Kids show true grit (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Kids show true grit

10:00am Sunday 29th January 2012 in Chippenham

CHILDREN at Seagry Primary School excitedly named their own Wiltshire Council gritter last week as it made a visit to the school.

Ice Breaker is one of six of the council’s frontline salting vehicles named in a competition for children from across the county.

Assistant head and key stage two teacher Gillian Cowen said the chilling name came from a brainstorming session involving all the children at the school.

She said: “Children were excitedly offering their suggestions, and this name came from all of them. It’s not possible to credit one child with Ice Breaker – the school came up with it together.”

Unlike other schools, the opportunity didn’t present a chance for children at Seagry to come together to make up the name.

“We have 37 children in the whole school,” said Mrs Cowen.

“They make up two classes, key stage one and key stage two. That’s one of the nicest things about the school – everyone knows each other. All the youngest children know the names of all the oldest children, and vice versa. It means no one is afraid to speak up with their suggestions, so it really was a collaborative effort.”

Pupils at St Peter’s Primary School in Devizes were thrilled that their suggested name was chosen to go on one of Wiltshire Council’s gritting lorries.

They chose the name of Ice Queen, which is now on the front of a 26-tonne lorry.

Pupils from years 3, 4, 5 and 6 were told they had won only minutes before the lorry arrived at the school last Thursday.

The excited youngsters were shown round the giant lorry and were able to sit in the cab.

Ten-year-old Alfie Woods performed the unveiling of the name to cheers from his fellow pupils.

Alfie said of the lorry: “It’s pretty cool. There’s a camera on the back so the staff in Trowbridge can see if those in the lorry are being naughty and if they are they can tell them off.”

Pupils at Oare School also came up with a winning name – True Grit, after the 1969 Western starring John Wayne.

They also had the lorry visit their school, where they were able to climb in the cab and switch on its yellow warning lights.

Head teacher Caroline Lander said: “The children came up with all sorts of names; we had a whole list so we held a ballot and they decided True Grit was the best.”