in
Glasgow had to remove a corn on the cob husk from a collie
pup called Chubb!
If you are having a barbecue this summer, make sure you
clear up properly to stop your pets swallowing something
they shouldn’t.
8 – 14 june 2012
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
TV, FILM, MUSIC AND THEATRE!
with Serena Lacey
SHHH!
The Voice
More than seven million people
watched Leanne Mitchell
crowned the winner of The
Voice UK this week. Leanne was
mentored by Welsh singer Tom
Jones. Leanne wins a recording
contract.
MTV Awards
The Hunger Games has picked
up four awards at the annual
MTV Movie Awards in Los
Angeles. Jennifer Lawrence
and Josh Hutcherson won the
best female and best male
categories. The Twilight Saga:
Breaking Dawn Part 1 also
picked up two awards at
the ceremony.
Dyslexia makes
Ne-Yo the
fighter pilot
Singer Ne-Yo
heads to the big
screen this week,
playing a fighter
pilot in the World
War II action
adventure
Red Tails.
Can you tell us a bit about the character you
play in Red Tails?
I play flight officer Andrew Salem, a.k.a. Smokey.
He is from the Deep South and he picked up a
nasty habit growing up in Alabama – he chews
tobacco. They gave me this black liquorice,
which is easily some of the most disgusting stuff
I have ever put in my mouth.
What did the cast do to prepare for the role?
The director told me there was going to be a
boot camp. I thought: “Okay, it’s going to be
some push-ups here and there”, but I didn’t
know they were going to go all-out and have
us in cold barracks. We had weapons training as
well, and while I had no experience with guns at
all, I was the best shot of the whole squad. That
was kind of cool.
Justin Bieber
Tickets for Justin Bieber’s latest
tour in America have sold out
within an hour. This week the
singer got concussion after
banging into a glass window
while performing in Paris.
He posted a video online
explaining that his injury had
caused him to lose movement
in his eyebrow, saying it was
the “weirdest feeling!”
Check out the video for Justin
Bieber’s latest single Boyfriend
at www.firstnews.co.uk.
TOPy!
Music and
madness
Justin Bieber, Rizzle
Kicks and David
Walliams join Alan
Carr for an evening
of summer-themed fun. Alan
Carr’s Summer Specstacular, BBC1, Friday @
9.00pm.
tell
How relevant is this film for kids now?
With the emergence of this new openmindedness in the world today, I definitely think
this is the perfect time to learn about who these
men were and what they did and how big it was.
This is not just a movie, this is something that’s
very important in black history. I feel more than
privileged to be a part of this.
Ne-Yo in a scene from Red Tails, which is in
cinemas now. See the trailer at www.firstnews.co.uk
you
stronger
BRITISH actor Douglas Booth goes back to high school alongside
Miley Cyrus in his latest film, LOL. We caught up with him to talk
about playing the trumpet, being a rock star and how having dyslexia
has made him a stronger person.
Tell us about your character Kyle
in LOL.
He is very different from the characters
I usually play. I’m used to playing very
iconic, big characters like Pip in Great
Expectations and Romeo in Romeo and
Juliet, which is what I am doing next.
For me, Kyle was just a chance to go and
play a real teenager. Since the age of 16
I’ve been out of school working, so the
chance to go back to high school and
actually just have fun and act alongside
people my own age was great.
Kyle is a musician, but how musical
are you?
I played the trumpet when I was
younger actually. I played that for quite
a long time. I have been fairly musical;
before I became an actor I thought I’d
become a famous musician, a famous
trumpeter! Then I decided that wouldn’t
be as cool as I thought it would be. In
hindsight, it is pretty cool, but when
you’re 13 and everyone starts playing
the guitar you’re like: “Oh no, I can’t just
whip out my trumpet!”
Did you have any training for
the film?
One of my best friends helped me learn
the guitar and basically tried to make
me look cool while I was playing, so I
looked like a bit of a rock star!
Did you feel like a rock star then?
I did, that was my rock star moment. We
were filming in this club in Chicago and
they packed it out. We’d been training
for it, so I thought: “You know what, I’m
Must-see movie
If you haven’t seen this Steven Spielberg
classic, now is the time to watch it. A lonely
boy makes friends with an alien who is
stranded on Earth. ET: The Extra Terrestrial,
ITV2, Sunday @ 6.45pm.
under the sea
Brand new series exploring the oceans
around the world and all the plants and
animals that live in them. Oceans, BBC2,
Sunday @ 7.00pm.
aced
Douglas embr
his inner rock
star in LOL
Douglas stars alongside
Miley Cyrus in LOL
just going to rock out!” And I just did
my best.
Has it given you any musical
aspirations?
Maybe one day, not now. I barely have
time to keep my phone battery charged,
let alone launch a music career. We’ll get
there one day!
You’ll be playing Romeo next.
What is it about iconic characters that
appeals to you?
I think they have the best stories really.
Romeo and Juliet is one of the most
beautiful plays ever written. Who
wouldn’t want the chance to play
Romeo? To work across Italy, horse
riding and sword fighting!
You’ve struggled with dyslexia, but
how does that affect you as an actor?
It affected me at school more than
anything really, just struggling to
get work done and having to put in
double or triple the amount of effort
13
SinTteArviRew
as everyone else to get the
same results really. It was very
upsetting but actually I think it makes
you a better person, more determined
and stronger and more resilient in
every sense. A lot of actors I speak to
are dyslexic. I don’t know what it is, but
some of the great people in society are
dyslexic, like Richard Branson. I think if
you are dyslexic and you are struggling
with dyslexia, you should know that.
Yes, it has its disadvantages and it can
hold you back in certain ways, but as
long as you work hard it actually, for
some unknown reason, puts us at an
advantage in life.
What advice would you give to other
kids who are struggling with dyslexia?
I think they should not worry, and yes
they will have to work harder than
other children, especially at school.
But whatever is holding them back for
some things, means they will excel in
other areas. Dyslexia does something to
the brain which means it is difficult to
achieve in certain areas. It can be tough
and upsetting and frustrating but you
should know you are actually among a
group of very talented and lucky people.
Winston Churchill, one of the greatest
achievers of our country, Richard
Branson, one of the best entrepreneurs
of our country ever. Tom Cruise, Orlando
Bloom, lots of actors are dyslexic. It
doesn’t have to hold you back, follow
your dreams and just follow whatever
you want to do. You never know, being
dyslexic may hold the secret to your
success.
You knew from an early age you
wanted to be an actor, but do you
remember your first ever performance?
I remember playing the Greek prince
Agamemnon in a school play a long time
ago, then I did more and more acting
and it just went on from there really.
Thankfully it is not on YouTube. It is on a
video tape somewhere. I need to find it,
get it put onto a DVD then watch it while
hiding behind a pillow!
What is it about acting that drew
you in so much as a child?
I think because I did struggle with my
academic work, it was where I found
myself most comfortable and happy
and free and interested. I have a short
attention span for other things, but this I
really wanted to spend my time at!
Summer is amazing!
THIS summer, the first film based on the
popular Judy Moody is released on DVD. We
talk to Jordana Beatty, who plays Judy in Judy
Moody and the Not Bummer Summer.
if you like the idea of mixing farming with fighting, then this new PS3
game could be worth picking.
Two friends, Aden and Sonja, enjoy a peaceful life, until both their souls end up trapped
inside the same body. They must travel and find a way to unlock the curse, as they also
control their giant monster Ymir.
Aaron says: “The game is much like the others which have spun
off from the Harvest Moon series, and features a fun mixture of
farming and fighting. The tutorial at the beginning is a bit boring
and lasts a while, but it’s worth it for when you begin to fight. While
the fighting is fun at first, and there’s quite a
range of different weapons, it does quickly
RATED!
become repetitive. The farming is the same as
the others, and the story is quite silly. Generally
quite dull and repetitive, but with plenty of cool
features if you stick it out. “
6/10
DiRT Showdown
LOUD and fast, with crashes and bashes. Drive yourself
to distraction as you race around town!
types of events, from timed
track to smashing up, drifting and car
control challenges. There is also the option
to upload video clips of your action to your
YouTube account.
The single player mode is quite short, but
has great graphics and the cars handle really
well. Online play is the main reason to buy
The latest from Codemasters Racing
this game; so much fun, easy to play, and I
Studios has smashing action with soupedup old bangers and flash boy racers battling even managed a few wins. Even if you’re not
too great at the harder levels, so long as you
it out, with plenty of spectacular collisions
can drive and smash
along the way.
Callum says: ”DiRT Showdown is a spin-off into things, you’ll win a
RATED!
from the DiRT series and is a straightforward, level or two.
easy to play, easy to drive, smash-‘em-up type A really fun game
that everyone will
of racing game. The gameplay has options
of very easy to pro level. You have different want to have a go on.”
8/10
Win a Year 6 VIP Leaving Party!
Are you anything like Judy?
Yes. We both have red hair and we both collect
a lot of things and we both get into lots of
moods. Although she has many more bad
moods than I do.
What was your favourite scene to film?
It has to be the tightrope scene. I always
wanted to walk a tightrope and finally I got to
do it, knowing I couldn’t fall off. And I got to
jump into a river. It wasn’t hard because I was
attached to lines, so I knew I wouldn’t fall.
Rune Factory Oceans (PS3)
See trailers and readers’ reviews at
www.firstnews.co.uk/bored!
Were you a fan of the Judy Moody books
before you got the part?
Yes, I was. I had read them all at least twice,
maybe more. I was very familiar with the
character of Judy as well as the stories. I really
liked them!
Did you have to show the producers your
moody face when auditioning?
Ha ha! No, not quite!
With Aaron and Callum Game testers
Lost at sea
LOL, starring Douglas Booth and
Miley Cyrus, is in cinemas now
rated 12A. Watch the trailer at
www.firstnews.co.uk.
was like
Filming LOL
school!
to
ck
going ba
GAME ZONE
The film is about an amazing summer.
What is the coolest summer you have
ever had?
Every summer for me is a lot of fun because
I go down to the south of Australia to my
grandparents’ holiday house. I spend time
with them and my cousins and we go surfing
every day at the beach. It is always amazing!
Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer is
out on Blu-ray and DVD now
20th Century Fox are celebrating the
release of their new Ice Age film, Ice Age
Continental Drift, with the chance to win
everything you need for a fabulous
Year Six Leaving Party.
You could also win an exclusive Ice Age
Continental Drift preview for you
and your class at your local cinema.
For details of the competition, see
www.firstnews.co.uk/win or visit www.nationalschoolspartnership.com/iceage4
8 – 14 June 2012
THE BIG INTERVIEW
For more interviews and clips go to www.firstnews.co.uk/discover
Dream big and believe in yourself
DANCER and Got To Dance judge Kimberly Wyatt is fronting Clarks Kids’ Clarks Step It Up competition.
We catch up with her to talk about the competition, achieving your dreams and dancing.
Tell us about Clarks Step It Up.
It’s a new campaign in association with
Clarks for kids to win a one-on-one tutorial
dance lesson with me as well as star in their
very own dance video on Nickelodeon TV.
So they get to upload their own video
doing their best dance moves to nick.co.uk/
clarks. Other kids will tune in to vote for
their favourite dance and that will decide
the winner.
Why did you decide to get involved?
Being part of Got To Dance and being a
dancer myself since I was seven years old,
I’ve been very inspired by the dance world
and my passion for it. So teaming up with
Clarks and Step It Up really inspires kids to
get involved and to have fun doing it. It feels
like quite a privilege, really.
What can the winners of the competition
expect to get in their one-on-one dance
lesson with you?
Hopefully they’ll learn some fresh, new, cool
moves. And have a chance to meet me and
kind of get lost in the music together. I think
it will be a lot of fun.
Do you have any tips for kids entering?
What will you be looking for?
I want to see them having fun. I want to see
them being passionate about it and getting
lost in the music. I want them to pull out
their best tricks, their best moves, their
best swagger!
Do you feel like there’s a real dance
movement building in Britain and
America?
I really do, especially in the past three or
four years. I’ve seen this big surge in dance
and the want for it. I think it comes down
to a lot of reality shows embracing dance
and getting that platform for people and an
audience to see it, get it and to understand
it. Now popular dance styles are being
embraced. And you see fusions of street and
contemporary and street and tap, and it’s
made it more acceptable.
Do you think it’s good for kids who
might not be into other types of exercise
and sports?
Absolutely. I think it helps build your
confidence and your fitness. It helps with
meeting new people, as well. I think it’s a
fun new way to explore your passions. And,
even if you don’t end up being a dancer,
the discipline really does carry over into
whatever you decide to do in the future.
What would you say to boys who love
dance but think they should be playing
football?
I’m hoping that we’re slowly, but surely,
breaking down those barriers. I think that
when people tune into shows like Got To
Dance and you see young boys on stage
that are doing just the most phenomenal,
contemporary moves with companies like
Matthew Bourne’s ballet company, you
really see the appreciation, the discipline
and the hard work it takes to be as good as
these guys are. I think the more we see guys
dancing on stage, the more acceptable it
will be. People like Ashley Banjo and Adam
Garcia and different contestants on Got To
Dance just make it cool. I think that’s what
it’s all about. We’ve got to change people’s
minds and get them to see that it’s cool.
Should kids blend in or stand out?
The funny thing about that in the dance
world is that you strive to stand out. Every
audition you go to you’re in competition
with everyone around you. The more you
embrace your interesting, unique features,
and what’s going to make you stand
out from the crowd, will give you those
opportunities to be seen. For me, I’ve got
my flexibility. So I’ve got those legs tricks
and jumps and things. It always helped me
to stand out from the rest and allowed me
the opportunities that I got. So, whether
it’s a look, whether it’s a style, whether it’s
a certain dance move – use it to the best of
your ability. Whatever’s your thing!
What age were you when you knew you
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Answer:
y
l
ber
m
i
K
Wyatt
wanted to dance and sing?
I was seven years old. I wanted to be
an Olympic gymnast, so I started with
gymnastics. The school that I went to
offered other styles like tap, ballet, jazz
and street. I immediately fell in love with
those styles too, so I then transferred into
taking all different styles.
It’s much harder to get into the record
industry now. What advice would you give
to upcoming bands?
I think, first and foremost, what I’ve always
done is grasped every opportunity that’s
come my way. Whether you think it’s going
to get you where you want to go or not. You
use that opportunity because you never
know who you’re going to meet, who’s going
to see you or what sort of doors it’s going to
open. So, use those opportunities. Get on
stage as much as you possibly can. Perform
in front of as many people as you can. Take
classes, stay training, stay inspired and
keep pushing forward. Never take no for an
answer. Never say: “I can’t”. And never quit.
Never give up. I’ve always said: “Dream big
and believe in yourself.” If you don’t believe
in yourself, nobody else will believe in you.
Kimberly Wyatt is launching this season’s
collection of Clarks Kids shoes with Clarks
Step It Up, a competition to find the
ultimate dancer and she wants you to
show her what you’ve got! To enter, check
out www.nick.co.uk/clarks.
The First News Team
Editor Nicky Cox MBE
Deputy Editor Keilly Swift
Entertainment Editor Serena Lacey
Writers Ian Eddy, Ian Prince
Editorial Assistant Kirsty Macdonald
Design Manager Richard Robson
Website Editor Nicola Williams
Marketing and Education Assistant
Ben Pulsford
Production Assistant
Hannah Greenfield
Events Assistant Jessica Howley
Developer Kristopher Chin
Head of Finance Tony Finn
Accounts Assistant
Kelane Henderson
Credit controller Kelly Tong
Education Consultant
Nicolette Smallshaw
Publishing Consultant
Susan Downey
Advertising Nina Chaudhry,
Sam Eads
Partnership Marketing Director
Lindsaye Fox
Subscriptions Manager
Rachel Henderson
Head of Subscriptions
Natasha Littleton
Acting Publisher Emma Robson
Publisher Kelly Austin
Executive Director Amanda Hills
Founders Piers Morgan, Nicky Cox,
Sarah and Steve Thomson
Email: [email protected]
Tel. (020) 3195 2000 For subscriptions call 0844 8267 338
www.firstnews.co.uk
All material in this newspaper is © 2011 First News and Newsbridge Limited and cannot be used without written
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FirstNews
Issue 313
15
8 – 14 June 2012
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8 – 14 june 2012
Travel
My week away at Woolacombe Bay
niorST
juJOURNALI
On Monday we arrived at Woolacombe Bay in Devon. It took three hours to get there, so we decided to have a walk around the site to stretch our legs.
It’s quite a small site compared to other holiday
parks we have been to, but it still had everything you
need. There is an arcade, a restaurant and bar, a park with
a climbing wall, shops, indoor pool, crazy golf, surfing and
loads more!
We checked in at 4pm and stayed in a lodge which had a duck
pond in front of it, and was called Lakeside. It was beautiful. Me
and my sister Millie shared a room – it was fun.
In the evening we went to the arcades. Me, my sister and
my mum loved the 2p machines. We then went to watch the
shows. Every evening they put on shows for the kids, which
are cool and you can win prizes there.
On Tuesday we went to Waves ceramic studio. It looks like
a restaurant when you first go in, but you can paint all sorts
of ceramic
objects, like
pots and
cups and
things. My
sister and I
painted a
breakfast
bowl each.
You then
have to give
it
it in and they
by Chloe Robson, aged 11
put it in the ovens, so that you can come and collect it the
next day.
We then went bowling. Dad won, but I think he cheated!
In the evening we went to the club and played bingo and
then there was a disco.
On Wednesday we
all went swimming. My
little brother Zac didn’t
like the water very much
but me and my sister
love to swim.
After swimming we
went and collected our
pots and then went for
lunch.
In the afternoon we
played in the adventure
playground and we also
played crazy golf. My
mum won crazy golf and
is very good at it.
In the evening we
went to the club for the
Billy show. It was a little
young for me, but my
younger sister and
brother loved it.
On the Thursday, it
was my 11th birthday.
After opening all of
my presents, I had a
birthday breakfast. We
then went to the park.
Me and my dad had
a go on the climbing
wall. My dad was not
very good at it, so I
climbed a lot higher
than he did.
It was a very sunny
day, so we went to the
beach in the afternoon. It was a beautiful sandy beach with
lots of rock pools and a few small cliffs, which me and my
sister enjoyed climbing with my dad. My brother Zac played
on the beach and made sand castles with my mum.
In the evening there was a pyjama party and disco. This
was cool because me and Millie went in our all-in-ones.
On Friday we went home. We had to be out of the lodge
by 10am, but we had a last go on the arcades before we left.
It was a great week!
Olympic torchbearers
Courtney Limb is a pupil at North Kestevan School
in Lincoln.
She was nominated to carry the torch by her mum Sharon, who
believes the way she has handled her type 1 diabetes and fulfilled
her dreams of playing football is an inspiration to others.
Courtney is a passionate sportswoman, who
particularly enjoys football. She has been playing the
sport since the age of nine and was selected from her
junior school to attend a multi-skills sports academy,
which she continues to attend three times a year. At present, Courtney is playing
football for the Lincoln Ladies Centre of Excellence under-15s.
Courtney was taken ill when she was six and a half, and ended up in hospital for
almost a week when she was
diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
Although Courtney has to have
daily injections and blood tests,
she does not allow the illness to
keep her from her passion.
Courtney was shocked
when she found she had been
selected as a torchbearer. She
is excited now and feels very
proud to be part of such a
huge piece of history for this
country. Courtney is really
looking forward to receiving
the tracksuit, carrying the
torch and getting to keep
it afterwards.
Join us again next week for
more inspiring Olympic
torchbearer stories!
by Sarah Jane Thomson, co-founder, First News
Welcome back! We’ve been busy chatting to a young entrepreneur called
Josef Keeping. Josef has set up an online shop where you can create your own
cricket bat. Customers get to choose the wood and colours used on the bat and
are then asked to write or draw a rough description of the sticker design they
want on it. Josef designs and order the stickers, and puts them on the type of
bat they have ordered.
What inspired you to set up your business?
Although my inspiration for making a business was to make money, it is not where the idea
came from. This started when I set myself a project to design and make a cricket bat for my
cousin’s birthday. It went really well so I decided to look around on the internet to see if
there was anywhere you could buy a customised cricket bat and there wasn’t. This is where
I spotted the opportunity.
What did you do next?
I had a look around on some cricket websites and found hundreds of people who were
asking where you could get bats with personalised stickers, so I created a website and
offered bats to some of these people who were looking for them. I found many of them
were interested and they recommended me to other people and it progressed from
there. The next step is to sell my product in local cricket shops, which is what I am working
on now.
What would you like to do when you’re older?
What I am doing now with my website is giving me good
experience of what I want to do when I am older. Over the next
few years I am planning to study advertising and marketing at
university, then get some work experience in advertising. After
this I would like to start a bigger business. I am not sure what
this will be yet, but I am sure the right idea will come and I will
take the opportunity.
You can visit Josef’s website at: http://keepingsports.webs.com.
FirstNews
Issue 313
17
8 – 14 June 2012
CRAZY BUT TRUE
For more crazy news, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/news
He can fly!
THIS amazing picture is of stuntman Gary
Connery jumping out of a helicopter
WITHOUT a parachute!
YouTube
Eat a
penguin!
This week, Gary successfully became the first
person in the world to jump out of a helicopter
and land safely, without using a parachute. The
42-year-old used a special ‘wingsuit’ to help him
descend from 730m above the countryside in
Oxfordshire, where he made his jump.
During the jump, Gary plummeted to the earth
at speeds of up to 130km/h. His wingsuit was
fitted with a parachute in case he needed it. He
landed into a 100x15m construction of 18,600
cardboard boxes known as a box rig. The entire
flight lasted less than a minute.
Written and illustrated by Paul Palmer
After his successful landing, Gary said: “I have
been training and planning for this record
attempt for many years now and I am so pleased
to have achieved a world first.”
Check out an amazing video of Gary’s jump at
Smallest cowboy
A Two-and-a-half-year-old from Australia
may be the youngest cowboy in the world.
Tiny Royce Gill is already competing in rodeos around
Australia against cowboys seven times his age, yet he is
still wearing nappies!
Royce comes from a family who have been cowboys
for seven generations. His most recent competition was
at the Beaudesert Rodeo in the under-18s contest, riding
his miniature pony, Maybelline.
Watch a video of Royce and his pony at
Visitors to Living Coasts in Devon will be able to tuck into a
penguin this summer to help them keep cool.
A special penguin-shaped
ice cream sundae has been
developed by the catering
team at the zoo, and they’ve
even named it after one of
their very own penguins!
The Solly Special is a
mix of three ice creams,
plus chocolate sauce,
whipped cream, wafer and
marshmallows!
Marketing manager at the
zoo, Stewart Wright says:
“Solly is a three-year-old who
is very friendly and loves to
play with people in the water
when they do their dive
experiences!”
He may like people,
but Solly didn’t look too
impressed when he was
presented with his very own
Solly Special!
by Serena Lacey
Record of
the week
Largest collection of Super
Mario Memorabilia
The largest collection of Super
Mario memorabilia contains
5,441 individual, unique
items and belongs to
Mitsugu Kikai (Japan).
It was counted in Tokyo,
Japan on 15 July 2010.
For info on this record and hundreds more,
go to www.guinnessworldrecords.com
QUICK CHUCKLES
Q: What has
a big mouth
and doesn’t
say a word?
A: A river
Q: Why is it hot
after a football
match?
A: Because
all the fans
have left
Share your jokes with us. Upload them
to our website at www.firstnews.co.uk
8 – 14 June 2012
YOUR NEWS
NEWS VIEWS
Check out what our website
readers think about this
week’s news. Have your say,
go to firstnews.co.uk today.
Tom Daley wins ANOTHER
gold medal
Wow! Well done Tom, you are
really good! Keep going and
good luck for London.
jessie6580 (Age 11)
Too many children
can’t swim
Schools don’t get that much
money and won’t be able
to afford to take everyone
swimming every week.
fuzzy7878 (Age 13)
Skye terrier faces extinction
Nooooooooooo! They are too
cute to become extinct!
elie5566 (Age 10)
Graffiti ruins Olympic
cycling route
That is absolutely disgusting
and I feel really sorry for all the
workers. I hope the people that
did it get arrested.
Rachelxx (Age 12)
www.firstnews.co.uk
For more news crew, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/news
Colourful World...
Over 200 giant eggs were part of
this year’s Fabergé Big Egg Hunt.
As well as raising money for charity,
the event broke the Guinness world
record for the largest number of
people taking part in an Easter
egg hunt.
L
SCHOOS
NEW
Football fun!
If football is your passion, imagine
spending the day with the best-known
radio commentary team and giving
them your opinion as they report on one
of the season’s biggest games.
by Niall Davies
by Tanya Kovatchka, St James Senior Girls’
School, London
Colourful World was one of those eggs.
It showed the world as a colourful jigsaw of
countries and has been auctioned online
for £4,350.
I managed to grab a quick chat with the
Bulgarian artist Paola Minekov, who made
the egg.
What inspired Colourful World?
I have been inspired by my travels. I learned one thing – nothing is
more important than that people should get along and live together
in peace. In general, human feelings as well as the language of
art are universal. A good example are the children because, unlike
adults, they have not lost the power to express their feelings openly
and honestly and they don’t complicate things unnecessarily.
Who was your first art teacher?
My mum. She was at the local art high school and I just somehow
started drawing with the kids at a quite young age. Later my dad
was my teacher in my secondary school and he helped me a lot with
my drawings, because I learned how to add 3D effects to my pictures.
Have you ever considered being something other than an artist?
Yes, I love the new technologies and a couple of years ago I was working as
a multimedia designer. At the end I realised that I prefer to do something
more creative, but I still follow all the news in the new technologies area.
I did, and it was my dream day! As West Ham and Blackpool fought it
out at Wembley for the right to play in the Premier League next season, I
had a seat in the BBC Radio 5 live commentary box alongside top football
pundit and former Strictly Come Dancing star Robbie Savage.
The day, which started with a masterclass in the skills of being a
pundit, was my prize for winning the What’s Your Goal competition
organised by Football League sponsors npower,which offered footballmad kids like me the chance to experience many of the different roles
associated with the game.
Robbie was my mentor for the day and it was brilliant sitting
alongside him, seeing how the best in the business go about their jobs.
Robbie had a reputation as
a hardman when he played
and is a controversial
pundit, but he was really
easy to get on with.
He passed on loads of
tips on how to be a good
broadcaster and actually
seemed to be impressed
with the football
knowledge that had
helped me win
the npower competition.
It was a truly
fantastic day!
Niall with Robbie Savage
Junior champion Youth
opera!
junior
I’ve been wrestling for around five years and
in that time I’ve become five times British junior
champion and a member of the GB National
Talent Squad.
JOURNAL
IST
by Daniel Panczyszyn
I train around four times a week at either Bolton Olympic Wrestling Club or at
the GB Wrestling Academy in Salford. I’ve also been selected as a Lloyds TSB
Local Hero – a programme which aims to aid young and talented athletes by
providing them with a £1,000 funding grant as well as support to develop their
sporting careers.
Recently, as part of this programme, I visited the Olympic Park and took part
in some fantastic workshops
Derek with Daniel
at Wembley Stadium, which
included learning about sports
psychology, social media and
the prospect of competing at an
Olympic Games.
At the same time I was able to
meet former Olympians such as
Leon Taylor and Derek Redmond,
as well as future Olympians in
the faces of other Local Heroes;
as you might expect, this was an
amazing experience.
Not long ago I also received
the great news that, as a Local
Hero, I’d been selected to run with
the Olympic Torch in my local
community in Cheetham Hill! I
would like to thank Lloyds
TSB for this opportunity and
I hope that our journey together
will carry on to London 2012
and beyond!
junior
IST
JOURNAL
junior
IST
JOURNAL
Being a member of the Youth Opera Company
involves a balance of dedication, work and fun,
which is why we all love it so much.
by Eden Maddix Odeniyi
I began singing not long
after I was able to talk. Simple
songs I really enjoyed, which
I’d hear at nursery, at home
or on children’s TV. My first
formal singing, however,
began in my primary school choir. We sang at the Royal
Albert Hall and Camden Roundhouse. I was informed
about the Youth Opera Company auditions by my
singing teacher.
Since I joined the YOC, opera has become a new
favourite.
In La Bohème, my character is a girl who wanders
through the streets longing for different pleasures. One
of my favourite parts is when the children look through
the café window and create a delicate scene of dancing as
they dream of the sweet treats.
La Bohème is a great opera and we prepare with lots
of intensive rehearsals and practising. One of the
challenges is getting stage queues and timings right.
Learning all the songs in Italian has also been tough
at times but definitely worthwhile, as we are reliably
informed that our run-throughs are brilliant!
Being able to perform in La Bohème on the main stage
of the Royal Opera House is a great privilege. It has
been an amazing experience so far and I am extremely
grateful to have been chosen to play a part.
We want to
hear what your
school is up to
Are you doing
something sponsored
for charity? Starting your
own school newspaper?
Or putting on a show?
Email your report (including
pictures) to newsdesk@
firstnews.co.uk. If we print
your story we’ll send you
a copy of the paper and a
First News certificate to be
presented to you in assembly!
Don’t forget to include your
name, age, and your school’s
name and address.
By writing to First News
you give consent to First
News printing details and
photographs of those involved
in the report.
SUBSCRIBE
FOR school
Term time only subscriptions
from £45.60 per year (P&P included).
Call: 0844 8560 634 Quote: SPA
www.firstnews.co.uk/teachers
FirstNews
Issue 313
19
8 – 14 June 2012
SPECIAL REPORT
Laura at work in the science lab
University Technical Colleges
In some areas of the country, students are choosing to leave school at 14 to attend a University Technical College (UTC).
Find out more about these colleges and hear from some pupils who go to UTCs.
What is a University
Technical College?
University Technical Colleges (UTCs) specialise in technical
subjects, often engineering, which allow students to go to
university or enter a high-level apprenticeship at 18. Alongside
the technical subject, they do their GCSEs in English, maths
and science. Students work with their hands and brains to
solve challenges set by local employers. They also study how
businesses work and a technical language which will help
them get a job or set up their own business.
Laura’s story
My name is Laura Jaggers and I’m in Year 12. I joined the
UTC in September when I was 16 and I’m currently studying
biology, chemistry and maths A levels, and a Level 3 Extended
Diploma in engineering.
The reason that I am able to study all these subjects at once
is because of the UTC’s hours; I have at least six hours of lessons
each day. This is a great benefit to me as it helps prepare me for
work later on. My ambition is to become a doctor/bio-engineer,
and being at the UTC enables me to study for both of these
careers at the same time so I can choose which career path I
want to follow later. Not only this, but the UTC are specialists in
both science and engineering, so I’m getting the best from each
subject, putting me in a prime position when I go to university.
Becoming prepared for work is a core involvement in the UTC,
which is why all students must wear business dress, not just a
uniform! The UTC is sponsored by Siemens, which means there
are many connections in place for when we have finished our
courses and are ready for work. All of this together shows to me
that I couldn’t have gone anywhere better, and I am extremely
happy and proud to be a student at the UTC.
Adam’s story
My name is Adam Rogers and I am currently the Managing
Director of the Student Executive Board.
I attend the Black Country UTC for a number of reasons. The
first is that the day is structured differently; the day starts at
8:30am and on Mondays and Fridays the day ends at 4pm. On all
the other days it’s 5pm. This has six one-hour sessions as well as
two 15-minute breaks and a 30-minute lunch break. These hours
mean I can get more work done, so there is no homework.
Then there are the specialist teachers and equipment.
Nearly all of the teachers have a background in engineering
and have worked not only in teaching but engineering for
quite some time. All the equipment used is factory standard,
which gets us ready for the real world. The employers’
involvement allows us to use real, everyday problems in
engineering as part of our main course.
I’d like to be a roller coaster engineer so that I can design
roller coasters! The Black Country UTC offers me the best
available results and subjects so that when I leave here to go
to university I will have an advantage over everybody else
that applies. That is what makes the UTC great for me.
If you would like to find out more or whether there is a UTC in your area please visit www.utcolleges.org.
8 – 14 June 2012
FUN STUFF
WIN
WIN LONDON:
The Board Game
Secret life of
droids books
Can
you complete
completethe
theusual
usual3x3
3x3grid
gridand
and
numbers
Can you
fillfill
in in
thethe
numbers
oneone
to
to
nine?
Send
in
your
answers
and
one
lucky
winner
will
win
a
nine? Send in your answers and three lucky winners will each win
Destination
2012
game.
Destination
a copy of StarJunior
Wars™:- London
The Secret
LifeSports
of Droids
. TheIn
book
has all the
Junior
London
2012
Sports
game,
players
race
around
London
answers; you will discover in detail the droids’ technology, their
functions and what makes
2012
venues
collecting
medal
points.
Zoom
around
on
rainbows
their personalities unique. It also has a timeline at the front, for quick reference, overview
and
be the first to
inWars
this fun,
fast-paced game.
and chronology
of finish
the Star
events.
www.dk.co.uk
4
6
8
7 9 3 2
1
2
6
3
5 1
2
8 3
4
6
8
1
2 6
1
4 5
5
1
9
9
2 4 6 5
8
1
9
CAn you complete our crossword? Send in your answers and three lucky winners will
win a copy of London: The Board Game. Sophisticated Games announces the release of a
new family game that immerses the player in 2,000 years of London’s rich past. The object
of the game is to travel around the board’s timeline, from the Romans right through to the
London 2012 Olympic Games. Events also include the works of William Shakespeare, the
Great Fire of London and a certain Royal Wedding! The first to reach the end of the timeline
wins the game.
Available from www.amazon.co.uk
16 Go inside (5)
17 Pattern (5)
18 Tennis Grand Slam event on clay (6,4)
Down
1 Tests such as GCSEs (5)
2 Watched (6)
3 Remain (4)
4 Else (9)
6 TV show host (9)
8 One more than five (3)
11 Grab (6)
12 Insect that makes honey (3)
14 Country in northeastern
Africa (5)
15 Broad smile (4)
1
2
5
3
6
7
9
Across
1 Song contest held recently
(10)
5 Green fruit (5)
7 Chase (anag) (5)
9 Country that won 1 across this
year (6)
10 Monaco Grand ___ : F1 race
won by Mark Webber (4)
12 Type of meat (4)
13 West ___ : cricket team
England are currently playing (6)
4
8
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Across
Down
1 - Song contest held recently (10)
1 - Tests such as GCSEs (5)
5 - Green fruit (5)
2 - Watched (6)
7 - Chase (anag) (5)
FIRST NEWS CHALLENGE
word ladder
3 - Remain (4)
9 - Country that won 1 Across this year (6)
4 - Else (9)
10 - Monaco Grand ___ : F1 race won by Mark Webber (4)
6 - TV show host (9)
12 - Type of meat (4)
CAN
Q6 Douglas Booth stars alongside who in the new film LOL?
8 - One more than five (3)
you get from the top to the bottom
13 - West ___ : cricket
England one
are currently
(6) to
11make
- Grab (6)
by team
changing
letter playing
at a time
a
new word?
Q7 Which school does Theo Kelly attend?
16 - Go inside (5)
Q8 The famous Redcoats at Butlins holidays camps are
turning to what colour?
18 - Tennis Grand Slam event on clay (6,4)
17 - Pattern (5)
12 - Insect that makes honey (
THIN
14 - Country in northeastern A
15 - Broad smile (4)
Q1 How many solar cells can be found on the Solar
Impulse plane ?
Q2 In which year was the Scottish Parliament created?
Q3 What is The Solly Special?
Q4 Spain has produced a bumper crop of what this year?
Q5 What type of animal is Pichu?
Q9 Who is the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs?
Q10 What does KSB stand for?
WEEK
FirstNews
Issue 313
HOW TO
FUN STUFF
WIN
21
8 – 14 June 2012
ENTER
Send your finished puzzles to Puzzles 313, First News, Shand House, 14 - 20 Shand
Street, London, SE1 2ES. The closing date for puzzle entries is Friday 15 June 2012.
Neverland DVDS
Neverland is out now on Blu-ray and DVD, from
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
CAN you spot the five changes to this picture from Neverland? Send in your answers and three lucky winners will win a copy of Neverland on DVD. Neverland
reveals the never-before-told story of how Peter Pan became the Boy Who Never Grew Up. It’s an enthralling fantasy adventure for all of the family. It’s 1906
and young Peter and his gang of pickpockets earn their keep by committing robberies. Hired by Richard Fludd to steal a mysterious orb from an antiques shop, Peter gets involved, little
knowing that the sphere acts as a gateway to another world. When the orb is accidentally activated during the robbery, the boys are transported to the magical realm of Neverland.
A
B
COMPETITIONS: You can enter First News competitions in one of two ways. 1. Go to www.firstnews.co.uk/competitions and follow the instructions. 2.
Write to us at ‘competition name’ (e.g. Holiday), Shand House, 14-20 Shand St, London SE1 2ES. Please note: First News will not share your personal
details with third parties. First News will only use your details to contact the competition winners. First News competitions are open to aged 16-and-under
residents of the UK & Republic of Ireland, except employees of First News, Newsbridge Ltd, BGP and any associated companies and their families. Winners
will be the first correct entries drawn after the closing dates. No purchase necessary. No responsibility can be accepted for entries that have been lost
or damaged in transit. First News will not enter into any correspondence. All winners will be notified accordingly and their names and addresses will be
available on request. No cash alternative for any prizes will be offered. The winner may be required to partake in media activity relating to the competition.
D
what on earth?
All of these are items you might find on the beach. Can you guess what they are?
A
B
LAST ISSUE’S ANSWERS: First News Challenge 1) Susan 2) Arsenal
3) Toothwort 4) £415,001953 5) Mark Flanagan 6) 2 June 7) 23 8) The Royal
Horticultural Society 9) Marcus Collins 10) 8 June spot the difference Lamp is
a different colour, light has been added, hand is missing, back of chair is different,
light is larger What on earth Corgi, guard, Buckingham Palace, flag, crown, money
E
C
A FOOTBALL TRAINING DAY
WIN WITH ROBIN VAN PERSIE !
Do you play football? Are you 12 or under? Would you like the chance to train with one of today’s biggest
football stars? First News has teamed up with Cartoon Network to offer one lucky reader the chance to play
football with Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie as part of Cartoon Network’s Golden Boot Camp!
The winning football star will spend
the day training with Robin Van
Persie and eight other lucky kids from
across Europe.
Practice your skills, get tips from
a professional and spend the day
playing football with the PFA’s Player
of the Year. The winner will also be
asked to write a report on their day
to be published in a future issue of
First News!
What better way to spend your
summer holiday?
For your chance to win this oncein-a-lifetime prize, all you need to
do is design your very own Cartoon
Network football strip.
Send it to us at the usual address
or email it to [email protected]
putting football in the subject box,
along with a short note explaining
why you should be picked for the
Golden Boot Camp team.
Good luck and get creative!
If you want to double your chances of winning, you can upload a video of your football skills to www.cartoonnetwork.co.uk/bootcamp
ENTER NOW!
MARK YOUR ENTRY football
www.firstnews.co.uk/competitions or see above.
The closing date is 29 June 2012.
D A L G L
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8 – 14 june 2012
ASK ESTHER
With
thanks to
I’m Esther Rantzen, President of ChildLine, which helps 2,500 children
every week. If there’s something worrying you, please write to me at
the address on page 21.
Grounded!
My parents have grounded me for a
month – just because I was an hour
late home at the weekend. I think this
is really unfair. Do you agree?
Parents are all different, and some
may be stricter than others. It could
be that your parents have a reason for
grounding you for this. How would you
feel about talking to them about it? If
you are able to talk to them and find
out why they feel this is appropriate,
you may find out, but also be able to work on something with them for the future.
Good luck.
Friend issue
All of my friends seem to have changed and turned really spiteful. I no longer want
to be a part of the friendship group. How do I move on to a different group?
It sounds like the situation with your friends is bothering you. It’s good that you don’t
want to be part of that behaviour. Have you spoken to any of the group to let them
know how you feel? It may be others in the group feel the same. If you really want to
move away from the group, try slowly spending less time with them and look about for
others you can spend some time with. It’s a difficult situation and you are doing well to
realise it’s behaviour you don’t want to be part of. Give us a call on 0800 11 11 or log
on to www.childline.org.uk if you want to talk about this more. Good luck!
The Economy
When you turn on the news, it seems
the phrase ‘difficult economic times’ is
constantly mentioned.
There’s a lot of talk of rising food prices,
rising gas and electricity prices, rising petrol
prices, difficulties with mortgage payments
and rising unemployment.
The UK economy is going through a difficult
period at the moment, like many other
countries’ economies around the world.
What this means is that, for some of us, our
parents and carers may be quite stressed and
anxious at the moment as they look to pay all
of their bills.
As a result, they may have to make some
cutbacks in their spending this summer. For
example, they may not be able to take you on
a foreign holiday this year but, instead, on a
holiday somewhere in Britain. They may not be
able to take you and your friends to a theme
park but, instead, on a trip to the cinema.
You may be feeling worried about
something yourself, perhaps because of
school or your friends. You may feel that you
don’t want to add extra pressure on top of
your parents’ worries. Childline is here if you
need to talk. Call us on 0800 11 11 or go to:
www.childline.org.uk.
I would like to…
I would like to get more involved with local youth projects in my spare time. At what age can I
start to volunteer after school and at weekends?
It’s fantastic that you want to volunteer and give your time up to help others. The age depends on
the individual organisation. I wonder if there are any places near you that you can contact to find
out what the age limits they set are? You can also have a look at www.youthlink.org.uk, which is a
website for volunteering and groups for young people. You really should be proud of what you want
to do. Good luck!
OUT A
UGUS
Walker Books has got 5 copies of the latest book in the Girls FC series, Do Shinpads Come in Pink? up for grabs!
For your chance to win, simply email [email protected], or pop a note in the post with the heading ‘Girls FC Competition’, include your name, age and address
and send to Marketing, Walker Books Ltd., 87 Vauxhall Walk, London SE11 5HJ. The first five winners picked will receive a copy of the book. Closing date: 8 July 2012.
www.walker.co.uk
OUT NOW IN PAPERBACK AND eBOOK. AVAILABLE FROM ALL GOOD BOOKSELLERS.
WIN
WIN
T 2012
Terms and conditions: 1. No purchase necessary. Proof of entering is not proof of receipt of entry. 2. The Girls FC prize draw is promoted by Walker Books Ltd. in England under registered number 1378601 (the “Promoter”) and is not open to employees of the Promoter or its family. 3. There will be 5 prize winners and the winners will receive a copy of the prize stated.
4. The draw prize is non-transferable and there is no cash alternative. 5. Only prize claims received on or before the Closing Date (as stated) will be honoured. 6. The prize draw winners will be the first 5 entries selected at random from all eligible entries received and will be notified within 30 days of this event. 7. Any personal data obtained and/or gathered by the Promoter shall
be used solely for the purposes of the prize draw and such personal details shall be held in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. 8. Only one entry per email address or postal address used. 9. The rules of this prize draw are governed by UK law and entry is conditional on acceptance of these terms and conditions which may be amended at any time by the Promoter.
FirstNews
Issue 313
23
8 – 14 june 2012
THE BOOK
BIT
Book reviews
www.redhouse.co.uk
Tilly’s Moonlight Fox
Julia Green
reviewed by Caroline-Alice
Westwood
Tilly has moved
with her parents
to a new home
with a large
garden. Her
father works a lot
and her mother,
who is soon to
give birth to a new baby, has
to rest a lot, so Tilly often goes
exploring on her own. Through
an overgrown gate in the garden
lies a mysterious, secret world all
set to be explored by Tilly. She
becomes friends with a vixen
whom she names the Midnight
Fox. Will Tilly manage to keep
her discoveries secret? And will
they change her life? I enjoyed
this sympathetically written
and beautifully illustrated book
about a little girl who overcomes
her loneliness
and boredom.
I think most
children would
enjoy this
story, with its
strong message
of friendship
and family
values.
Ghost Buddy: zero to hero
Henry winkler & Lin Oliver
reviewed by Dylan Hider
THE story starts with Billy Broccoli
moving to a
new school, a
new house and
having to make
new friends.
Strange things
start to happen to Billy in his new
house. His favourite baseball
jumper floats around the room
with an unexpected thing
underneath it. This thing turns
out to be Hoover Porterhouse the
Third (a.k.a. the Hoove), who is a
teenage ghost with attitude!
Billy then meets Rod, who is
always up to no good. The Hoove
sees how much Billy is upset by
Rod’s behaviour and together
they set about
getting their
own back
on Rod! (See
page 8 to find
out about the
First News My
Way tour with
Henry Winkler.)
WHAT’S IN
THE SHOPS?
Euro 2012
Campaign
Want to share your story? Write to
[email protected] putting My Way!
in the subject box.
FIRST NEWS has been running a campaign for three years called My Way! It’s about getting
people to understand that everybody learns in their own way. For some people, school
is easy but, for others, it might be harder. The important thing we want everybody to
understand is that the way you learn has nothing to do with how smart you are. Around six
children in each class have learning challenges, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t be
fantastically successful in whatever they choose to do. As My Way! champion, Hank Zipzer
author Henry Winkler says: “Every child has brilliance inside them. Their job is to dig it out
and give it to the world.”
Total Action
Football Game
argos £24.99
Recreate the excitement, pace
and skills of a real Euro 2012
football match with this great
table-top football action game.
It features magnetic action,
and each player can pass, shoot
or trap the football. Includes
two diving keepers, two power
strikers and two free-kick takers.
Forgotten Letters: An Anthology of Literature By Dyslexic Writers,
by publishers RASP, is the first anthology to exclusively promote the
creative work of successful dyslexic writers.
As one of the youngest contributors, Emily Long said: “Those who
wrongly assume that dyslexic people are stupid and, if they can’t
spell, then they obviously can’t write, miss something very important:
success comes from strong emotion and passion, and each poem is
actually seamlessly sewn together by this emotion, which makes for
the best type of writing”.
Just as contributor Maddie Snyder, now 16, admires the ability of
dyslexic people to see differently, Emily said: “Take these poems and
pieces as they are. You will be surprised by the talents that are inside”.
With more and more supporters across the world, including
First News Editor, Nicky Cox MBE, who also found this anthology
inspirational, Forgotten Letters: An Anthology of Literature By Dyslexic
Writers, is available from all good book shops.
Send your reports to [email protected], putting My Way! in the subject box.
And THANK YOU!
Air Power Soccer Disk
www.find-me-a-gift.
co.uk £9.99
With this soccer disk you can
still have a game of footie when
it’s raining outside. Simply turn
the disc on, give it a kick and
watch as it literally floats in the
air! The rim of the disk will
safely protect furniture and
the walls, while allowing great
rebound shots.
Want to share your story? Find out how online at
www.firstnews.co.uk and click on My Way!
Words for Life…
Name: Nicholas Allan
Nicholas studied fine art and has completed an MA in creative
writing at the University of East Anglia. His picture books have
won him several awards, including the Sheffield Children’s Book
Award for The Queen’s Knickers and the Federation of Children’s
Books Best Picture Book Award for Demon Teddy. Nicholas is the
author/illustrator of over thirty children’s books.
What books did you read when you were a child?
I read The Water Babies, about a chimney-sweep boy who falls in
love with a rich girl. I also liked the Tintin books. One Tintin book,
The Castifiore Emerald, was the first book I read where nothing
happens. I was amazed. It was just like real life.
If you could be a storybook character, who would you be?
The Prince, of course!
What is the best thing about reading?
It tells you how other people think. Books can teach you how to know what real people are thinking. This
can be very useful…
What is your all-time favourite book?
A book for grown-ups called The Sun Also Rises. Nothing happens in it. It also has the saddest ending of
all books in the world.
For book recommendations, activities and games, go to
www.wordsforlife.org.uk and tell your parents about it too!
BrainBox Football
www.amazon.co.uk
£7.18
THIS is a fast and fun memory
game that doesn’t require any
pens, pencils, paper, playing
board or even a table! The rules
are simple: just pick a card and
study it for ten seconds before
being asked a question. A
correct answer means the card
is kept; if not, it is returned to
the box. The player with most
cards wins!
8 – 14 june 2012
animals
Keep
them
cool!
CRAZY
BUT TRUE
GREEN
He can fly!
11
17
Redcoats go green
10
Fighting
the fear
British Superbikes is the most-watched
motorsport event in the UK. Racers
compete at circuits around the country
and reach speeds close to 320km/h
(200mph). Josh Brookes, a 28-year-old
Australian rider, is challenging for the
championship this year with the Tyco
Suzuki team. Theo Kelly, from St Joan
of Arc School in Highbury, London,
interviewed him for First News.
Do you ever get scared?
Yeah! I get scared all the time. I get really
scared at how fast I’m going sometimes. But I
try not to let the fear control me and I carry on
anyway… and go faster than the other guys!
How much money do you get?
Not enough! I don’t own a house and I don’t
have a fancy car. I just earn a regular man’s
wages, but I get to race my bike doing it, so
I’m happy enough.
Does it hurt when you fall off?
It really does. If you tumble and roll in the
gravel you end up with huge bruises.
What do you do when you’re not racing?
I like riding my dirt bike or BMX with
my friends.
What’s your house in Australia like?
It’s on a farm. We’ve got a small track you
can ride dirt bikes on and we’ve always had
a dog and a horse. Over the years we’ve had
chickens, and one time we had a goat. It’s
good fun and I miss home all the time.
Main pic: Josh in action on his Suzuki at Oulton Park
in Cheshire. Right: Theo interviews Josh at Oulton Park
9.76
Getty
3
matches is how long
Chelsea captain John Terry
has been banned for by UEFA.
It follows his red card against
Barcelona in the Champions
League semi-final. He missed
the final and will also miss his
club’s first two games in next
season’s competition.
1
seconds was
Usain Bolt’s winning time for
the 100m at the Diamond
League athletics meeting in
Rome, showing he’s in top
form and back on track for
a blistering performance at
London 2012. Afterwards,
the Jamaican runner said:
“I just wanted to tell myself
that I’ve still got it.”
whale nearly scuppered
a yacht that was racing in
the Atlantic. The skipper
had to act quickly to avoid
hitting the huge animal.
The New Zealand crew
(right) were competing
in a round the world race.
The crew said that it would
have been like a train
hitting a lorry!
3
10.08
birdies in the last four
holes was the great finish to
the round that helped Tiger
Woods to win in Ohio. The
victory means that he has
equalled Jack Nicklaus’ total
of 73 PGA Tour wins.
Getty
32
million pounds is
the fee agreed by Chelsea for
the Belgian playmaker Eden
Hazard (right). The 21-yearold was persuaded to sign
for Chelsea by their former
player Joe Cole, who played
together with Hazard last
season at Lille in France.
seconds
is how long it took Britain’s
Adam Gemili to run the
100m in Germany. His
amazing performance puts
him second in the European
rankings this season.
Getty
SPORT NEWS IN NUMBERS

First News - National Literacy Trust

Transcription

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