We've had so many emails from schools reporting on the launch and how it went - so we thought we'd share them with you......
Had a great 'switch on' Southern TV and the Otago Daily Times were here. The
kids were excited to see their greeting on our site.
Many thanks
Jenny - Queen's High School Dunedin
Hi Alison
The British Consul Commercial who came got very involved once the kids got into the project area and was fascinated listening to them discuss the size and population of UK, for example. In fact he has asked to come back to follow progress.
It was terribly hot here - very very humid like Singpore or somewhere especially with so many bodies all working at once but we managed - the Principal even bought some new cups for the school for morning teas at times like this. We all had a very nice morning tea and watched the students who were absolutely absorbed in their descriptions of UK according to them.
The local press came and stayed for some time. ATV were supposed to come but didn't.
Congratulations on great organisation!
Liz and Bev - Pakuranga School Auckland
Best wishes to everyone as we begin what promises to be an exciting and worthwhile project. We began on schedule this morning in the presence of photographers and reporters, though it was not without some hitches. The computer fell off the trolley and the monitor broke but thankfully the processor still worked so I was able to log on to the internet as normal and picked up all the necessary information. It was good to see so many clean faces and neat uniforms. (The pupils were also well turned out!)
We have already made inroads into our first assigment. Our opposite numbers in New Zealand will be happy to learn what a varied country they live in according to our pupils! We are awaiting similar accounts from Opotiki College.
Raymond & Kevin - St Peter's School Derry
Some of these projects will demand a good deal of time, more than we may have available to deliver as an extra-curricular activity. We shall do our best.
Sad to see nothing new on e-mail for us today, after build up and hype. Will look again tomorrow ! Good wishes to all.
Alan Foster Norham Community Technical College North Shields
Just to let you know that we had a very successful day yesterday. Had great
coverage in the local CTV news last night and a wee bit in the Press this
morning. Girls thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Lots of enthusiasm to build
on. Carol Hinchley from the British High Commission was excellent and the
girls really responded to her.
You did a great job!
Kind regards
Judi Hancock Rangi Ruru Girls' School Dunedin
Dear Alison,
I must admit that I feel a bit washed up and tired after a weekend of frantic work to get:
Our Home page up and running (it's only crawling really..)
It went really well, and we have had visits (and subsequent photographs) from the local press. The projects look really good and all the teachers of the class are rapt and enthusastic about them. (Especially if we can get the networking thing sorted out).
Already we can see huge possibilities beyond the project length.
Congratulations to the CWA team, the project is really exciting and it will be great being part of the team.
Regards
Mark Cleary on behalf of the Colenso team, Napier
Dear All
Access to more that one computer for the launch (yes 5!!!)
Networking our 51 new IBM 133s so that they can all independently receive the Internet
(getting there...do we use a router or software ie Wingate??)
Hoping the students would enjoy the launch (they were great)
Coping with the press
InterLink is one of the flagship projects for The Link in '97, and on Monday I had the great honour of being able to attend the launch at Mt Maunganui College. What a fantastic feeling to see InterLink actually begin for the students after all this time and hard work.
The launch was just superb - we were accompanied by the Queen, the Queen-Mum, Captain Cook and a beefeater (crazy teachers up there!!) and the students were so enthusiastic about having the press there! I hope that all the other launches in both countries were just as successful and just as much fun - I'm gradually getting feedback from all the VIPs who attended, and it seems that way.
It was rather fortunate that my flight back to Wellington was cancelled and so I got the chance to go back to Mt Maunganui College the following day and read their message from Ducie High school, Moss-Side - it's amazing to read the perceptions that these kids have of each other's countries, particularly when I'm so familiar with both (been in NZ since last May) - they all have so much to learn from each other and it's going to be great fun doing that.
I could go on for hours about the wonders of InterLink, as I have been lately to anyone that will listen, but I imagine that we are all rushed off our feet as ever. So, finally, really well done to all 24 schools for the mammoth effort that went into getting ready for this launch - it really was worth it, and we're so proud of you all. You should all be proud of yourselves as well, for being a part of this innovative and exciting project and starting something that The British Council intends to develop further and continue on a long term basis.
I know you'll all have a fantastic time over the next few months, and make some great friends at the same time - this really has to be one of the best projects that The British Council is running this year!
Well done, again.
Best wishes,
Michelle McCormack Projects Officer/Information Services Manager, The British Council
Just to introduce myself, I'm Michelle McCormack with The British Council in Wellington. I manage InterLink from our side of things.
Allison McNeill and I had a great time at Heretaunga College (while poor old
Alison was still bashing the keys back at the office right up to the last
minute!) when the good lady wife of the High Commissioner cut the ribbon -
well hit "enter" actually but it felt the same - and declared the project
"open". At that moment I could imagine something similar happening around
NZ and then 13 hours later in the UK ... it was all a bit wonderful and now
I am really looking forward to seeing the results of the first activity from
everyone - heaven knows what the students will come up with.
So sincere congratulations to you all for making the deadline and organising
your web sites, greetings and photos - you can catch up a bit of sleep now,
but don't relax too much as the assignments are due and the next timewave of
bundles will soon be upon you. (Well we can't let you ease up too much now
can we).
Best wishes
Jill Wilson (Interlink Project Director)
Hello again ... all femurs etc intact?
Deanery High School have created their own launch pages with a photo galley of the event! Take a look.....
