17
special report
SUNDAY MAIL • May 17, 2015
School’sout
Take them to the trees
With a long, hot summer
ahead give yourself and
the kids a break with a
trip to the island’s first
high rope course says
Alix Norman
W
hen I arrive, the
Sparti Rope Park
is still a work in
progress.
Walls,
walkways and wells remain
under construction, concrete
drying in the early morning heat; labourers shovel
mountains of sand from one
spot to another; the facilities
are up – but not necessarily
running. But none of that
seems to matter because,
half-hidden amongst the
trees, I can clearly see the
one thing that appears to be
fully operational. And that’s
the most important bit of
all. The high ropes course.
Soaring overhead and –
as I see when I take a walk
amongst the fragrant pines disappearing into the trees,
the high ropes course is everything any child (or even
adult) could hope for. Poles
and platforms, bridges and
cables, tunnels and ladders
lace through the branches
high above my head, as far
as the eye can see. There
must be simply kilometres
of course out there, nestled
in the canopy, just waiting
to show potential Tarzans
the time of their lives...
“We had hoped to have it
open by May 1,” says Elena
avid athletes (Elena is a
teacher who hails from Russia, her husband a local architect by trade but a lover
of all things sport), and have
poured their hearts and
souls into a venture which,
they believe, is perfect for
the island: “I feel we’re in the
Everywhere you go, you see
kids zooming round at top
speed, calling ‘Come on Dad!
You can do it!’
Themistocleous who, along
with her husband Themis,
is the initiator, founder and
owner of the Sparti Rope
Park. The couple are both
right place, doing the right
thing, and we’re happy.”
Three long years (and
some) in the making, the
park piggybacks on the
mushrooming trend of treetop nature walks. From England’s Go Ape to America’s
Jungle Quest, taking to the
trees has never been so popular. Especially, adds Elena,
with children. “Children love
it,” she says, mentioning
the many similar establish-
ments she’s visited all over
the world. “Just mention
the word ‘rope’ and they’re
off! Everywhere you go, you
see kids zooming round at
top speed, calling ‘Come
on Dad! You can do it!’ For
them, it’s so easy, so natural
to be up amongst the trees;
they have a freedom we tend
to lose as we get older.”
Elena herself first tried
High Ropes in Kirchenburg,
Austria. And although she’s
now singularly adept, she
admits that for a beginner,
this pastime’s no breeze. “I
remember my first time,”
she laughs. “It was so difficult! But you learn very
quickly, and once you have
the technique it becomes
easy. And you feel such freedom, such peace,” she adds.
“People love the high ropes
because it’s more than just a
physical activity, it’s a spiritual exercise that challenges
your mind, helps you resolve
your problems and teaches
you to be brave. Plus it’s
good for the soul.”
Eager to try this professed
panacea for myself, I propose a quick run through the
treetops – less of a leisurely
stroll and more of a brisk
walk, I suggest, due to time
constraints. But it turns
out that if there’s one thing
that’s taken very seriously
here, it’s safety. So first I’m
going to need 30 minutes or
so of training.
“There’s nothing more important than safety,” says
Elena, introducing me to
various instructors. “Staff
training lasts for two weeks,
eight hours a day, and they
all have to pass the full certification before they can
work on the course. And
both the equipment and the
course itself have to fulfil all
the European criteria” – in-
TURN TO PAGE 22
18
School’sout
SUNDAY MAIL • May 17, 2015
Little Gems Summer School has FUN at
its core and LEARNING as its format
WITH Fun at its core and
Learning as its format, children from 2 to 6 years old are
guaranteed to be challenged
and active with Little Gems
exciting and varied summer
school programmes.
Little Gems Montessori, Nicosia will be exploring themes
such as: ‘Islands’, ‘Danger
Rangers’, ‘Sports’, ‘Continental Cooking’ and ‘Ikebana’!
Stimulating themes that include investigations, arts &
crafts, and cooking. Every
week includes a Picnic in the
Park and Water Play & Paddling Pool, as well as, surprise
extra curricular exciting programmes!
The summer school in Nicosia is held for five weeks; June
29 to July 31, from 8am – 1pm.
Little Gems Montessori,
Larnaca will be holding a
4-week summer school starting from June 22 to July 18,
8am–1pm. All little gems in
Larnaca will be exploring
with themes such as: ‘Musical Instruments’, ‘Under the
sea’, ‘All About Me’, and ‘The
Senses’! They will be ‘Paddling, Splishing & Splashing’
on a daily basis, explore with
‘Sand & Water Play’ among
other things! And, every
Friday the popular ‘Boogie
Boppers’ will be visiting the
children with their dance &
yoga classes where we will get
moving, bopping and popping
For further information
please call: 22 351319 or
999 50070 or 96 557661.
Email:
littlegemsmontessori@
gmail.com.
Website: www.
littlegemsmontessori.
com
to fun and energetic dance
classes to all the latest hits
with junior yoga!
A daily breakfast snack is
provided for all children, as
well as, refreshments.
If you are looking for a summer school that delivers productive days full of fun and
learning then Little Gems
Montessori Nursery is for your
child!
Little Gems Montessori
Nursery is a genuine Montessori setting – the first ever accredited Montessori school
in Cyprus. It seeks to provide
a loving, caring and stimu-
lating environment in which
children may learn, grow and
develop under the guidance
of caring teachers, other
parents and their peers, following the Montessori philosophy and method. An
environment where children
will flourish, build independence and grow in confidence
in a family atmosphere.
Summer school registration
is available on a weekly basis,
which means that you may
register your child or children
for as many, or few, weeks as
you like. Breakfast and snack
are included. Little Gems
Montessori Nursery follows
the ‘first come first served’
policy.
Little Gems, Larnaca, is also
offering a stimulating summer filled with learning for
big gems in July! Montessori
Teacher Trainer and owner of
Little Gems Montessori Nursery, Carola Lång-Howard,
works closely with Montessori Centre International (MCI)
London, and promotes their
teacher training courses. After
a successful launch hosting of
MCI’s Montessori Apparatus
Workshop last summer, Little Gems is very proud to announce the running of its second international workshop
in Larnaca, July 20-31. The
Apparatus Workshop aims
to further your understanding and curiosity of the power
of the Montessori Approach,
and to trigger and create enthusiasm in making learning
an enjoyable and exciting
experience. The workshop is
aimed towards MCI students,
and is beneficial to teachers,
early years educators, parents
and caregivers working with
young children. The work-
shop is also a great booster
for Montessorians who wish
to refresh their knowledge of
the use and purpose of the
materials.
Summer School
THROUGHOUT
JULY
with qualified teaching staff
From 29th June - 24th July
NICOSIA &
LARNACA
Activities will include:
Swimming, football, tennis, art, animation,
dance and drama, music, ICT,
local excursions, Little Kickers
,
horse riding at Lapatsa
and more!
A vibrant and
active learning
Summer School,
for children from
2 to 6 years old.
Times Starts at 8.00am and finishes at 1.00pm
Optional Lunch Club until 2.00pm
Age Groups From 2 years old up to 12+ years old
Venue Highgate School, 5 Irinikou Street,
Ayioi Trimithias 2671 (bordering Anthoupolis), Nicosia
www.littlegemsmontessori.com
[email protected]
For directions view ROAD TO HIGHGATE on www.youtube.com
999 500 70 and 96 557 661
Accredited by Montessori Evaluation and Accreditation Board, UK
Licensed by the Ministry of Education and Culture
Email: [email protected]
www.highgateschool.ac.cy
19
School’sout
May 17, 2015 • SUNDAY MAIL
TLC Summer School
gets bigger and
better for 2015!
TLC Summer School brings
together young people from a
range of cultures through a wide
range of fun, engaging, age appropriate activities and sports.
Children will build self-esteem,
social skills and self-confidence
through the help of experienced
English speaking staff. Dedicated
English lessons are also available.
A range of activities is on offer
for children between the ages of
four and 15 from 9am until 1pm
each day from June 29 until July
31 with extended time for those
having dedicated English lessons.
TLC Private School has been
operating for 5 years, providing
children from three to 18 with
an English education to IGCSE,
GCSE and A level. The Summer
School Programme has been
operating for 3 years, with
increasing numbers returning
each year.
And it has been well received. “I
really enjoy coming to TLC Summer School because we do lots of
fun things like art and sport and
I enjoy making new friends,” one
student said. “My child
thoroughly enjoyed TLC’s Summer School and will certainly be
back for more!” added a parent.
The school is licensed by the
Ministry of Education and
Culture and the Summer School
provision approved by Social
Welfare, ensuring quality of
provision, safety and security of
the children. The setting is safe,
picturesque and second to none,
adjacent to the Akamas and a
short distance from Ayios
Georgios fishing harbour and
beach.
In addition to its main school
activities and the Summer
School, TLC also offers teaching
and support in most subjects as
well as for English and
Pancyprian exams through TLC
Private Institute. Also, year
round English lessons are
available at very reasonable
prices, to groups as well as individuals, and these continue
throughout the summer school.
These lessons, from this summer,
work towards internationally
recognised awards, from as
young as nine years.
The TLC Summer School price
is extremely competitive, with
discounts for multiple weeks.
The children work with qualified
staff in a school where they have
access to sports and art
facilities, a science lab and air
conditioned rooms.
Refreshments are available at an
extra cost in the school’s canteen
area.
Monday 29th June until Friday 31st July
Join us for 5 weeks of Fun, Action and Education
Our summer programme includes:
• English Language
• Greek Language
• Educational Games & Creative Play
• Music & Dance
• Sport
• Swimming lessons and Pool games
• Karate
• Computing is fun!
• Arts & Crafts
• Fun Maths and Mad Science
....and much much more
Mini Bus transport available and TLC has its own swimming pool,
spacious sports ground and full size football pitch
TLC - 193 St Georges Road, Peyia, 8560 Paphos
Tel. (00357) 26910226 Mobile. (00357) 96349273
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.tlccyprus.com
The Learning Centre (TLC) Peyia Ltd : Registrar of Companies Cyprus no 269311
Throughout the Summer
School, administration staff are
on hand to deal with enquiries for
school places and to support the
operation of the summer School.
English language is at the heart
of TLC’s Summer School and by
popular request the development
of spoken and written English for
‘English as a Second Language’
students has been given an even
higher priority with lessons built
into the programme as well as
later in the day if required.
Places are limited so book early
by calling 26 910226 or email
[email protected]. Information
is also available, with an application form, on www.tlccyprus.com.
Click ‘Holiday Programmes’ and
select ‘Summer School’. Return
transport is available from most
areas of the Paphos region at a
small extra cost.
20
School’sout
SUNDAY MAIL • May 17, 2015
Popular summer
school is back again
at The International
School of Paphos
THE International School of Paphos
will, again, be holding its popular
Summer School this year for children
aged 4 to 16. There will be an Infant
Programme (ages 4-5), Primary Programme (ages 6-12) and a Secondary
Programme (ages 13-16). The Summer
School is led by well-qualified staff who
provide a safe and secure environment
in which students can experience a
wide range of learning activities. Some
members of the team are also trained
in First Aid.
The school has outstanding facilities for sport that include a swimming
pool, a well-equipped Sports Hall and
a wide range of indoor and outdoor
courts and pitches so that staff can
offer football, basketball, team games
and swimming.
Central to the aims of the ISOP Summer School is the provision of opportunities for students of all cultures and
backgrounds to work in harmony together and make new friends. Tuition
is in English so students, for whom
English is not the first language, will
have the chance to learn vocabulary
and practice their skills with others.
The staff ensure that the message
‘learning is fun’ is key to the success of
the programme. The Summer School
is about enabling students to enjoy an
exciting and stimulating programme
and to learn to work and play together.
Summer School also provides a valuable opportunity for children who
may be considering joining the school
to gain first-hand knowledge of the
school, its staff and facilities.
The school is very happy to welcome
back students who have attended the
Summer School for several years, often coming from as far afield as Russia and Europe and extend a warm
welcome to those joining for the first
time.
The International School of Paphos is
a fully recognised private school which
ranges from Kindergarten to A-Level.
Its curriculum, while modelled on the
English National Curriculum, is specially enhanced to suit the needs of the
Cypriot community as well as those of
its multicultural student intake. Its
facilities include fully air-conditioned
and centrally heated classrooms, four
science and three computer labs, interactive whiteboards in several rooms
and outstanding sports facilities including an Astroturf football pitch,
tennis and basketball court as well
as a heated indoor swimming pool, an
indoor gym and performance centre.
The playgrounds are enhanced with
artificial grass and coloured, stamped
concrete surfaces lending a friendly,
park-like appearance to the school’s
spacious campus.
Fun and
varied
programme
at Heritage
Summer
School!
THE well-established and
always very popular Heritage Summer School for 2 to
18 year olds will take place
from Monday June 22 to
Friday July 24 from 8am to
1:20pm every weekday.
The school is set in a stunning and easily-accessible
location in the hills along
the main Limassol to Troodos road, and its extensive
facilities include fully airconditioned classrooms and
cafeteria, a state-of-theart multifunction hall for
indoor sports, drama and
dance, and a stadium area
including a FIFA Star 1 fullsize football pitch, basketball, volleyball and tennis
courts, cricket practice nets
and running tracks.
The educationally stimulating, fun and varied programme includes English,
Foreign Languages, Mathematics, Science, Computers, Art, Music, Dance,
Drama, Sports, Games,
Day Trips – and a fantastic
opportunity to make new
friends! The €110 per week
fee includes all excursions.
You do not need to be an
existing Heritage student
to join Summer School,
so everyone is welcome
to share in this valuable
and rewarding experience
over the summer holidays.
Flexibility allows attendance for anywhere between
one and five weeks, and for
convenience there is also an
optional daily bus service
organised by the school,
which serves various Limassol locations.
For children who would
additionally benefit from
intensive one-to-one or
small group teaching in
specific subjects, to enrich
and extend learning, and
to help prepare for the new
school year in September,
targeted academic lessons
in English, Mathematics,
Science, Languages, ICT
and other subjects are offered at an extra fee.
In the Heritage Summer
School your children will
remain in safe, professional
care throughout, as it is run
entirely by the school’s own
qualified and highly-experienced permanent staff.
With everything it has to
offer, the Heritage Summer
School is THE choice in
Limassol.
Registration is now also
open at this thriving, topquality and award-winning
UK curriculum school for
the 2015/16 academic year.
21
May 17, 2015 • SUNDAY MAIL
School’sout
Have action packed
summer at American
Academy Nicosia
Who we are…
The American Academy
Nicosia is a private English
Language school located
in the heart of Nicosia.
The Academy provides
Pre-School, Primary and
Secondary level education
following the British Curriculum. The school operates as a non-for-profit business, ensuring maximum
investment in educational
development together with
attractive levels of school
fees.
The Mission…
The American Academy Nicosia is dedicated to providing high quality education
for each student. It remains
committed to supporting
each family through careful
and considerate pricing and
effective partnership. Its
success is measured in continuing to see its students
grow in excellence, knowledge and wisdom, becoming citizens with high values
of honour and respect for
themselves, for others and
for the world around them.
Summer Activities
Programme…
The Academy has prepared another fun packed
Summer Activities Programme designed to
provide a stimulating
and purposeful holiday
programme for children
aged three to 13 running
from June 22 until July 31.
This year’s programme,
once again includes a
wide range of activities.
For young people wanting
to develop their creative gifts Arts & Crafts,
Creative Workshops, Kitty
Katz drama Workshop,
Music Workshop and
indoor Cooking and Baking are included. Sports
and adventure activities
this year include Soccer,
Basketball, Volleyball
and Badminton, Hip Hop
Dance, Zumba and Olympic Gymnastics, Archery,
Indoor Rock Climbing,
Park Adventures and
Treasure Hunts. There
are also Swimming Lessons, Water Polo and Pool
Games for those who enjoy water sports. A range
of activities is included to
develop innovation and
skills in technology. These
include indoor games,
board games, Master Kids
Workshops, Educational
Robotics, Computer Gaming, Brain Games and 3D
Scale Modelling.
The school opens at 7:30am
to provide supervision until
8am when the programme
of activities begins. When
activities are concluded at
1pm, further supervision is
in place until 2:30pm. The
programme is led by well
qualified staff and instructors, fluent in both English
and Greek, providing a safe
and caring environment for
the children.
Extended Day
Programme…
The Academy has introduced its Extended Day
Programme for working
parents/guardians who
appreciate further care
for their children until
later in the afternoon. This
programme is designed to
offer a range of stimulating and creative learning
opportunities for children.
This service is provided
during the school year for
Academy students but also
runs during the Summer
Activities Programme
for all participants. The
Extended Day Programme
provides supervised care
until 5:40pm. Taking part
in the Extended Day Programme will help children
to think creatively, explore
and investigate, improve
their reading, writing and
math skills, solve problems
and share learning with
others through play.
Good value…
At the American Academy Nicosia all fees are
set carefully to make its
Registration is now open.
The limited places will be
provided on a first come
first served basis. Contact
22 664266 or info@aan.
ac.cy. www.facebook.com/
AmericanAcademyNicosia
high quality education
and caring environment
accessible to students from
all walks of life, helping to
ensure that every child becomes fully educated and
equipped for the modern
world. The Summer Activities Programme offers sibling discounts and package
discounts for groups.
22
May 17, 2015 • SUNDAY MAIL
School’sout
Seeing and believing: virtual reality set to conquer living rooms
By Abhirup Roy and Arathy S Nair
IT sounded so promising.
where
Anyone, anywhere
would be able to strap
n their
on a headset in
d be
living room and
nce
able to experience
re
events anywhere
in the world - or
outside of it - as if
ly
they were really
there.
y
Virtual reality
gy
(VR) technology
was long seen as the
next big thing. But
ways
real reality always
seemed to get in
the way.
For years, it
was the costly
and bulky
equipment,
more recently, the sparse investment in software because of a
lack of consumer-ready
headgear.
Now, that could change.
Oculus, the VR business bought for $2
billion by Facebook
last year, said this week
it would start shipping a
consumer version of its
Rift headset in early 2016,
raising hopes that investment in VR software will
ﬁnally take off.
“I have been waiting for
virtual reality
since I was a
little boy 30
years ago,”
said Ben
Schachter,
an
Coming
soon: the
Oculus Rift
analyst at Macquarie Securities
in New York.
“Our view is that things are
radically different this time.”
About 2.7 million VR headsets,
including versions aimed at app
and content developers, could be
sold in 2015, according to technology consultancy KZero.
With the launch of more consumer-friendly versions, total VR
sales are expected to jump to 39
million in 2018, helping software
companies alone rake in $4.6
billion - up from a projected $129
million this year.
“We believe that many very
deep-pocketed companies will
be in this space soon,” Schachter
said.
Sony Corp and Taiwan’s HTC
Corp are among the big hardware makers planning to launch
consumer headsets - HTC by the
end of 2015 and Sony next year.
Oculus partnered with Samsung Electronics Co Ltd to build
the developer version of the
South Korean company’s mobile
VR headset, Gear VR Innovator
Edition, which was released in
the United States in December.
Samsung is expected to release
a consumer-version Gear VR by
the end of the year.
“This is the right time for
early stage investors,” said Mike
Rothenberg, founder and CEO
of Rothenberg Ventures, a San
Francisco venture capital ﬁrm
that has invested in VR startups.
Santa Barbara, Californiabased WorldViz plans to release
a number of VR software apps,
which can be used in industries
such as oil and gas, aerospace,
education, and entertainment
this year, and expects revenue to
double, founder and President
Peter Schlueer said.
Gaming and entertainment
apps are expected to drive initial
uptake of VR hardware.
But the advent of user-friendly
and low-cost gear will also spur
adoption by educational institutions, the military and industry.
Ford Motor Co, for instance,
uses VR headsets to help test car
designs.
Oculus has not disclosed pricing for the consumer Rift. Cofounder Nate Mitchell has said
it will be “affordable” but pricier
than the Gear VR, which costs
around $200.
“At the end of the day, content
is going to be the most important
piece, because if that doesn’t
work, it doesn’t matter what type
of hardware device you have,”
EON Reality Chief Executive
Mats Johansson said.
Mary Spio, president of Next
Galaxy Corp, a Miami Beach
company whose Netﬂix-like
platform delivers VR content,
said software makers have been
waiting for proof of success of
the hardware.
“I think we are going to see a
slow build up of content and then
we will start to see an avalanche
of content maybe a few months
after the Oculus (Rift) hits,” Spio
said.
“I think that 2016 really is going
to be when we see that inﬂection,
the true transition for virtual
reality.”
Take them on a tree
ee top climb
continued from page 17
environmental and ecological considerations – “which
is an ongoing process.”
Trussed up like the proverbial, and now with a sound
basic knowledge of how it all
works, I’m led up a ladder to
the beginner’s line, clipped
(doubly, for extra safety) to
the shoulder-high lines, and
encouraged to follow in Elena’s wake as she trips nimbly out into thin air...
Hanging high up in the
canopy is, I discover a short
while later, rather peaceful. There’s a certain heady
challenge in climbing round
amongst
the
branches,
breathing in the pine-fresh
air; an almost magical feeling of returning to one’s primordial roots. That is, until
I realise it’s not all gazing
rapt at the scenery and revelling in a novel point of view
– there’s a great deal of work
involved. Choosing to muscle one’s way around this
arboreal landscape is clearly
not an arbitrary decision;
there’s no room for changing of the mind mid-walk!
Toe, foot, ankle, thigh and
glute muscles are all working overtime. Not to mention the biceps, triceps and
quads!
Shakily, I make it to the
ﬁrst platform and take a
huge breath (which is, ad-
mittedly, good for my soul).
I can see exactly why kids
would love this – they’d be
bouncing fearlessly from tree
to tree while the adults - like
me - were still grasping the
nearest pole and bewailing
their lumbering progress.
“Usually it takes about
two hours to do the whole
course,” says Elena as I dis-
embark. “Experts might
take longer, because they repeat lines they particularly
enjoyed.” Each ticket, she
adds, covers three hours in
total, allowing time off for
coffee and sandwiches in the
soon-to-be-working café, or
even a bit of creature comfort in the proposed minizoo. Along with the kids’
rope course (which has been
built) there will be a playpark (which hasn’t) for the
tiny tots, and an extra-long
zipline (in progress) over
the river. And it will all add
up, says Elena, to a great
day out for the whole family.
Well, the adventurous members of said clan, anyway!
“Platres is a wonderful
area, with a great atmosphere; I think we’re providing something very beneﬁcial to the community, and
to our visitors,” she says,
as I take my leave. “I hope,
when people leave the Park,
they feel reborn. Tired, but
happy.” And as I shake out
my muscles and prepare for
the drive back to the plains,
I can see her point. An adventurous getaway may be
just what the whole family
needs this summer.
Sparti Rope Park
In Platres will open towards the end of May, and will
open daily from 10 am to 6pm. Tickets cost from €14 for
the children’s line, to €25 for all ﬁve main lines. Family
discounts are available. For more information call Elena
Themistocleous on 99 541 665, or visit the Facebook page
‘Platres Rope Park Sparti’