Skype's the limit for primary pupils (From Watford Observer)

Skype's the limit for primary pupils at St Hilda's Preparatory School in Bushey

2:43pm Monday 6th February 2012 in News By Chris Hewett

International relations blossomed between a Bushey primary school and its American counterpart last week with the magic of the World Wide Web.

Pupils from St Hilda’s Preparatory School for girls, in High Street, used internet software Skype to hold a video call with young students in Vermont, in northern USA.

The face-to-face chat, held through education initiative E-pals, came after the girls, aged nine and ten, wrote to their friends across the pond to find out about life in their small town.

Headteacher at St Hilda’s Tracy Handford explained how the interaction enabled the pupils to learn more about each other’s day-to-day lives.

She said: “They were very excited – they all really enjoyed it. What most struck them were the visual differences, they have no school uniform for example and out of their classroom window were huge snow drifts.”

Having previously written and emailed schools in countries including South Korea and Italy, the online conversation with Sutton School was a first for St Hilda’s.

The schools will keep in contact by letter and email for the rest of the academic year and hope to hold more Skype conversations in the near future.

Ms Handford added: “It is great for the girls as they are developing so many skills – literacy, planning, team work.

“This is a unique opportunity for students these days and we want to give them the chance to make the most of it.”