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Newsletter 64 – September 2018
Dear supporter,
Message from the Director of the Primary Latin
Project
A warm welcome to
my first Newsletter. I shall start with a news update: I am
delighted that the Primary Latin Project has its first Patron,
Lindsey Davis; without doubt a familiar name to all who receive the
PLP Newsletter. Lindsey writes:
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"We didn’t have Minimus in my
day – but I have known of him for a long time now and he sounds
such fun! I am delighted to be a Patron of this gallant
mouse."
(Lindsey Davis - photograph by Fergus Noone)
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I am also really delighted that Dr Catharine Edwards
has agreed to become a trustee of PLP.
As you will have read in the last Newsletter and seen on the website,
after many years of tireless work Barbara Bell and Jeremy Paterson have
stepped down as the Director and Chair (respectively) of the Primary
Latin Project. On behalf of everyone involved in the Project, I want to
acknowledge the huge debt of thanks we owe them both. As the new
Director, I certainly have big shoes to fill. However, as you will see below,
I am very glad to say that Barbara is not going far and will remain as
PLP’s Honorary President. As I add the final contributions to this
Newsletter, Barbara and Helen Forte are hard at work writing a workbook
to accompany Minimus Secundus. You will be alerted when it is ready.
My first half year as Director has gone in a flash. As well as the
day-to-day running of the project, I have been involved in a number of
events. It was a great privilege to represent PLP at the memorial
service for Lady Belinda Morse in March – a beautiful service in a
beautiful setting (St Stephen Walbrook, London). I also spent a very
enjoyable afternoon at Bristol Grammar School in June; Sally Knights
and I adjudicated the plays at Bristol’s 27th Annual Festival of Latin
Drama, organised by the Bristol Classical Association, in partnership
with the Bristol Classics Hub and Bristol Grammar School.
Congratulations to all who took part and, in particular, to St
Augustine’s Primary School, Bristol, on their success in the Junior
section and to the Royal High School, Bath, in the Senior
section.
You will see from the reports below that our Minimus trainers have been
busy. I have also been involved in training in Cardiff (Primary
PGCE students), Bristol (English, History and MFL PGCE students) and
the Cotswolds (Chipping Campden School). We have trainers throughout
the country and, thanks to the generous support of Classics for All,
training can usually be offered freely to any maintained school. The
demand for training is high. Please contact me if you would like
more information on becoming a trainer.
Finally, my thanks to the PLP committee, the trainers and to Rachael
Jones, PLP Administrator, for all their hard work and enthusiasm.
We are always keen to hear your news. Any items for the next Newsletter
should reach me by December 1st, 2018.
Jayne Treasure
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Message
from the new Chair of the Primary Latin Project
At the November meeting of the PLP board, I was
delighted and honoured to be welcomed as the new chair of the board. In
my work with Classics For All for the past few years I have seen for
myself the enormous difference that Minimus can make to primary school
children’s literacy and vocabulary- and I have also seen the sheer
enjoyment that the little mouse is able to generate in classrooms.
While it will not be easy to follow in Jeremy Paterson’s footsteps, I
am very much looking forward to working with Jayne Treasure, the new
Director of the project, and with the wonderful team of dedicated
members, to support the study of Latin in our primary schools. The
board of trustees has also acquired a new member, Professor Catharine
Edwards of Birkbeck College, University of London, who is the president
of the Roman Society. We are very lucky to have Barbara Bell’s continued
support, now in her new role as the Honorary President, and we are
delighted that the historical novelist Lindsey Davis has agreed to be
our patron. (Her new novel, Pandora’s Boy, is just out and you can
catch her talking about at the Salisbury Festival of Archaeology in
July or at Fishbourne Roman Palace on 6 October.
That’s it from your new chair for now! Do follow Helen Forte on twitter
for news from Minimus himself (@minimus_latin),
and stay in touch with us.
Dr Elena Theodorakopoulos, Department of Classics,
Ancient History and Archaeology, University of Birmingham
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Report from
the Honorary President of the Primary Latin Project
After 20
years of working at the heart of the Primary Latin Project, life with a
much smaller mouse felt very odd indeed. Nevertheless, my decision to
step down was definitely the right one. I have very much enjoyed
hearing news of Minimus activities - whether from the PLP committee
under the new leadership of Jayne Treasure (Director of the Project)
and Elena Theodorakopoulos (Chair of the PLP committee) or from
the terrific group of Minimus trainers who are doing splendid work
across the country. I feel very honoured to be the Honorary President
of PLP.
Vindolanda has also clearly had a marvellous year in terms of
excavations and we are very much looking forward to a visit in
September to see the new finds, including the new room of wooden
artefacts. We will be staying with Catherine and Nigel Jarvis at their
excellent B & B ‘Four Wynds’ which is only 10 minutes from
Vindolanda! Catherine is a trained guide as well as a Minimus trainer
and member of the PLP committee; she also runs her own ‘Hands-on Latin’
courses. The newly refurbished B & B could not be better in terms
of comfort or location and the food is simply delicious. If you are
looking for a good base from which to explore Hadrian's Wall,
look no further!
I am still doing a little training, particularly for individuals who
have been unable to access training events in their own areas. I very
much enjoyed speaking at Assembly recently at Elmlea Junior School in
Bristol - nearly 400 pupils and staff. They will be starting to use
Minimus on the timetable for Year 4 in September but are already
offering it as an after-school club for Year 3. A parent kindly
emailed to say how excited her young daughter is at the prospect
of learning Latin.
That's what it's all about- and has been throughout my 40 year
career!
This term I am again training PGCE students at Bristol University
to teach Minimus. As usual these are not Classicists, but MFL and
English graduates and this year we have been joined for the first time
by a small group of Historians. I am sharing the
teaching with Jayne. She is teaching those who have already
studied some Latin and I have the Beginners' group. It
is a rewarding experience to be training teachers for the future.
Again, I was so pleased when one of my group spoke of the fantastic
opportunity to learn a subject which had never been on offer to
him at school.
Minimus - Future Writing
I am very much looking forward to spending a few days in Bury St.
Edmunds in July where Helen Forte and I plan to collaborate on a new
Minimus workbook. This will be targeted to accompany Minimus Secundus.
We hope it will provide valuable further practice in the grammar
covered in the Book 2. We hope to create a useful addition to the
Minimus resources.
Barbara Bell
bmbellmini@aol.com
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Minimus in Africa!
Collaboration at Stellenbosch University
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News from the Minimus Trainers
Dr Masters and Dr Holmes-Henderson
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Minimus
trainer Dr Arlene Holmes-Henderson (Oxford) and
Dr Samantha Masters (Stellenbosch) have begun a
research collaboration which seeks to explore opportunities to extend
the learning and teaching of Classics in South African schools. There
are significant barriers to literacy development for children in South
Africa. Concerned by this, Dr Holmes-Henderson and Dr Masters are
working together to investigate whether Latin could help bridge the
literacy attainment gap. With a travel grant from the Africa-Oxford fund , Dr Masters visited the UK in
March 2018 and Dr Holmes-Henderson made a reciprocal visit to the
Western Cape in April 2018. Many fruitful relationships have been made
and follow-up plans include an application for funding to run a pilot
programme of Latin for Literacy in the Western Cape, together with
Latin-specific pedagogical training for teachers in elementary schools.
Minimus will be the textbook used.
Dr Arlene Holmes- Henderson
Hexham
I am still working with Hexham Middle School/Minimus/Classics for All.
They introduced a Latin Minimus club very soon after I trained six
teachers to teach Minimus at the end of April. More details for Latin
enrichment activities are to follow in the next newsletter.
Catherine Jarvis
Blackpool, Leeds, Liverpool and Sheffield
Blackpool: Following the training I gave in 2016 and 2017, Peter
Wright from Blackpool Sixth Form College reports that there are now
five primary schools in his area in which teachers are delivering Latin
as part of the curriculum. Three of those schools have started to
deliver the Minimus course through from Year 3 to Year 6. There are
also five high schools involved where staff are either delivering
Ancient History / Classical Literature as part of the curriculum and/or
offering Latin lunch clubs.
Latin training for Leeds: Classics for All has agreed to fund training
for Brighouse School in Leeds. Maria Haley, Leeds Classics Hub
coordinator, and I have been trying to set up Latin training for the
school where they plan to use Minimus and the Cambridge Latin
Course. Hopefully, we can arrange training before the end of term
so that the school can begin to teach Latin in the new academic year.
Minimus in Liverpool: I have continued to support the work of Alice
Case, Liverpool Classics Hub coordinator. Schools that received
training last summer have begun to teach Latin with Minimus. At one
school, a HLTA is teaching Year 4 and Year 6 classes for 35 minutes per
week.
Alongside Charlie Andrew, who has developed the Maximum Classics
materials for CfA, I delivered Minimus training to teachers from 5 more
primary schools in Liverpool on May 18th. Veronica Poulter, Primary
English Coordinator at Hope University, joined us and we have arranged
to schedule Minimus training for PGCE students in October 2018.
Similar sessions in 2016 were very well received.
CfA has agreed funding for Sandbrook Primary School on the Wirral,
where the Headteacher aims to adopt Latin as the Key Stage 2 language
across the school. We are trying to arrange training dates for her
staff before the end of the summer term so that the teachers can start
in September.
On June 12th I trained two teachers from Liverpool College. They wish
to start a Minimus club for all year groups in KS2 as part of a
timetabled weekly enrichment slot (60 minutes per week).
Sheffield training: Teachers from Sheffield who participated in Minimus
training last summer are teaching Latin to all year groups (35 minutes
per week).
Classics Hubs: Classics for All kindly invited me to attend a meeting
of the Regional Classics Hubs in November. It was helpful to gain a
picture of how the hubs are progressing and data regarding pupil access
to the Classics. Although we have Vindolanda on our doorstep, very few
state schools in the northeast of England offer Latin or Classical
subjects. That is disappointing so I am working with Justine Wolfenden,
Assistant Professor (Teaching) in Classics at Durham University, to
initiate a plan of action. We are enlisting the support of museum staff
and local teachers who offer Latin. We have a meeting with Hilary
Hodgson from CfA on June 18th.
Sue Balmer
Hertfordshire
On Tuesday 27th February, I was invited to do some Minimus training at
St Mary’s Church of England Junior School, Baldock, Hertfordshire. A
very enthusiastic class teacher, Virginia Di Noia, was keen to start up
a Minimus after-school club (or 2!), with 18 interested pupils. As she
speaks Italian, I’m sure the Latin will sound wonderful!
Shona Shahryar
London, Suffolk and Norfolk
This year I have done two return visits to follow up on initial
training. They were very different, one being William Tyndale Primary
School in Islington and the other the Consortium Multi Academy Trust, a
group of rural primary schools in Suffolk.
My other training session was also interesting as it was for a school
which had originally declined to take part in the initial Norfolk
project. They now wish to introduce Latin into their curriculum. They
were joined by teachers from three other local schools which had taken
part in the first project but who had lost the original teachers we
trained.
In the same small Norfolk town (Aylsham) there is an exciting dig going
on at a Garden Centre. Roman kilns and numerous pieces of pottery have
been found and it is thought to be the site of a major settlement. At
their summer fayre in August we are going to have a session on learning
Latin, designed to possibly attract enough adults to establish
introductory classes in the autumn.
Norfolk is losing a staunch supporter of Minimus as Colly Mudie,
Learning Manager at Norwich Castle Museum, is retiring. Colly has been
enormously helpful in establishing Latin as an integral part of their
Roman Days for schools and facilitated a Latin Celebration Evening as
well as hosting a PLP meeting in the castle. We are hoping her
successor will continue the links.
Jane Maguire
Grant Report
Since the last Newsletter, I am delighted to report that twenty-two
schools have received grants from PLP. They are: Lady Boswell’s Church
of England VA Primary, Sevenoaks; Lynsted and Norton Primary,
Faversham; Kelmscott School, London; Sudbury Primary, Middlesex; All
Saints Church of England Primary, Fulham; Miles Coverdale Primary,
Shepherd’s Bush; Rose Hill Primary, Oxford; Harris Academy Chafford
Hundred Primary, Essex; Rooks Heath College, Harrow; St Michael’s
Church of England Primary, Abingdon; Hele’s School, Plymouth; Gateway
Academy, London; Kennall Vale, Truro; St Just Primary, Penzance;
William Tyndale Primary, London; Hexham Middle School, Northumberland;
Aldborough Primary, Norwich; Leicester Prep School, Leicester; Our Lady
of Lourdes Catholic Primary, Bristol; Chipping Campden School,
Gloucestershire; Bullwell St Mary’s Church of England Primary,
Nottingham; Lincoln Manor Leas Junior Academy, Lincoln.
My grateful thanks to Diana Sparkes and Bob Bass for their speedy
decisions and eye for detail, and to Rachael Jones for dealing with all
matters so swiftly.
Jayne Treasure
Mythology Competition and Results 2018
It’s been another very successful year for the competition. The stories
of Pyramus and Thisbe and the Marriage of Peleus and Thetis
have been beautifully drawn and painted, skilfully modelled in clay,
cake and lego, enthusiastically dramatised and imaginatively described
in poetry and prose. It was very satisfying to welcome new schools to
the competition this year, and to continue to receive entries from America
and Australia. Good news, too, that there were more
entries overall this year, particularly for the drama category and
for the Level Two topic. Animations have also become very
popular and accomplished. As ever, the PLP is hugely grateful to the Jowett
Trust for generously funding the costs of running the competition.
Well done to all the children who have risen to the creative challenge
again this year and to the teachers for encouraging their students and
making time in their busy schedules to submit the entries. As the
newsletter goes to press, the judges have finished their task and the
results, which have been sent to schools, are listed on the website,
look out for the winners work - and details of the 2019 competition!
Linda Soames
My thanks to Linda and all the judges and to all the schools for
participating (JT).
Minimus et cetera
Our best sellers in recent months have undoubtedly been the Minimus
Workbook (grammar practice) and the three sets of Minibooks (extra
readers). This is especially true of orders from the USA. It is as if
there has been a piece of national publicity recommending the
Minibooks! Whatever the source, the word is spreading, and it is lovely
to think of children in Virginia, Florida, Texas etc. enjoying the
little books.
Minibooks for Sale
The three sets of Minibooks used to be sold either individually (£2
each) or in sets of ten for £18 + P & P. Nowadays, we only sell
them in complete sets of ten for £18, plus P & P. Please note there
are 3 different sets.
We have a large number of incomplete sets and are proposing to sell
individual books at half price - i.e. £1 per book, in order to clear
them. You may have some gaps in your own collection which need filling,
or you could use them as prizes etc.
If you would like to buy some please email Nick Bell (bmbellmini@aol.com) stating clearly
which books you would like and how many. Nick will add the appropriate
P & P & send you an invoice. If you live outside the UK we
can send a Paypal invoice and you can pay in your own currency. First
come first served!
Here are the numbers of the books we still have (I-XXX) and the
quantity which are available:
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Set 1:
Book
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Quantity
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Set
2:
Book Number
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Quantity
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Set
3:
Book Number
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Quantity
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I
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0
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XI
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1
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XXI
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3
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II
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11
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XII
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8
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XXII
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0
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III
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8
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XIII
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6
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XXIII
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13
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IV
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3
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XIV
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0
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XXIV
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4
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V
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5
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XV
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8
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XXV
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2
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VI
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16
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XVI
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16
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XXVI
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14
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VII
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12
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XVII
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0
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XXVII
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18
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VIII
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39
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XVIII
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16
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XXVIII
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15
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IX
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32
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XIX
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15
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XXIX
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13
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X
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14
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XX
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8
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XXX
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14
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Please note the following points about our business
and how we operate:
- We do not sell the main Minimus textbooks
(Starting out in Latin and Moving on in Latin). Best to contact
the Hellenic Bookservice in London who will post them anywhere in
the world (info@hellenicbookservice.com)
or your regular bookseller.
- There are three sets of
Minibooks. Set 1 works best with Starting out in Latin and Set 3
with Moving on in Latin. Set 2 can be used with either. They are a
useful source of extra reading for the classroom but do not
advance the grammar at all. They can also be used for drama or as
special prizes in competitions.
- We can also post our Minimus
items anywhere in the world.
- Those of you who live outside
the UK can request a Paypal invoice so as to pay in your own
currency.
- We don’t have facilities for
card payment so please pay by BACS transfer or send a
cheque.
- If you have any queries about
our products or payment, including postage, please contact Nick
Bell at: bmbellmini@aol.com
Thanks very much for your
custom.
Nick & Barbara Bell
With many thanks for your support,
Jayne Treasure
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Robin Place, Portishead, Bristol, BS20 7PX
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