The Grange is participating in the Friends@YOG Twinning Programme for the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games.  The Grange is the only primary school in Great Britain selected by the British Olympic Association to twin with a Singapore school, in this case the Anglo-Chinese School (Junior).

To celebrate the twinning, The Grange recently held a “Singapore Week” to learn all about the Olympic Games, the inaugural Youth Olympic Games this year and about Singapore.  The week kicked off with a surprise visit by two traditional “Dancing Lions” weaving their way down each corridor to the sound of drumming and cymbals – much to the surprise of the boys as they peeped out of their classrooms to see what was going on. They then followed the Lions down the corridor to the school hall where they saw a Lion Dance, and they were delighted when the Lions threw out from their mouths fortune cookies.

The week also saw the catering staff cooking Chinese food, eaten with chopsticks, and on the last day of the week each boy was given a “red packet” which is given to children at Chinese New Year.  They traditionally hold money but in this case they held chocolate coins! It was a fitting start to the Chinese New Year celebrations which fell this year on Sunday 14 February and heralded the Year of the Tiger!

The Chinese Lion throws out fortune cookies for Chinese New Year

Mr Ho played a traditional Chinese drum while the Chinese Lions danced

One boy suddenly spots another lion coming down the corridor

The look of delight and slight trepidation as the younger boys are surprised by the Chinese Lion