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

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

10 FirstNews Issue 313

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

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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.

12 FirstNews Issue 313

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

14 FirstNews Issue 313

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 permission. First News is published by Newsbridge Limited, Shand House, 14-20 Shand St, London SE1 2ES. Printed by BGP Limited, Chaucer Business Park, Launton Road, Bicester, OX26 4QZ. Distributed by Advantage, Associated Newspapers, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, Northcliffe House, Kensington, W8 5TT. Tel. (020) 7938 6000.

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16 FirstNews Issue 313

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

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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 www.firstnews.co.uk.

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 www.firstnews.co.uk.

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

18 FirstNews Issue 313

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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

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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.

20 FirstNews Issue 313

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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

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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)

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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)

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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

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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.

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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.

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what on earth? All of these are items you might find on the beach. Can you guess what they are?

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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

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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.

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22 FirstNews Issue 313

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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.

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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!

24 FirstNews Issue 313

8 – 14 june 2012

animals Keep them cool!

CRAZY BUT TRUE

GREEN

He can fly!

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Redcoats go green

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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

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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