BBC News School Report 2011

Friday 25 March 2011

Our weather report

See the lastest on the weather in Rainham.

Thursday 24 March 2011

Sara's Report on Downing Street

I’m excited to tell you that something extraordinary amazing has just happened to me and a lovely girl named Lucy. We have just experienced a once in a lifetime opportunity. We, Lucy and I, went to see the priminister, David Cameron in number ten Downing Street on Thursday the 17th of March!!!

Firstly, the day started in pure shock and excitement as I’d forgotten I was going to see the Prime Minister. Until I realised we were going to see the Prime Minister I thought it was just going to be a normal day at Rainham School for Girls (not that this is a bad thing), so when I did eventually remember (it didn’t take long as it is one of those things you’ll remember for ever) I started screaming and jumping up and down!!! When I eventually calmed down I got ready so quickly that I nearly forgot half my things. I was so desperate to get there, as the longer I waited the more the nerves bit at me anxiously and harshly Scared of what might happen.
Eventually we left the house and set of for the historical and wonderful London (I wish I lived in London as I would love to learn all the history buried beneath the delicate stone walls). It took about twenty minutes to arrive at Rainham train station. I waited about five, ten minutes munching away at a pack of mega Monster Munch when Lucy arrived looking scared, shocked and very, very excited .Then I sat waiting on the floor whilst Lucy sat in her dad’s nice and warm car until finally Mrs Woolley arrived and she said she had parked her car right at the end of the car park ,so it must be very busy.

I was right, when I eventually peered through the open metal doors of Rainham train station I saw it was bustling with people, so it was very hard to find a few seats of which we could all sit together, though in the end me and Lucy sat together whilst Mrs wooley sat only within a distance of two metres away.

Ten minutes later Lucy and I were still sitting down talking nervously about how we felt to have been chosen for this one of a life time experience when we suddenly heard this groaning sound and realised it was the train (at last!!!)

Yeeeeeeessssssssssss!!!! At last we are off the train, I don’t know what made me more nervous, was it when we waiting for the train or was it when we were on the train? Lucy personally feels it was when we were waiting for the train and all the walking to and from Downing Street.
I am now very nervous as we are about to meet children from all the sixteen regions around the UK just to see David Cameron. So when we finished touring London we set off to a really nice , large building of which we were to enter for a meeting with BBC news reporters and journalists .
After a very long meeting including a rehearsal with a man from Five Live who pretended to be Mr Cameron, we set off on a journey to Downing Street to have a tour of the wonderful Downing Street.

Wow, I nearly had a Heart attack as just as we were about to interview David Cameron in Downing Street he just came jumping through the door and Lucy nearly screamed. She was so surprised that after she jumped she burst out laughing and it took a while to stop her.
Oh, sadly the day is about to end I’m really going to miss everyone and I know that I will remember this day and all the wonderful people forever and forever though I am so happy Lucy got chosen to come.

Sara, BBC News School Reporter

Our roundup of the day's international events

Our report on our trip to Downing Street!

Elizabeth Taylor 1932 - 2011

This is a report about the one and only Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor, who was born in London on the 27th of February 1932. Her parents were Francis and Sara Taylor. Francis Taylor was an art dealer and Sara was a former actress and she retired in 1926 when she and Francis got married in New York. Also she has a brother called Howard Taylor who was born in 1929. She began as a child star and then carried on through her adulthood and she became known for her acting talent, glamour and beauty. Elizabeth Taylor has two sons by Michael Wilding, a daughter by Michael Todd and an adopted daughter.

She was considered one of the great on screen actresses of Hollywood golden age. Also Elizabeth Taylor was seventh on the female legend’s list in America. September 18, 1941, Universal Pictures signed Elizabeth to a six-month renewable contract at $100 a week. Universal cancelled her contract just after her tenth birthday in 1942 and in October Metro Mayer signed her to $100 a week for 3 months to appear as Priscilla in the film ‘Lassie Come Home.’ Elizabeth Taylor's first leading role was that of Velvet Brown in the film National Velvet in 1944 alongside Mickey Rooney. National Velvet was a great hit with the public and made over $4m. Attending school she received a diploma from Los Angeles University High School on January 26th in 1950, this was the same year that she had her first marriage, at the age of 18. In the ten years between 1950 and her first Academy Award, she was nominated for a number of roles including Raintree County in 1957, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 1958 with Paul Newman, Last Summer in 1959 with Katharine Hepburn. In 1963, the first $1m role for an actress was her's for the title role in the film Cleopatra. The film was for 20th Century Fox and this was when she first worked with Richard Burton her fifth and sixth husband. He played Mark Antony in the film. They began an affair during the making of the film despite both being married to others at that time. This was the main reason why some considered Elizabeth Taylor the "Scarlet Woman." Elizabeth Taylor was to win her first Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Butterfield in 1980. This film co-starred her then husband Eddie Fisher.

She had 8 marriages in her life she performed in 50 different movies and has won 2 Oscars and made a fortune of £360 million.

Elizabeth Taylor has been in many films but here are two films that she performed in. Her first ever film was called’ Lassie Came Home’ in 1943 and her last ever film was in 2001 and was called The Flintstones.

The famous Elizabeth Taylor tragically died yesterday which was the 23rd of March I 2011 she was 79. She died at Los Angeles, California, at the local Hospital Cadars Sinair Medical centre, from heart failure .Her children Michael wilding, Christopher Wilding, Lisa Todd and Maria urton was around her when she passed away.

Her son Michael Wilding speaks words about his mother and says: "My mother was an extraordinary woman, who lived life to the fullest, with great passion, humour, and love. Though her loss is devastating to those of us who held her so close and so dear. We will always be inspired by her enduring contribution to our world."

By News Reporters
Emily, Erin, Rosie and Courtney