The Helicopter Boys

If you’re a regular follower of the twists and turns and ups and downs of the Moorside saga, I’ll bet you’re expecting me to rant about the dramatic academy news we’ve had this week.
 
Well, you’re wrong.
 
We need to let the dust settle after Durham University’s long rumoured withdrawal as lead sponsor. I just hope that the remaining sponsors will  look to the expertise in the two Consett schools to come up with a powerful local solution. This would win back the local community’s confidence in the academy project and then we could...
 
Now that’s enough.  I’ve already said too much.
 
Let’s talk about the Helicopter Boys.
 
You might recall that I came back to school after Christmas with a bit of a problem. One of my kids had given me a radio controlled helicopter and I crashed it in the dining room while the rest of the clan were engrossed in the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special. I decided that I needed flying lessons and had a hunch that some of the year 7 lads would be able to help.
 
Well, I was right and since then every Friday we’ve been meeting in the gym at lunchtime to fly or try to fly these amazing toys. And I’m still waiting to have a turn.
 
Anyway, one thing led to another. Someone suggested that we start a helicopter club so we asked Lindsey Bell, Extended Services Co-ordinator, if she had any funding left for lunchtime activities. Thankfully she said yes so we’re now on the point of buying some club helicopters and opening the membership much wider. The boys are also determined to see if we could mount a video camera on a helicopter so that we can take some aerial shots of Moorside - a brilliant idea.
 
You might thank that flying model helicopters isn’t very educational. If you heard the lads discussing how to repair broken propeller blades or weighing up the video camera possibility  or mulling over catalogues, choosing suitable machines to buy for the club, I’m sure you’d see the value. And, anyway, it’s fun, and harmless fun at that, and you should be able to have fun at school.
 
If you went to a school that was fun free zone like I did, you’d know what I mean. Actually, that’s a bit harsh on the boring old grammar school in which I was incarcerated. There were one or two teachers who brought their interests into school and gave us opportunities which  otherwise  we wouldn’t have had. Believe it or not, my school excelled at orienteering and provide a stream of athletes who competed internationally. At that time (i.e. the seventies) orienteering was a little known sport, but we loved it and if it hadn’t been for one teacher enthusiast it would never have come our way. Likewise with ham radio. There was an absolutely terrifying science teacher who was radio buff. He was a great guy when you got to know him and his enthusiasm for speaking to people all over the world, including King Hussein of Jordan, was very infectious.
 
This makes me realise that essential components in creating a school’s character (and like people all schools have unique identities) are the interests of the teachers. Let’s face it there would be no clubs, teams, trips, productions or concerts if teachers weren’t prepared to share their interests, passions and hobbies.
 
And a school would be a poor place without them.
 
PS: don’t you think that The Helicopter Boys would be a good name for a band?