I gave the pupils their respective letters which they
received with a lot of happiness and clapping.  Those
in upper primary classes have started drafting answers
and I am assisting those in lower classes.  We hope to
complete the exercise by next week.
For those pupils who have left, I have given their
letters to the new pupils who will later send them
their photos.

After the weeks of uncertainty this is the best news!  The parcel had been lying in the corner of an office over Christmas. In the end the head teacher went and collected it herself. It is not known how long it will take for responses to reach us, and those involved in the one-to-one link will have to be prepared for possible changes as some pupils have left and new ones have arrived in the time since the parcel was sent off.  Even so there will be many very happy pupils who have received letters from their original matched participants.

The school reopened after the  long  Christmas break with 12 new pupils.  The general elections brought the prospect of some immediate changes including the promise of free Primary school education in Government schools.  Seven pupils left this school to join the new scheme, but it is not thought that there will be no need for this project in the future as a result of the changes.

The second parcel we sent was received first!  The parcel of Christmas cards - our Morris windows ones - one for each pupil, together with the calendars made for the pupils in the nursery classes by the Brightstart Playgroup based at Homer School, was received in late January.  They were overjoyed and spontaneously broke into song -" We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year"!  Their parents and guardians are also reported to be very happy with the gifts.