School Cultural Links
Secondary Schools
Calthorpe Park School: As of end 2018 Calthorpe Park School, Fleet, will have made six annual trips to visit six different schools in the Batticaloa area in the east of Sri Lanka.
A total of 96 children will have experienced this cultural exchange which concentrates on music, sport and drama. Four teachers accompany every trip with between 10 and 21 children going each time. The annual trip also includes visiting tourist areas of the country to experience the wider cultural aspects of a different society.
The 2019 trip had to be cancelled due to the Easter Sunday bombings in April 2019. Four members of staff, however, were still able to travel to Sri Lanka and visit their link schools.
Read how the School Cultural Link has impacted this school in Sri Lanka in their Impact Statement.
Impact Statement
Avonbourne Trust Bournemouth
In July 2018, a Team of 7students and 4 members of staff made their first visit with Ocean Stars to visit their link schools in Sri Lanka. During their time with Ocean Stars they visited Kallady Veloor Sri Sakthy Vidyalam, Sri Murugan Vidyalam and Muravodai Vidyalam. The students had spent 10 months preparing for the trip and set off with bags full of resources. Dancing was a strength of this group and during their time in SL hundreds of children were introduced to various Disco and ballet dance moves.
The Principals of all three schools were very grateful to Avonbourne staff and students for visiting them and enriching the lives of the Sri Lankan students.
Students feedback on their trip:
Student 1: When I was on this trip, I feel I really changed my attitude ... I feel like when I get home I will view things differently.
Student 2: I feel as if we made a positive impact on the children as we bought a bit of happiness into their lives.
Student 3: I learnt that people poorer than us are much richer in happiness and the children made us reflect on ourselves.
Preschools
We have several Infant and Primary schools in the UK which have set up cultural links with preschools in Sri Lanka through Ocean Stars. We thank our UK link Infant and Primary schools for their support for our cultural links programme and encouraging Global Citizenship. Through this programme, students can learn about the lives of others, find out about the different culture in Sri Lanka and at the same time evaluate their own lives. The Ocean Stars Trust team are available to deliver assemblies at school and if this is something of interest then please email us: oceanstarstrust@gmail.com for further information.
These links start with an exchange of photos of school buildings and the environment, to an exchange of drawings, exchange of film clips. We also encourage staff from our link schools to visit their link in Sri Lanka to truly experience first-hand the impact of their support.
10 Preschools here in the UK are currently linked to 10 Preschools in Sri Lanka supported by Ocean Stars Trust. Children send pictures, letters etc. on a regular basis as well as fundraise for their 'linked' Preschool. These links help the children build on their awareness of other cultures as well as developing empathy for those less fortunate than themselves. The playgroups also send resources including stationery and pencils as well as gifts to the wider community such as soap, toothpaste and clothes, all of which are delivered during the annual visits.
Church Links
Fleet Methodist Church has been linked with Mandur Church since 2015 with another Church, the United Reformed Church, Fleet, joining the scheme in 2017.
Church members from Fleet have visited Sri Lanka, have been involved in services as well as helping with Sunday School.
Manchula and Sasimekala from Mandur Methodist Church feel very connected with Fleet Methodist Church. "We are so happy that Revd Dan and Fleet church members come and visit us and spend time with us and talk to us and listen to us. This is very useful for our community."
Are you a Minister or church member who is interested in setting up a Church link?
