The children were treated to a storytelling
session by Jean Swanson on Wednesday 3rd June which was followed by an arts and
crafts session. Jean brought along a specila barge built by Bury schoolchildren
to enhance the experience for the children. After the story the children painted
and decorated their plates and horses.
The month of June was identified
to mark and celebrate the diversity within Britain in terms of Traveller
families. These include English and Scottish Gypsies, Travellers
of Irish heritage, Fairground Travellers (Showmen), Circus Travellers, Bargees ,
Roma and New Travellers.
These families are different
from each other but share cultures and traditions that are built upon a history
of travelling for work and strong extended families . Today,
Circus children may still travel for the majority of the year and may therefore
receive their education through a base school, Distance Learning and the
assistance of Traveller Education Services. Other children travel
for parts of the year or not at all but their families’ traditions, language and
culture are continued.
In recent years,
Roma families - who share Indian roots with Gypsy Travellers - have arrived in
Britain from Europe seeking employment . These families have been
“settled” in housing for several generations but have often experienced
discrimination.
More Traveller children now
receive a full education than 40 years ago; their own parents and grandparents
often had fragmented and negative school experiences . In this
context the written word was, and often still is, far less important than the
spoken one. Storytelling and music are community strengths and
provide ways of transmitting and celebrating their culture and beliefs.
For all children, storytelling
provides rich opportunities for making sense of the world, understanding
different emotions and different cultures, extending language and building
confidence.
The children all really loved
the day and showed a really good understanding of what life was like for Romany
travellers.
Danny Mellor (headteacher) said,
"This was a new experience for many of our children and it certainly helped them
understand what life is like in modern day Britain. The way Jean delivered the
story and craft was really engaging. The children were completely
enthralled."
Dawn Wight (HLTA) said, "The
children loved the session. They learnt a great deal and listened attentively
the whole time. They really enjoyed making the horses."
Tillie Raswtron (aged 5) said "I
didn't know that people lived on boats. It was very interesting."
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