A Star Is Born At The Green School

Local school presented with their own star

There's more than a twinkle in the eye of students from The Green School for Girls this week – they've been presented with a star of their own.   A gift of the British Council in Mauritius, the star, called ‘The Green School', is more than 2,500 light years away in the constellation of Cygnus.

For students at the school it is a perfect tie in to the two year Flinders-Baudin project, which ties the school with three other schools in Australia, France and Mauritius.   The project kicked off with a week of planning and preparation in Mauritius, attended by HRH The Earl of Wessex, in November 2004.

Bob Usher, Head of IT at The Green School and leading the Flinders-Baudin project, said that the gift of star was causing excitement at the school.

“Being given a star brings a new dimension to the project and we're very excited about this new development.   Stars have been central to the project because of their historical influence on navigation, and now we have one of our own to study.”

The Flinders-Baudin project examines the adventures of the English navigator Matthew Flinders and French Explorer Nicholas Baudin. The two great historical figures first met when charting the waters around the coast of Australia at a time when their countries were at war with each other. Their encounter on Mauritius, where they met for the first time, has endured as a model of international co-operation at a time when both their respective countries were at war.

The Isleworth students are planning to collaborate with their Australian, French and Mauritian colleagues using the internet and hope to visit Mauritius later this year.

March 6, 2004