Ethos Education Winter 2012/3 (Issue 6) | Page 28

staff. The Torch Takes Shape Children and staff helped to hammer 532 marks into the metal, one for each child and adult in the school and one for Stephen. Children worked with Stephen to punch the patterns of people and hearts into the hot metal. cutouts. The third piece of metal is beaten from top to bottom of the Torch with 532 hammer marks, one for each child and adult in the school and one for Stephen, who has become very much a part of our community over the past few weeks. At the bottom of this section Stephen has added the copper leaves beaten in the children’s workshop. The punching of the designs onto the hot metal was done by the children and some of the 532 hammer marks onto hot metal were made by staff and children. The Torch is finished with gold and silver leafing. Tuesday 22nd May, The Torch is Lit! Health and safety was of utmost importance. Victoria and Kaisan had to learn to carry and pass the torch safely. The flame to light the Ledbury Torch was kindled by the sun. Stephen lit the torch for the first time watched by Victoria and Kaisan, our oldest girl and oldest boy, who had been selected to represent Ledbury Primary School.  Thursday 24th May, The BIG day Arrived! The Olympic Torch was due to pass through Ledbury at 10.00 am. Children wearing flame hats gathered in the playground and made their way into town. There was great excitement as the Olympic Torch passed.  After the Olympic Torch passed, we gathered in the centre of town for our own relay. On the Sunshine Radio stage Stephen unveiled our Torch and explained how it represents the Values of Ledbury Primary School. He was accompanied by the Mayor and the relay runners, Roma (Much Marcle Primary), Natasha and Sam (John Masefield High School), Kaisan and Victoria (Ledbury Primary), Megan (Eastnor Primary), Mena and Ryan (Ashperton Primary Academy) and Toby (Much Marcle Primary). The relay runners were escorted by Miss Marsh and Miss Hope from Ledbury Primary. Stephen lit the flame and ran the first leg of the relay before passing the Torch to Kaisan. The finished Torch The Torch is made from three long strips of flattened metal. There is no welding, the Torch is held together by the three sections being twisted together. This is representative of our Values - if we hold onto our Values they hold everything together. In the upper section the three strips of metal are entwined, representing the shapes of the children hugging and cuddling. In the lower section one piece of metal is punched with people of different sizes and at the base little people hold hands, one piece is punched with hearts and at the base is a row of heart 26 A student takes her part in the relay carrying the torch 31st May The Torch, carried by Kaisan and Victoria, escorted by Miss Marsh and Miss Hope, was used to open our Sports day—and will open our sports day in future years. The Torch will also be used to open the Sports day at Ashperton Primary Academy and for Community Events. Wednesday 23rd May We met members of the Town Council in town to try out the route for our Torch. The Torch bearers from John Masefield High School, Ashperton Academy and Much Marcle joined us on Ledbury Prima