Project HappyChild NEWS

4th September 2003

[for ongoing updates, see Latest Site News]

Hi there! And a huge welcome to all our new subscribers over the summer. Things have been amazingly busy here over the weeks since our last Newsletter; thanks go to everyone who's written in :) traffic has been off the graph (and still increasing!) but all round it has been a very productive period.

Firstly, the Sounds Database - we're delighted to say that the setting work is now completed for the AH database and we're expecting to receive the 1700+ AH worksheets from Mario in New Zealand any day now :)

In the meantime (after many e-mails from visitors!) we've expanded the Sounds Database to include two new, additional, pages for each main sound group: "FIVES" where all words in the database are set to print five-to-a-line (portrait on A4), and the "WALL OF WORDS" which will print *landscape* on A4, showing all the different sub-group words on the database, for easy visual reference [so it's easier to select individual words and/or word groups].

The WALL OF WORDS for the AH database is now on line here - and the AH-sounds "FIVES" page is on line here. We'll update the News page as soon as the 1700 new AH worksheets are ready to upload :)

Thanks to all visitors for their patience! We know how much interest there is in these new resources. Achieving these in html takes an inordinate amount of time :) but we're planning to create them for all 16 sound groups. Revised schedule for all 16 on line [and the full 12,000 free worksheets including those for translation] is now approximately Christmas 2003 :)

THE MARS PHENOMENON: Many of you will have seen the extraordinary sight of Mars in the night sky - last week it was the closest to Earth in recorded history. It's scheduled to be visible from many areas for another few weeks yet - wherever you are, don't miss this :) especially if you can get access to a telescope.

See the News page (18th August) for details of how to get a free [instant] on-line map of the night sky local to *you*.

THE CHILDREN OF PALESTINE: We're receiving regular updates from Jenny Gaiawyn, in Palestine. We can't re-publish here everything she writes, but for a brief quote: "Where is the truth of what is happening here in Palestine? how can the mass media turn a blind eye and print whatever they are told without looking for the truth?"

If you're in the media and you would like to know what is *really* happening, from someone who is actually there, e-mail Jenny - jenpalestine (at) yahoo.ie - and ask to be added to her mailing list. See News page entry 3rd July for more details. Project Hope also now has a website, at http://www.palhope.org.

SOBIG-F VIRUS: This virus/worm seems to have made its impact felt :) and we're still receiving shedloads of affected mail, as are many people. Advice from Sophos can be found here and Symantec's page (with removal instructions) is here.

WILL YOU HELP CHARLIE YELLOW?: Click here or see the updated letter from Charlie's granddad in the Guestbook - the hospital in Minnesota has kindly reduced its fees to allow this operation to go ahead as soon as possible. Any donations from *anywhere* will be very much appreciated, to allow Charlie's family to cover all the associated costs.

ANDY'S GUIDE TO POKÉMON: We're delighted to say the new cheats, tips, shortcuts, questions and comments have now started to go on line - see the main Index to Cheats, Tips and Shortcuts. Long task ahead! - but thanks for all the related e-mails, which are still coming in via every mail download :)

CHILDREN IN IRAQ: Our thanks to the Croydon Advertiser (and Trinity Mirror) for permission to reprint text from the article "Exiled Shanaz returns to her Baghdad roots" (which originally appeared on the icCroydon website) on our Latest News page. See News entry 30th July for more details - *no* money has got through to this organization helping the kids of Iraq and they can do a lot more with even limited funds than many "outside organizations" that don't have the active support of the local Iraqi people. Please help if you can :)

HARRY POTTER: For the time being, there's a temporary preview of the new areas at Harry Potter here - many parts still under construction but you should still be able to find your way around :) This whole area is in transition just now - many pages have changed addresses but the format won't be finalised until we get chance to integrate the remainder of the already-set information. Take a look at the new Harry Potter, Locations Book 1 and Book 1 Chapter 4 pages for some idea of how everything will fit together in due course :)

Project HappyChild DIRECTORY: We're delighted to say we have now been able to add a direct e-mail address and website link for Family Service Units, who support children and communities in deprived inner city areas. The write-up of 8th July on our News page may be of interest to parents of teenagers :)

"Pathways to Peace" SYMPOSIUM [Australia]: Our thanks to Ann Mason for sending in details of the Peace Symposium at Griffith University in Brisbane on 27th/28th September 2003. Ann herself is presenting peace-building workshops, and the many speakers at the Symposium are said to include Singapore's "Mother Teresa" [aged 105] and peace educator Professor Toh Swee-Hin, winner of the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education 2000.

A late addition to the PS site now states: "An additional workshop has been planned for Saturday 2.00 - 5.30 pm. Professor Ross Homel & Dr Kate Freiberg from Griffith University, and Cherie Lamb from Mission Australia will explain the background and implementation of the "Pathways to Prevention Project" a community-based early intervention program aimed at preventing violence by supporting families in promoting children's development."

And finally ..... GONDAR LINK: Our thanks to Chris Grant for updating us on this extraordinary project at Dr. Challoner's Grammar School - see their latest newsletter for more details. They are now actively seeking to persuade other schools in Buckinghamshire to become involved in links with schools in Gondar [Ethiopia] so if you'd like to know more, e-mail Chris via the link bottom left of their page.

Well, that's it for this newsletter! A very mixed bag this time - we're still snowed under with the pagebuilding so it might be a while before things go back to normal here :) Much appreciate everyone's support for the site (and the endless publicity via links from other websites). If any of you are able to help one or other of the appeals featured in this newsletter, this would be really valued :) Even tiny donations (say Ł5 or $5) can make a real difference if enough people send *something*.

Best regards,

Penny.

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