Newspaper article: “Olympic and Paraolympic values”

This year the Olympic and Paraolympic games will be held in London, England. Therefore, we are talking, learning and doing different projects about them in class. We think it is excellent to celebrate the Olympics and Paraolympic games together because like that everyone may participate and the olympic message is clear.

The games mean a lot to all of us, those who participate and those who don’t, because we learn from watching them. The most important message is to respect each other and yourself doing your best, with courage and inspiration, knowing that you may not win but you have given your best in a fair way.

An Olympic sportsman, Alejandro Foglia, visited our school and told us about his experience in the games and what they mean for him. We loved his visit and we learned from what he told us.

After we discussed the games’ values in class, each of us also wrote what they mean for us with our families, for homework. Here you have our reflections:

- “I think they show you many important things like: not to cheat, to do your best and not to say I can’t do that. To be respectful, work hard and not be lazy

because if you stay in your bed all day long you are not doing your best. “ S. M.

- “To respect” J. M.

-“For me, the olympics and paraolympics sportsmen are people who try to do their best like respecting, with fair play and knowing their own limits. Like the people who sail, if they put a motor on their boat, they are not respecting the others and themselves, they are cheating. And if those who don’t have special

needs compete with those who have, it wouldn’t be fair also for the people who have special needs and try to do their best and win.” L.S.

- “For me the Olympics are a party where everyone who practices sport in the world participates. This year they are in London, in England and some sports that we watch on T.V. are: football, tennis, swimming, cycling.” F. R.

- “Both games mean: effort, leadership, competition, desire, dreams.” J.C.

- “Not hurting others, not pushing others when they go first, not hurting others when the others do things badly, not to do the same as others because when you do the same that others you will feel bad.” R. C.

- “The values are more important than only winning.” I.E.

- “For me the olympic and paraolympic values meant to learn to share and to do your best and not to say that I am going to loose.” J.A.

- “People from all the world will go to London. There are no wars. It is

more important to play than to win. Sport is more important than wars.” M.T.

- “Fair play, respect the rules of the game, make friends, practice every day.” L.K.

- “That everyone can participate even the ones who may have special needs. It doesn’t matter if you loose or win, but to do your best and to have fun. We have to take care of our body but it doesn’t mean that you have to do more than you can.” C.S.

- “Respect between the competitors and that helps to have a fair play. The Paralympics games show people that it is important to always try the best of you. The competitors have special needs but compete and do the best that they can. The Olympic games also mean hard work because you are representing your country and want your country to be proud.” S. S.- “Share with colleagues.” M. B.

- “I think the values are good. I like fair play because I like to play altogether. I like equality because we are all the same. I like respect because I want to respect people. I like courage because I

want people to be brave.” J. P.

- “The games are a moment where sport players play with others doing their best.” S. V.

- “I think sports are about doing my best and not doing something that I don’t need to do. We need to have courage.” V. P.

- “I think they show us that we have to respect others.” M.C.

- “For me the Paralympic games are very important because they are a very big opportunity for people that have special needs.” E.S.

- “In the games you have to respect others, take part and play fairly.” A. G.

- “The games show us that we have to be respectful with others, learn to share, equality, learn to help each other, treat people with special needs equally, and it gives the athletes the possibility of being recognized for what they do.” P.M.

Finally, we think that the Olympic and Paralympic games show us that we are all different and that we are all alike.

Form III BlueSaint George’s

SchoolMontevideo

UruguaySouth America