Spitler School and the London Olympics.



We're back!

Olympic Torch – New Roads – Classical Concert.

. . . just some of the things that have been happening to the Spitler Foundation and its associates.  You may think that the movement of the Olympic Torch for the 2012 London Olympics has only a tenuous connection with Spitler School,  but we feel very strongly that this is not the case.  We (Nick and Loll) have been back in the UK for a few weeks now, having returned to do a little examining for the British A-level education system followed by some work teaching English for Academic Purposes at Teesside University in Middlesbrough, leaving Jim (and Jule) to keep things moving in Siem Reap.  And moving they have been, as poor Jim has been somewhat swamped by activities.  And the Olympic Torch?  Well, here it is passing by our front door in sunny Saltburn-by the Sea on its round-Britain trip before the opening ceremony in two weeks’ time. 

Meanwhile, back in even sunnier Siem Reap, the road to Spitler School has been renovated with funding from the Foundation and we hope that this will survive the torrential rain that we will be expecting from September when we return.  Last year the floods were horrendous and we spent nearly a month walking around up to our knees in water and unable to get out to Ann Chagn village as it was cut off.

More recently, Jim had arranged for the touring classical pianist, Mark Damisch to perform at the Sofitel Hotel in Siem Reap to raise funds for the Spitler Foundation.  He was also able to showcase some of the singing work that we had begun with the children of the school as part of their English programme and activity afternoons.  We have never pretended that the Spitler Choir would be a match for King’s College, Cambridge, but we have been very proud of their enthusiastic singing of The Wheels of the Bus, The Butterfly Song and One finger One Thumb.   Thanks to Jim and Jule, the Grade 4s built on this sturdy base and developed some pretty fancy routines to present to the audience at the Sofitel.  Here they are in rehearsal before the big event.

And how did it go? 

Well:  watch this space for Jim's special report on the evening - and of the other rather posh event involving our children, but this time at the Victoria Hotel.