Wow!  We have been having so much fun this week at the Study Centre as the young learners became programming technicians for Robolab!  The Robolab software allows pupils to programme a lego built buggy to follow a set of instructions and move in different directions.  The young learners took part in three challanges:

The Conference challenge - the buggy must turn exactly 360 degrees.

The Championship challenge - the buggy must be parked in the parking bay.

The Premiership challenge - the buggy must be parked in the Premiership garage.

All the young learners did fantastically with many completing all three of the challenges!  Well done to you all!

This week students attending the Study Centre from the Wellingborough area  have been on a tour of the Nene Park Stadium.  They got to have a tour behind the scenes of the club including the players changing rooms and the players tunnel.

Whilst there the young learners worked in teams to complete an orienteering activity.  This involved solving maths sums to locate nine seats in the stadium behind which were control cards with nine different letters.  They then had to solve an anagram to complete the activity. 

On their return to the Study Centre, students produced a Stadium Tour poster using Comic Life for the PC.

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Two students from Latimer school attended the official opening of Volleyball England’s National Volleyball training centre. This state of the art Olympic standard Volleyball centre is based at the Kettering Conference Centre. Supporter 2 Reporter (part of Radiowaves: www.radiowaves.co.uk) is a project where youngsters train to be youth sports reporters.

After the official opening and speeches from Volleyball England staff, we watched the Junior National Teams (girls and boys) and GB men’s sitting team (future paraolympians) in training and the reporters interviewed some of their players and officials. They spoke with Maria Bertelli (GB Volleyball player, 65 caps), Dan Hunter (GB Volleyball player who had recently been promoted from youth to senior squad), Leo Trench (Talent spotter, Volleyball England), Robbie Barrett (sitting squad captain) and Rakesh Misuria. (sitting squad player) Matt Rogers, Sitting Volleyball development manager advised the reporters about their questions.

To see the reporter’s blogs, stories and edited interviews, visit: http://www.radiowaves.co.uk/s2rnorthampton

Press release:

The National Volleyball Centre (NVC) will provide top class sports facilities for International athletes and competitions in the lead up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. East Midlands Development Agency, Kettering Borough Council and Northampton Enterprise Limited have also provided funding which has helped to create the centre into a top class venue by creating four volleyball courts, new seating areas and a social and educational area. The Kettering Conference Centre has an excellent combination of both conference and indoor sporting facilities with good wheelchair access.

Lisa Wainwright, CEO of Volleyball England expresses her delight on the centre: “We identified within our strategic plan 2009/13 our aspiration to establish a National Centre for training and competition to ensure we can provide top quality facilities and services to our talented athletes and all our educators within the sport.”

Wow!  We have been having so much fun this week at the Study Centre as the young learners became programming technicians for Robolab!  The Robolab software allows pupils to programme a lego built buggy to follow a set of instructions and move in different directions.  The young learners took part in three challanges:

The Conference challenge - the buggy must turn exactly 360 degrees.

The Championship challenge - the buggy must be parked in the parking bay.

The Premiership challenge - the buggy must be parked in the Premiership garage.

All the young learners did fantastically with many completing all three of the challenges!  Well done to you all!

Stadium Tours

This week students have been on a tour of the Nene Park Stadium.  Whilst there the young learners worked in teams to complete an orienteering activity.  This involved solving maths sums to locate nine seats in the stadium behind which were control cards with nine different letters.  They then had to solve an anagram to complete the activity.  On their return to the Study Centre, students produced a Stadium Tour poster using Comic Life for the PC.

Rushden and Diamonds FC and the Diamonds Study Centre have teamed up to offer you a FREE day of activities for parents and children.  The day will start at 11am on Saturday 14th November 2009 in the Study Centre (located in the Sports Centre) with an ICT activity of making name badges.  You will take part in a short coaching session before being taken on a tour of the stadium.  There will then be an opportunity to meet the First Team manager and receive autographs from the players before heading back to the Study Centre to complete a Stadium Tour poster and learn the art of making origami football shirts.  You will then receive FREE tickets to the match that day for RDFC V Histon (Kick off at 3pm).

If you would like to take part in this exciting opportunity please contact Sara Cooke (Study Centre Coordinator) on  07805 106173.

Places are limited and are open to 1 adult and 1 child (aged 7-11yrs old) per family.  Please note, children must be accompanied by an adult.  Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis and you will be notified via return email of your place on the day.

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This week the year 5 students from Greenfields, Grange and Avondale Junior schools completed a pitch measuring activity which included finding the perimeter and the area of the football pitch, the penalty area and the 6-yard box.  They also had a chance to finish off all the work that they have been doing over the last 6 weeks in preparation for their school displays which will be on show at the Presentation Evening, in the Vice President Suite on Friday 10th July at 5.30pm.

Year 8 pupils completed the Diamonds away trip activity.  The young learners had to imagine they were organising the accommodation, coaches, meals and entertainment for the Rushden and Diamonds team on their away trip against Weymouth FC in February.