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The Laser/Easter Edition 2011
The Real Meaning of Easter The Real Meaning of Easter The Real Meaning of Easter
Written for the children
by the children!
The Laser/Easter Edition 2011
Continued on page 2
by: Poppy Trevithick, Yr2/ Gabri-
el Cadogan,Yr3/ Sydney Lai, Yr4
There is a real meaning to
Easter that many Christians
believe to be the most im-
portant event on the Chris-
tian calendar. Customs, such
as the Easter bunny and
Easter egg hunts, have be-
come part of the holiday's
modern celebrations and are
often observed by Christians
and non-Christians alike; so
even if you‟re not Christian
you may still want to know a
bit more about this festival
and how people celebrate it
and what it‟s all about. Read
on to find out more.
At Easter time Christians
remember the last week of
Jesus' life also known as the
'Holy Week'. It signals the
end of Lent, the traditional
time of fasting in the Chris-
tian calendar, and starts with
Palm Sunday, going through
Maundy Thursday, Good Fri-
day and ending in Easter
Sunday when we gather with
family and friends to share a
meal and eat chocolate.
Easter is always on a Sunday
regardless of the fact that
it has a moveable date which
varies from year to year be-
cause it is based on the lunar
calendar. It is celebrated on
the first Sunday after the
full moon (also the first day
of Spring), on or after March
21st.
The name Easter originally
came from Esostre who was
the Anglo-Saxon goddess
worshipped in Spring. It is
thought that this goddess
saved a bird whose wings
were frozen by turning it in-
to a magic hare that could
lay eggs cementing her sta-
tus as the goddess of new
life and fertility.
Eostre is not connected in
any way to the religious story
of the resurrection celebrat-
ed by Christians on Easter
Sunday and that is why a lot
of people believe that East-
er‟s name should be changed
to distance it from its pagan
naming.
Pagan traditions give us the
English word "Easter" which
comes from the word
"Eostre". The Anglo-Saxon
word for April was "Eostre-
monath" (the month of open-
ings). However, it should be
remembered that Christians
celebrated the resurrection
of Christ long before the
word "Easter" was used, and
the word they used for the
celebration was "Pascha",
which is derived from and
linked to the Jewish festival
of Passover.
According to Bede, the Eng-
lish monastic historian, the
English word Easter comes
from the Anglo-Saxon name
for the month of April, which
was known as "Eostremonath"
in the Anglo-Saxon tongue
and since Pascha was most
often celebrated in Eostre-
monath, the English Chris-
tians began calling it
"Easter".
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday commemorates
Christ‟s arrival
in Jerusalem. In
the bible it is
said that when
Jesus entered
Jerusalem on
his donkey,
the crowds
laid palm branches at his
feet. So these days in many
churches, during Palm Sunday
services, large palm branches
are carried in processions in
remembrance of that day.
Maundy Thursday
This is the Thursday before
Good Friday. It commemo-
rates the last supper that
Jesus had with his disciples.
Derived from the Latin word
“ m a n d a t u m ” , m e a n i n g
"commandment," Maundy re-
fers to the commands Jesus
gave his disciples at the Last
Supper: to love with humility
by serving one another and to
remember his sacrifice.
The real meaning of Easter cont’d
The Laser/Easter Edition 2011 Page 2
on Good Friday. Many go to Church
on that day to give thanks to God
for saving Jesus. Church bells are
rung and flowers are hung in cele-
bration. Families get together to
celebrate and children enjoy East-
er hunts, coloured Easter eggs and
chocolate bunnies.
The origins of Easter
traditions
This bunny is sometimes
known as the Spring Bunny in
the US. It is believed to bring
baskets filled with coloured
eggs, candy and toys to chil-
dren the night before Easter.
The eggs are usually hidden
around the garden for the
children to find the next day
when they wake up. Rabbits
are also a reminder of Spring
Continued on page 3
Cont’d from page 1
Good Friday
Good Friday commemorates the
day that Jesus Christ was killed
on the cross. Good Friday is a sad
day when churches do not deco-
rate with flowers and there is a
sombre meditative mood. Some
Christians believe that on Good
Friday after Jesus Christ was
executed his body was taken
down from the cross, and buried
in a cave. The tomb was guarded
and an enormous stone was put
over the entrance, so that no-one
could steal the body.
On the following Sunday, some
women visited the grave and
found that the stone had been
moved and the tomb was empty.
Jesus himself was seen that day,
and for days afterwards by many
people. His followers realised
that God had raised Jesus from
the dead.
Easter Sunday
This is a happy day for Christians
because they be-
lieve that it is the
day that Jesus rose
from the dead af-
ter being crucified
The Easter Bunny
The Laser/Easter Edition 2011 Page 3
The real meaning of Easter cont’d
and new life.
Eggs have always been a sign
of fertility in history.
The first eggs to be given as
gifts in the UK were hen, duck
or goose eggs. Later they
were replaced by artificial
eggs. Chocolate eggs only ap-
peared in the late 1800s.
The tradition of colouring
Easter eggs dates back to the
Middle ages when people
would paint the eggs differ-
ent bright colours to symbol-
ize the start of the Spring
season.
Easter Eggs
Buns marked with a cross
were eaten by the Saxons
during their spring celebra-
tions - it's believed that the
bun represented the moon and
the cross the moon's quar-
ters. Christians continued the
tradition but to them the
cross symbolises Jesus' cruci-
fixion.
This cake is eaten at Easter
and particularly on Mothering
Sunday which falls on the
fourth Sunday of Lent. It is
believed that in the past girls
working as domestic help were
given the day off to visit
their mothers. They would
usually take a simnel cake
back with them as a present.
This cake is particularly asso-
ciated with Mothering Sunday
and is traditionally a fruit
cake with two layers of al-
mond paste, its top is deco-
rated with 11 marzipan balls
to symbolise the faithful dis-
Hot Cross Buns
ciples (Judas is therefore
left out).
Good to Know !!!
In Greece, lamb is the
traditional food at Easter.
In Poland, they eat sau-
sages and poppy seed
cake; the poppy seeds are
a symbol of new life.
The celebration of the
Jewish festival of Passo-
ver, which commemorates
the exodus of the Jews
from captivity in Egypt,
has been intertwined with
Easter from the begin-
ning and the Hebrew
word „Pesach‟, originally
meaning Passover, came
to mean Easter as well.
In Poland, Easter Monday
is known as “Wet Mon-
day”. This is because of
the practice of going to
people‟s homes and the
boys would throw water
on the girls that they
fancied.
Simnel Cake
Cont’d from page 2
Why not try our Simnel cake
recipe this Easter? The recipe
can be found in our RECIPES
section.
Cont’d from page 3
The real meaning of Easter cont’d
The tradition of painting eggs and using them
as decorations or gifts is not common in the UK
as it is in some other European countries or in
the United States, but it is becoming increas-
ingly popular in recent years. If the egg is to be
used as a decoration the contents need to be
removed from the shell.
The process is as follows:
- Put the egg into an empty egg container and
hold it firmly in place with one hand.
- hold a needle in your other hand and use it to
make small holes at the top and bottom, one end
larger than the other.
- Use a long needle to mix together the yolk and
the egg-white.
- Place the egg over a bowl and blow several
times through the smaller hole, so that most of
the contents come out.
- Put the egg in a container containing a mixture
of water and some vinegar - let the egg become
half full of water.
- Shake the egg gently and blow it again, until
the shell is empty.
- Clean the shell by leaving it for a while in a
mixture of water and vinegar (about 3 times as
much water as vinegar).
- Leave the egg to dry overnight.
- Once it is dry, decorate the shell with paint or
dye.
- Place a thread through
the smaller hole and out
the other end.
- Hang the egg, either
from one end of the
thread (by tying a knot)
or by pinning both ends
of the thread.
How to paint your
Easter egg
The Laser/Easter Edition 2011 Page 4
O n
Maundy Thursday in England the custom of
washing feet by the Monarch was carried out until
1689 in commemoration of the time Jesus washed
the feet of his disciples during the last supper. Up
until then the King or Queen would give food and
clothing and even wash the feet of the poor on
Maundy Thursday in Westminster Abbey. The
last monarch to do so was James II.
In Britain today, the sovereign takes part in the
Ceremony of the Royal Maundy. This ceremony
involves the distribution of Maundy money to de-
serving senior citizens (one man and one woman
for each year of the sovereign's age), usually cho-
sen for having done service to their community.
They receive ceremonial red and white purses
which contain coins made especially for the occa-
sion. The white purse contains one coin for each
year of the monarch's reign. The red purse con-
tains money in place of other gifts that used to be
given to the poor.
This year The Maundy Service will take place at
Westminster Abbey on 21 April, 2011.
What is the Royal Maundy Service?
The Laser/Easter Edition 2011 Page 5
The real meaning of Easter cont’d
1. Where is the Easter story in the Bible?
2. Why does the date of Easter change from year to year?
3. What is the name given to the period of fasting before Easter?
4. Easter is the end of Lent. How long does Lent last (not including the Sundays)?
5. Who betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver?
6. Which sport takes place at the White House each year on Easter day?
7. Which type of cake is usually made on Easter day?
8. Can you guess how many eggs were sold in the UK in 2007. Was it 70 million, 80 mil-
lion, or 100 million?
9. Where did the legend of the Easter bunny originate?
10. Easter Island is a special territory of which country?
11. Where was the Last Supper held?
12. The Easter Rising was a rebellion staged in Ireland in Easter Week of which year?
13. What food is made on Shrove Tuesday?
14. What is the flower of Easter?
15. What is “Pysanka”?
Answers
1. Mark Chapters 14 to 16, or Luke Chapters 22 to 24 and in the gospels of Matthew and John/ 2. Because it is
based on the lunar calendar. It is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon, on or after March 21st / 3.
Lent / 4. 40 days / 5. Judas Iscariot / 6. Egg rolling / 7. Simnel cake / 8. 80 million / 9. Germany / 10. Chile / 11.
Jerusalem / 12. 1916 / 13. Pancakes / 14. Lily / 15. The act of painting eggs.
Test your knowledge with our quiz and see how much you know about Easter. Why don‟t you
ask the questions to each member of your family and see who gets the most correct. The an-
swers are at the bottom of the page. Good luck!!
Take our Easter quiz
by: Zita Akande, Yr2/ Charlotte McLeod, Yr2
School News
The Laser/Easter Edition 2011 Page 6
Meridian Primary performs for charity by Miriam Kenedy, Yr3 & Lulu Pennicott-Banks, Yr3
Illustrations by Miriam Kenedy
In February Meridian Primary School held its 2011 Charity Concert in which the school managed to raise over £600. The donations were split be-tween two charities; Water Aid and Save the Children.
Many people took part in the concert that offered music, singing, poetry and dance. It was a fun evening with lots of cake to go round donated by parents from across the school served in the Bottom Hall to the delight of all.
This is the second time that a charity concert takes place at the school, the first having been for raising funds after the Haiti disaster back in 2009. Organized by former headteacher Dave Suttle and parents David and Rianka Kenedy and Elaine Pennicott-Banx, the concert has gone from strength to strength.
―A concert is a good way of bringing lots of people together and also to raise money for charity,‖ explained Elaine Pen-nicott-Banks, one of the concert organizers who is already think-ing of plans for next year’s con-cert that will see children from Meridian’s Guitar Club joining in.
Elizabeth Taylor (no relation to the late movie star – we think) who played a huge part organ-izing the school choir and who boasts a love of all music rang-ing from Stravinsky to Red Hot Chilli Peppers, to name a few, attributes her love of music to her days when, as a child, she was part of the Scottish Junior Singers choir. Although lead by an ―excellent but intimidating Agnes Duncan‖ she received lots of singing and performing skills. She now boasts one of the best singing voices at the school.
Elizabeth also organized the school choir that performed at the concert and says she got
her inspiration for the songs from olds books she’d had for years or from music websites. Asked what she thought of the concert she said she was ―very pleased‖ and wished there was more time and energy to do lots more.
The concert this year saw a big collaborative effort not only on the part of the organizers and performers but also from par-ents and carers who showed up in abundance to support the event. One such was parent and well-renowned cartoonist Jeremy Banx who provided the illustration for the concert pro-gramme and posters advertis-ing the event in the local com-munity.
Teaching Assistant, Sharon Crawford also stepped in to of-fer her help in many areas one of which was her computer skills.
―I put my computer skills to
Continued on page 5
Meridian Primary performs for charity cont’d
The Laser/Easter Edition 2011 Page 7
good use and I pro-duced the programme for the night using Banx’s cartoon, infor-mation about the charities we were rais-ing the money for and of course, the list of all the performers and what they did on the night. There was a lot of information to squeeze this year,
with some last minute changes, but I just about managed it.‖
There were many magical moments on the night, some quite emotional, but all in all it was a very lovely night that managed to seal the sense of community at the school and we can’t wait for next year’s show.
Water Aid works in 26 countries across Africa, Asia and the pacific region and transforms lives by improv-ing access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation in the world’s poorest communities.
Save the Children works in more than 120 countries, saving children’s lives, fighting for their rights and help-ing them fulfil their potential.
―I did play the clarinet at school for a short time. It was great to see so many children and adults playing at the concert. As they were so inspiring, perhaps one day I will have a go.‖ — Sharon Crawford on whether she played any musical instrument.
―I played around with the idea of someone asking for money and came up with the trumpet idea. But first I had to beat my head against the desk a few times.‖ — Cartoonist Jeremy Banx on how he came up with the idea for the charity’s poster.
School News
The Laser/Easter Edition 2011 Page 8
Monster invasion on Red Nose Day by Yousef Bouran, Yr3 & Krisha Beyka, Yr5
Red Nose Day was cele-
brated in style at Meridian
Primary School on Friday
18th March with a proper
invasion of pupils dressed up
as monsters showing up to
attend school that Friday
morning. The theme for Red
Nose Day this year was mon-
sters and monsters there
were all around the school.
“I was scared to come to as-
sembly this afternoon with
the amount of monsters
around the school today,”
said Headteacher Jo Graham
at assembly that afternoon.
Nearly everyone at the
school joined in to dress up
for the day and that includ-
ed the teachers who only
saw it fit not to miss out on
the occasion. Although there
were prizes to be had at as-
sembly that day, the teach-
ers sadly didn‟t win any be-
cause the prizes were just
for the children.
The costumes on the day were
AMAZING; from monster post
boxes to robots and from creepy
brides to clowns and a shark,
everyone seemed to have put in a
lot of work and thought into
their costumes. So even though
prizes were given to the
best costumes everyone still
looked great. And then of
course there were two
teachers who stood out:
Mark & Christine who were
in a category all on their
own. Talking to many chil-
dren at the school most
agreed that if there had
been prizes for the teachers
that day they would have
definitely won.
There was a cake sale on the
day and we all donated £1
each because we know how
important a day like today is
because the money we raise
transforms lives across the
UK and Africa. What a treat
to have a cake (or two) dur-
ing school though. There was
such a big selection of cakes
and muffins that it made
choosing a favourite very
very hard. We made over
£500.
All day we learnt about Red
Nose Day and about when it
started and how the money
raised by everyone on that
day goes to building schools
for children and even makes
people in care homes happier.
How great is that!
Comic ReliefComic ReliefComic Relief
Comic Relief is a British charity organization that was founded in the UK in 1985. It raises money all year round not just on Red Nose Day.
Comic Relief is the name of the charity; Red Nose Day is the name of the events on the day to raise money for Comic Relief. The first Red Nose Day was on February 5th,1988.
Every two years, thousands of people do something fun-ny for money. They do it at home, at work, in schools and, well, just about every-where.
Interviews
The Laser/Easter Edition 2011 Page 10
Q & A with acting Headteacher Jo
Meridian Primary School has
just appointed Jo Graham as its
new Headteacher. Parents and
children alike are thrilled at the
news as most of them have
known Jo for many years
now. The Laser got togeth-
er with Jo for a quick chat
and uncovered a few things
you may not have known
about Meridian Primary‟s
new Headteacher.
Kate: How does it feel to
be the new Headteacher
of Meridian Primary
School?
Jo: It feels very exciting
to be taking on this new
role and I am also very
proud of the position.
Miriam: Was it a shock
when you were told the
news?
Jo: Not a shock at all but I
thought that it was exciting
and I was extremely
pleased.
James: What new rules
will you introduce into the
new school?
Jo: I think we already have
very good five rules around
the school which are very
useful and important to all
of us; Be polite and consid-
erate, keep hands, feet and
objects to yourself, follow
instructions (given by all
adults), walk silently around
school, and finally take care
of everyone and everything
in our school.
Charlotte: What other
things are you going to do
for the kids here?
Jo: Listen to people and
always do what is in the
best interest of the children.
Charlotte: When did you
first arrive to Meridian
Primary School?
Jo: I have been at Meridian
Primary School for close to
eleven years now, since
September 2000. I came to
Greenwich from Sheffield
to take on the post of dep-
uty head teacher at this
school.
Miriam: Are you going to
change anything in the
school?
Jo: I am going to keep all
that is good in this school
and aim to build on these
good things and make them
even better. My goal is to
make Meridian Primary
Interviews cont’d
School an outstanding
school in the area.
Kate: What inspired you
to go into teaching and
what is your favourite
subject?
Jo: I have always wanted to
be a teacher, ever since
working with the Halifax
Building Society, because I
really love children. My fa-
vourite subject would have
to be Art and English.
Zita: What is your favourite
book?
Jo: I have hundreds of
books at home for me and
the children. When I read a
book I always have to keep
it and when I move house
they are the first things
that I unpack. As a child I
loved Enid Blyton and the
Famous Five. As I grew old-
er I enjoyed Fantasy books.
My favourite book of all
though has to be To Kill a Mocking Bird because it really
makes you think.
James: What sport do you
like?
Jo: I was very sporty at
school and was very good at
the long jump because I had
very long legs. I was also
very good at cross country
running. Then as I grew older I
was into horse riding. Unfor-
tunately these days I am
too busy to do any sport at
all but I do enjoy watching
the horse races on TV.
Miriam: How do you spend
your free time?
Jo: I spend all my free time
with my family. The kids and
I go to Greenwich Park or
we take the London train to
visit a museum or an art gal-
lery.
Charlotte: What is your
favourite colour?
Jo: I love pink because I
think it is a cheerful colour.
If I could I would paint my
whole house pink. But I also
like to wear blue.
Zita: Do you like jokes?
Jo: Yes I like good jokes
but I never seem to remem-
ber them and always falter
with the punch line. So real-
ly I like hearing them but
not telling them.
Kate: What is your favourite
ice-cream?
Jo: Strawberry.
Miriam: What is your favourite
food and do you cook?
Jo: I love Thai food be-
cause I enjoy spicy dishes.
My partner does all the
cooking because he is an ex-
cellent cook whereas I am
very good at doing the laundry.
James: What do you like
about Greenwich?
Jo: I like the river
[Thames], love Greenwich
Park and the museums and
old buildings. I enjoy the
restaurants and shops in
the area very much. But
most of all what I love in
Greenwich is Meridian Pri-
mary School.
Kate: What is your favourite
animal?
Jo: I have always loved
dragons.
The Laser/Easter Edition 2011 Page 11
by: James Thorogood,Yr2
Charlotte McLeod, Yr2
Kate Chollet, Yr2
Paarth Maheshwari, Yr2
Zita Akande, Yr2
Miriam Kenedy, Yr3 On the day of the interview
Paarth was not there because
he was ill and away from
school but he did take part in
preparing the questions.
Interviews
The Laser/Easter Edition 2011 Page 12
The Laser masthead gets a make-over
Vic Haidar, graphic designer, par-ent of Siddy, Yr3, and the brains behind The Laser’s new logo popped in to have a chat with members of The Laser Newspaper Club. He discussed the idea be-hind the newspaper’s new logo and what elements were used to come up with the finished design. Vic also gave a live demonstration and talked about graphic design as a profession and how big publish-ing companies apply graphic de-sign to produce their publications. It was a very enlightening and useful afternoon. We were also able to slip in a few other questions unre-lated to the logo, read on to find out more…
The Laser: How did you come up with the design for The Laser’s masthead?
Vic: I tried to keep it simple and to think of the three ele-ments I wanted to include in the design; Your newspaper’s title [The Laser], the laser beam [the inspiration behind the name of your newspaper] and finally the Royal Observa-tory [the source of the laser beam]. I put all those together using design and balance then I drew the illustration and chose the font.
TL: Did you enjoy creating the logo and did it take you a long time to finish?
Vic: I enjoyed working on it very much and though it took a couple of hours, I was very satisfied with the finished work.
TL: Why do you like living in Greenwich?
Vic: I like living here because it is a very friendly community very similar to where I grew up. I also enjoy Greenwich Park and walking by the river Thames.
TL: How long have you been working with computers?
Vic: It has been 20 years.
TL: What is your favourite food/recipe?
Vic: I always enjoy a good BBQ but I also like Spanish and Indian cuisine. In terms of
recipes I make a really mean lamb curry.
TL: What is your favourite place in Greenwich?
Vic: I like Café Rouge and Piz-za Express and my children Siddy (Yr3) and her brother Bill enjoy eating there too.
TL: What is your favourite colour?
Vic: Turquoise
TL: What’s your favourite music/song?
Vic: I like all sorts of music and my favourite song has to be It’s a Perfect Day by Lou Reed.
TL: What do you think of the de-sign of the London Olympics 2012 logo?
Vic: I don’t like the logo much because it is far from modern and is not dynamic.
by:
Rosie Delap Yr3/ Yousef
Bouran, Yr3/ Katelyn Lai,
Yr2/ Krisha Beyka, Yr2/ Kai
Ring, Yr4
The Laser/Easter Edition 2011 Page 13
Creative Corner
The Pegasus
Early one morning I took a stroll to the park. The gates were closed but I climbed over them
and walked towards the lake. As soon as I was there, something strange began to happen.
There was a statue coming to life. It rose out of the water, its body glistening in the sunlight.
It had a silver mane, a tail that glittered and flapping wings that beat hard against the wind.
What was it?
I looked at the thing carefully studying it closely. Its blue eyes gazed at me giving me the
feeling I was being X-rayed. Why wasn‟t it flying away? Suddenly, I noticed its legs. They
were chained to a log with heavy bolts that I couldn‟t undo even when I tried. Luckily, I had a
spanner on me because I was going to the mechanics‟ shop later on. The bolts finally off, the
Pegasus was free.
I watched joyfully as the Pegasus galloped around trying to get used to the feel of its legs
again. As I was hoping it would stay, it gave a sudden flap of its wings that saw it soar into the
sky. I watched it go wishing that it could have stayed instead. Head hung low, I trumped slowly
back towards the mechanic‟s shop. Suddenly the Pegasus was in front of me. I clambered onto
its back and we went soaring high up into the sky.
We went up higher and higher until suddenly I didn‟t know where I was. The next thing I know
I‟m fast asleep on the flying Pegasus. Where are we going? Who knows?
The End
by Miriam Kenedy, Yr3
Short Story
What did the rabbit say to the carrot?
Nice gnawing you!
What kinds of books do rabbits like?
One‟s that have hoppy endings!
What do you get if you pour hot water
down a rabbit‟s hole?
Hot cross bunnies!
Easter Jokes
by George Edwards, Yr3
Out & About
The Laser/Easter Edition 2011 Page 14
Things to do this Easter break
Come rain or shine, there‟s loads to do during
the Easter holidays as James Thorogood
(Reception) and Kate Chollet (Yr2) are find-
ing out.
Greenwich
You could go on a
donkey or horse
ride up near the
Blackheath gates
of Greenwich Park
or you could do
boating at Greenwich Park. Of course you can
always take a picnic with you and make a day
out of it. Don‟t forget that you can take your
ball, scooter or even your bike and that way
you‟ll have fun and get in some exercise too
which is really good for you.
Blackheath
Every year at this time
the Circus and funfair
come to visit town. They
are up on the heath in
Blackheath which is really
close to Greenwich Park.
There are loads of great
rides and cotton candy.
The heath is also a great
place to fly a kite but
make sure you take an
adult with you to help because it could get
tricky. If you are riding your bike there make
sure you wear a helmet and be very careful
when you cross the road. Look both ways and
listen to what your adult says.
Eat Out
We love to eat out during the holidays and es-
pecially when we get to have a treat from time
to time which is so much
fun. We recommend
McDonald‟s or Chinese but
there are other choices
too.
Mudchute Farm
Did you know that if you live in Greenwich, it is
so easy getting to Mudchute Farm just by us-
ing the Greenwich Foot tunnel? They have
loads of animals to look at and pet and you can
run around in the park by. But please do not
feed the animals as the people who take care
them say it can harm them and may even kill
them. They have to stick to their own special
food.
A train ride
Why not hop onto a train to London and go see
the Tower of London, the London Aquarium or
the horse guards parade at Buckingham Palace?
Who knows, you might get to see the Queen if
she‟s passing by on that day.
At home
Why not have a lie-in? It is the Easter holi-
days and no need to rush to school. You can
always ask your parents if you can play games
The Laser/Easter Edition 2011 Page 15
Out & About cont’d
on the computer or if they‟ll let you watch
some TV. You could make some crafts togeth-
er or bake a cake or even read your favourite
book again. You could always ask mum or dad
to arrange for you to have some friends over
or maybe even have a sleepover. So much fun
and cake is guaranteed.
Visit the Museum
Right next to our
school, only a few
minutes‟ walk away
is the National
Maritime Museum.
You can go there for free and they have a lot of
activities for children. We love going round
and seeing all the huge boats on display. May-
be you can even spend some of your pocket
money at the gift shop (if your mum and dad
agree).
Read a book or watch a movie
Check out The Laser‟s reviews section for in-
spiration.
Whatever you decide to do we hope you
have a lot of fun and see you after the
break.
You will need:
Wooden spoon
Pink paint
Pale and bright pink craft foam
Pink pompom
Wiggle eyes
Glue
Pink heart or circle sticker
Pink pen
Instructions:
1. Paint the wooden spoon pink and leave to dry.
2. Cut two ears from craft foam. Cut two inner ears from a contrasting shade of pink foam and glue these
to the centre of the ears. Glue the ears to the top of the spoon.
3. Glue a pink pompom to the handle for his tail.
4. Stick the pink sticker on to the back of the spoon for a nose and stick on the two wiggle eyes.
5. Finish off by drawing on some whiskers with pink pen.
Wooden Spoon Puppet—Bunny
The Laser/Easter Edition 2011 Page 16
Reviews
Movies with Charlie
Opens Friday 1st April.
If you're looking for a film
to see over the Easter
Holidays, how about 'Hop'?
Hop is about a funny rabbit
who is able to poo jelly
beans. He doesn't want to
be the Easter Bunny.
If you like Alvin and the Chipmunks, you'll like this
film because it's directed
by the person who directed
Alvin and the Chipmunks.
Russell Brand, the comedian, is the
person who did the bunny's voice.
Your mum will really like it
t o o , b e c a u s e J a m e s
Marsden is in it. (He's
from Enchanted and 27
Dresses. 27 Dresses is a
film that your mum will
have seen).
Mars Needs Moms is all
about a boy called Milo.
He has a row with his mum,
and a bit later his mum is
taken away by aliens be-
cause they need mothers
to raise their children. Milo
chases the space ship and gets
taken away himself. He
then makes friends with a
human space pirate who
helps him to get his mum
back.
This film is really enjoya-
ble to watch and it is fun-
ny.
This is an old film made in
1988, so you can get it
A t the Ci nema
Mars Needs Moms
Hop
A n E a s t e r S p e c i a l
Who Framed Roger
Rabbit
The Laser/Easter Edition 2011 Page 17
Reviews
from the DVD shop.
Roger Rabbit is a really silly
bunny and is framed for a
murder. He then meets a de-
tective and the detective
tries to help him get the po-
lice to believe that he didn't
commit the murder.
It's really clever because of
the way Robert Zemeckis (the
director) combined cartoons
with real live people.
This is the next instalment
in the Narnia series. The
children go back to Narnia
where they go on a voyage
on the Dawn Treader.
For those under 6, you should
not watch it because there is
a lot of violence in it.
On DVD
The Chronicles of
Narnia: The Voyage of
By Charlie Thorogood, Yr 2
Wii Game Review
Super Smash Bros Brawl
By George Edwards, Yr 3
Super Smash Bros. Brawl offers masses of charac-
ters, levels and game modes
to explore, the music is fantastic
and the gameplay is great.
Among the new characters
in the game are Meta
Knight, the sword-wielding
nemesis of Kirby; Pit, the
angelic archer from Kid Ica-
rus; Zero Suit Samus, the
powerful Metroid series
heroine minus her versatile
armour and Wario,
One secret cheat for the
game is to win ten brawl matches to win Marth.
This game is amazing but of course, you can't really go
wrong with Nintendo games. I rate it 5 stars.
Have you watched a
good movie lately? Why
not let us know at The Laser and we can tell
others all about it.
Promise!
The Laser/Easter Edition 2011 Page 18
Reviews: Books
Ella is feeling painfully alone.
Her mum is in a coma not mov-
ing, her best friend has gone
off with someone else. Can
things possibly get any worse?
Ella‟s baby brother is getting
most of the attention and is
keeping her and her step-dad
up until 10 o‟clock. Then she
gets put into after-school club
with horrible Martha and they
get into a fight. Martha rips
up Ella‟s whale project. But
what will happen to Ella‟s
mum?
I liked this book because it is
imaginative and it tells you
what life is like when your
mum is away and your original
dad broke up with your mum.
When your step-dad isn‟t very
kind to you it can‟t be very
nice at all.
I hope you enjoy this book as
much as I did.
Jacqueline Wilson was born in
Bath in 1945, but spent most
of her childhood in Kingston-
on-Thames. She always wanted
to be a writer and wrote her
first „novel‟ when she was nine,
filling in countless Wool-
worths‟ exercise books as she
grew up. As a teenager she
started work for a magazine
publishing company and then
went on to work as a journalist
on Jackie magazine (which she
was told was named after
her!) before turning to writing
novels full-time. One of
Jacqueline‟s most successful
and enduring creations has
been the famous Tracy Beaker,
who first appeared in 1991 in
The Story of Tracy Beaker.
Jacqueline‟s books are loved
and cherished by young read-
ers not only in the UK but all
over the world. She has sold
millions of books and in the UK
alone the total stands at over
25 million!
In 2002 Jacqueline was
awarded the OBE for services
to literacy in schools and from
2005 to 2007 she was the
Children‟s Laureate. In 2008
she became Dame Jacqueline
Wilson.
The Longest Whale Song
by Jacqueline Wilson
reviewed by Rosie Delap, Yr3
Jacqueline Wilson
Check out www.jacquelinewilson.co.uk
The Laser/Easter Edition 2011 Page 19
Scrumptious Carrot Cake
by George Edwards
Ingredients
140g (5oz) butter or margarine
140g (5oz) soft brown sugar
2 large eggs
225g (8oz) self-raising flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 orange
175g (6oz) grated carrot
½ Tsp. vanilla essence
55g (2oz) sultanas
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190 C/
Gas 5
2. Lightly grease a square tin
(18cm/7in).
3. Line the base of the tin.
4. In a bowl mix the butter
and sugar together until
light and fluffy.
5. Beat in the eggs.
6. Add and fold in the flour,
baking powder, orange
zest and juice, grated car-
rot, vanilla and sultanas.
7. Scoop the mixture into
the tin.
8. Bake in the oven for 45-50
minutes until golden brown.
9. When it‟s ready, remove
from the oven and let the
cake cool in the tin be-
fore you take it out.
10. Carefully take it out of
the tin and when it is cold
add an orange icing.
To make orange icing
100 g butter
2 tsp. grated orange rind
2 cups icing sugar sifted
1-2 tbsp. fresh orange juice
Yellow & red food colouring
drops for orange hue (optional).
Cream the butter until light and
fluffy. Add the orange rind and
mix through. Beat in the icing
sugar gradually. Add the orange
juice. Finally, add the colouring
if desired.
Quick shortbread biscuits
by Katelyn Lai, Yr2
Makes 12
Ingredients
500g butter, softened
200g caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
500g plain flour
Method
Preheat oven to 180 C / gas
mark 4
Cream butter and sugar until
fluffy. Stir in vanilla; add flour
and mix well.
Roll out to 1cm thickness and
cut out desired shaped with bis-
cuit cutters. Bake for 10-12
minutes
The Laser/Easter Edition 2011 Page 20
Ingredients
175g/6oz light Muscavado sugar
175g/6oz butter, softened
175g/6oz self-raising flour
3 large eggs
25g/1oz ground almonds
2 tbsp. milk
100g/4oz sultanas
100g/4oz cherries, quartered,
washed and dried
100g/4oz dried apricots, snipped
into small pieces
100g/4oz stem ginger, finely
chopped
1 tsp. mixed spice
2 tsp. ground ginger
To serve
450g/1lb golden marzipan
3 tbsp. apricot jam
1 egg, beaten
To decorate
Flowers such as primroses, narcissi or
violets
Egg white
Caster sugar
Preparation
Pre-heat oven to
160C/320F/Gas 3
Grease and line the base
and sides of an 20cm/8in
deep, round cake tin with
baking parchment.
Measure all the cake ingre-
dients into a large mixing
bowl and beat well until
thoroughly blended. Place
half the mixture into the
prepared tin and level the
surface.
Take one third of the marzi-
pan and roll into a circle the
same size as the cake tin,
place the circle on top of the
cake mixture. Spoon the re-
maining mixture on top of
the marzipan and level the
surface.
Bake for about one and
three-quarter to two hours
or until golden brown and
firm in the middle. If toward
the end of cooking time the
cake is getting too brown,
loosely cover with a piece of
foil. Allow the cake to cool in
the tin before turning onto a
cooling rack.
When the cake is cool. Brush
the top with a little warmed
apricot jam. Roll out half the
remaining marzipan to the
size of the cake and sit it on
the top. Crimp the edges of
Easter’s marvellous Simnel cake
by Sydney Lai, Yr4
The Laser/Easter Edition 2011 Page 21
the marzipan and make a lat-
tice pattern in the centre of
the marzipan using a sharp
knife. Make 11 even sized
balls from the remaining
marzipan and arrange around
the edge.
Brush with beaten egg and
glaze under a hot grill for
about five minutes, turning
the cake round so it browns
evenly, so the marzipan is
tinged brown all over. You can
also do this with a blow torch
if you happen to have one
lying around the house.
To crystallize the flowers,
lightly whisk the egg white in
a bowl then carefully brush
over the flower petals.
Sprinkle over caster sugar so
the sugar sticks to the egg
white. Leave to harden in a
warm place, such as a shelf
above a radiator until dry and
firm.
Carefully remove from the
rack and arrange in the cen-
tre of the cake.
Simnel cake cont’d Garlic chilli chicken with cardamom riceGarlic chilli chicken with cardamom riceGarlic chilli chicken with cardamom rice
Cook the onion, chillies, garlic and ginger for 5 minutes in 2
tbsp oil. Add the spices and cook for 2 minutes. Add the
chicken pieces, season and cook for 5-7 minutes until they
start to colour a little. Add the tomatoes and a splash of
water. Bring to a simmer, then cover for 20 minutes. Add
the spinach and cook for another 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a large knob
of butter or 1 tbsp. oil in a
pan with a lid. Add the car-
damom pods and cook for 2
minutes, tip in the rice, add
a large pinch of salt and
cook for another minute.
Add 2 teacups of water us-
ing the same cup to measure.
Bring to the boil, turn down
to a gentle simmer and put
on the lid. Cook for 15 minutes until all the water is ab-
sorbed. Fluff up the rice and serve with the curry.
1 onion peeled & finely chopped
3 green chillies, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves
4cm piece ginger, finely grated
Sunflower oil
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. chilli powder
4 chicken thighs, cut into
chunks
80g bag spinach, roughly
chopped
Butter or oil
4 cardamom pods, squashed
1 teacup Basmati rice
Written by Bea Delap, Yr5
The Laser/Easter Edition 2011 Page 22
Greek God of War
you‟ve a strong charac-
ter and you like to have
your own way; so why
not let somebody else
have theirs this
Easter?
Chocolate may not be your
favourite thing but that‟s
not the only way to get in
to the Easter spirit. How
about you go egg-rolling
with your friends?
You‟re a great friend be-
cause around you there‟s
never a dull moment. But
being the centre of atten-
tion isn‟t everything so
pipe down and give your-
self some time to relax.
You‟re a fun–loving, chocolate-
loving, Easter-loving person. You
like to live life to the extreme and
to be the centre of attention so
how about taking life more seri-
ously (only a bit!) and giving some-
one else the spotlight?
You are very popular at the
moment and people really
enjoy your company. You
are fashionable and cool but
some are jealous so make
sure you include every body.
You adore animals especially
those with stripes. Do you like
bunnies? Why don‟t you
find out about the real
meaning of Easter? You
may find it interesting.
You love science and have just
had a great idea but try not to
bore people to death about it
over Easter break. And for a
change try to share your
Easter chocolates.
You‟re a born leader and you al-
ways know what‟s best for your
group but people often find you
bossy; so why not rest on your
laurels this Easter and let some-
one else take charge?
You are very fashion con-
scious and you adore shoes.
But style isn‟t everything so
why not stop thinking about
the way you look and think
about more important
things instead?
You are bouncy, friendly
and fun and you are a
great friend although you
like to switch around peo-
ple to play with. Why not
try to include everyone
this Easter?
You are creative, fun
and love to draw. Why
not colour in one of the
many designs in The Laser newspaper? It
will be fun.
You love animals so very much and
that is why you are thinking of
becoming a vegetarian. That may
not be everyone‟s thing but it could
be just the thing for you.
21st April—21st May 21st May—20th April 22nd May—21st June 22nd June—23rd July
23rd July—22nd Aug 23rd Aug—21st Sept 22nd Sept—22nd Oct 23rd Oct—21st Nov
22nd Nov—21st Dec 22nd Dec—20th Jan 21st Jan—19th Feb 20th Feb—20th Mar
The Laser/Easter Edition 2011 Page 23
I enjoy things that some children at
my school find uncool. I’m not sure
what to do. Help!
Let me give you the best advice I was given
when I had the same problem. Here it is.
Ready? “Who cares what anyone else thinks,
it‟s what you think that matters!”
Let‟s be honest, “cool” and “uncool” would mean noth-
ing if the people around didn‟t reinforce its meaning. I
understand it can be hard not to care about what oth-
ers think and say sometimes but always remember it
is always better to be yourself and to hang out with
the real friends who respect you and what you do and
who do not care about labelling people. These friends
will stand by you and support you in whatever you
choose to take up in life and will guide you and offer
you positive advice.
It could also be time to change those so-called
friends who think you are uncool and hang out with
more positive people. And remember to never change
who you are and what you think just to please other
people. Stay true to yourself and you‟ll be just fine.
Lastly, maybe it would do to explain to some
who you care about and want their friendship
more about the activities you do. Maybe if they
understood more about it they could join in and
share in your hobbies and interests. Sometimes
all it takes is for us to take the time to explain
things to others. You would be surprised how
people are ready to accept things once they
learn more about them.
I’m really worried about my end of
year test. What if I don’t do well?
So much time and energy are lost
worrying over things that have hap-
pened or might happen in the fu-
ture. The difference is that you can
never change the past but you can always
work on making the future the best it can
be.
In other words, instead of worrying your-
self sick, concentrate on your work, put in
the time to learn and remember what you
need to do to pass those tests. Give it your
best shot so that you won‟t regret it in the
future and I am sure that your hard work
will be rewarded.
If you feel you are struggling with the work
or there is something you do not under-
stand you can always ask for help from
teachers at school or from family members.
I am sure they will all be more than happy
to help you .
It is only normal that you be a little nerv-
ous before exams but if you are well-
prepared then on the day of the test, take
a deep breath, concentrate and you‟ll find
that you know the answers and your nerves
will calm down.
I am sure you‟ll do just great.
The Laser/Easter Edition 2011 Page 25
Maze The Easter egg needs to roll on home in time for Easter Sunday. Can you help show it the way?
by Yousef Bouran, Yr3
Easter Colouring Have a go colouring in these great designs drawn by some of the The Laser team members. They’re
great for a rainy day or to give as presents to family and friends. Have fun!
By James Thorogood, Reception
Page 27 The Laser/Easter Edition 2011
By Sophie Edwards, Yr1
Paarth Maheshwari, Yr2
The Laser/Easter Edition 2011 Page 28
Easter Colouring cont’d
Kate Chollet, Yr2
Sophie Edwards, Yr1
James Thorogood, Reception James Thorogood, Reception
SPORT Champion wrestler ‘Edge’: a profile
By Kai Ring, Yr4
Adam Joseph Copeland, also known
as „Edge‟ is a wrestler and actor.
He was born on October 30, 1973 in
Canada.
He was trained by Ron Hutchinson
and Sweet Daddy Siki.
His billed height is 6ft 5in.
He has won 31 championships in
WWE including 11 world champion-
ships.
He has five ring names: Adam
Copeland, Adam Impact, Conquista-
dor Uno, Damon Striker, Edge and
Sexton Hardcastle.
His debut was on July 1st 1992
He has a signature called „Inverted
boot‟ and his finisher is called „the
spear‟.
Copeland has appeared in the 2000
fantasy film „Highlander: Endgame ‟
and made guest appearances on tele-
vision shows, including The Weakest
Link, Deal or No Deal, and MADtv.
He is currently World Heavyweight
Champion on WWE.
We’re on the web!
www.meridian.greenwich.sch.uk
Meridian Primary School, Old Woolwich
Road, Greenwich, London, SE10 9NY
Thank you to everyone who helped make this newspaper
possible and we look forward to producing many more
issues.
Special thanks go to Rianka Kenedy & Ellen Edwards for
their help and support at Thursday‟s Newspaper Club.
Another special thanks goes to Vic Haidar for all his sup-
port with the mastheads and some of the graphics in
this issue.