J Coley and J Donoghue – Head Students

27^th January marks the day that Auschwitz, the largest Nazi death camp, was liberated in 1945. On this day, annually, we as a community come together to learn about those who fell victim to the Nazi persecution and take action to create a safer future, preventing mass genocide.

Why is it important?

Remembering, discussing and learning about the Holocaust is important to raise awareness about contemporary forms of antisemitism, xenophobia and hatred. It mirrors the danger of prejudice and extremist movements, whilst helping to promote human rights. Being able to tackle this can help to build societies more resilient to varying forms of extremism.

What happened during the holocaust?

Many of us know the history of the Holocaust, where approximately 6 million Jews and at least 5 million prisoners of war, Romany, Jehovah’s Witness, homosexuals and many other victims were persecuted. However, to deepen our understanding it is important to look at stories of individuals who survived this genocide.

David Bayer was Born on September 7^th, 1922, in Kozienice Poland. David was part of the Manes family, who owned a successful shoe factory in Poland. On September 9th the Nazis captured Poland, but David and his family hid in forests, where they successfully avoided them. When the family returned, they found their possessions were destroyed, including their Passover dishes (which is a Jewish festival that celebrates the liberation of slaves in Egypt). Furthermore, when the Nazis seized Polish Jewish businesses, David was forced into the Kozienice ghetto, where he worked as a houseboy and a translator for gestapo policy in 1942.  After this he was then sent to the Treblinka Killing Centre, where the rest of his family were killed – however David was smuggled back to Kozienice to clean up the rest of Ghetto. He was then sent to one of the largest concentration camps (with a death toll of an estimated 1.1 million), Auschwitz Birkenau, to work in the highly dangerous Jaworzno Coal mines. In January 1945, he escaped into a forest near the sub camp of Blechhammer, and was found by Soviet Soldiers, weighing just 70lbs at the age of 23.

This is one of few examples of people who survived during the Holocaust and emphasises the extreme persecutions that these groups were subjected to. To find out more information regarding the Holocaust Memorial Day, click the links below:

https://www.ushmm.org/remember/holocaust-survivors/volunteers/david-bayer

https://www.hmd.org.uk/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/z49mrj6

I Caley Deputy Head Student

It is coming to the point when Year 12 should start looking for work experience, in preparation for work experience week in July (as it is best to get in earlier rather than later!).  You can use this time to try out new environments to see what type of degree, apprenticeship or workplace you wish to pursue.  It is also a good opportunity to gain super-curricular information and transferrable skills to place on your personal statement or for CV.

A good place to start for work experience is online, such as websites with a large range of opportunities like Springpod, Forage and Speakers for Schools, as well as other super-curricular ideas such a MOOC courses. You can also find very specific online work experiences, such as the ObserveGP program which was set up by the RCGP. The best part about virtual work experience is that this can be done during the school term, such as on the weekends, and most do not have a deadline so you can complete it in your own time.

For in person work experience, the best way to get them is to ask, either face-to-face or through an email or phone call; the worst thing they can say is no! Another way is through people you know such as going through parents or siblings, and going into work with them.

You should also keep an eye on places where you specifically want to do a placement, to see when they open for applications, such as local hospitals, pharmacies and local primary schools. This is because a lot of placements are very over-subscribed and so getting in early may increase the chances of getting a place you want.

Another area that tends to be combination of both information around a course of your interest and an insight into the world of work are Master Classes, which are typically run by Universities. A local one is run by The University of Birmingham, which has a wide variety of schemes, from engineering to politics.

It is crucial to keep a log of what happened during your work experience every day, and how you reflected on it. This can make it a lot easier when writing your personal statement or CVs as it saves you struggling to remember the details and trying to explain what you learnt from it when you are outside of that environment. Keeping a detailed log of all key experiences (such as Master Classes and other online webinars) makes writing a CV and applications for UCAS (both personal statements and the section for experiences) a lot easier.

When looking for work experience push yourself to go outside your comfort zone and experiment with different interests. It is completely normal to not be certain on a particular career path at this moment in time, but exploring different options now will help you become certain of a profession in the future. For example, you may see the interactions between the defence and prosecution in court and realise you need to understand this more by watching videos or by having a more in person approach by visiting different courts.

Here are some useful links:

Springpod – https://www.springpod.com/

Forage – https://www.theforage.com/

MOOC courses – https://www.mooc.org/ 

Speakers for School –  https://www.speakersforschools.org/

Written by Deputy Head Students Dilraaj K and Mazin E

Ordinary people

The theme for this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day is ordinary people. Ordinary people were involved in all aspects of the Holocaust. For example, ordinary people were victims, witnesses, bystanders, and rescuers. Ordinary people have choices for their actions. Think about how ordinary people like us can play a more significant part in challenging prejudice and discrimination today. By speaking out against discrimination and antisemitism, we are staying true to our Barr Beacon values- ‘Never discriminate’ and have ‘Consideration for others and the environment.’

What was the Holocaust?

The Holocaust was the systematic murder of black people, homosexuals, Jews, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Roma & Sinti Gypsies by the Nazis and their collaborators during the Second World War.

The Nazi’s programme of anti-Jewish persecution began as soon as Hitler came into power in 1933.  This programme of targeted mass murder was a central part of the Nazis’ ideology to try and create a supreme ‘Aryan race’ and to destroy any ‘inferior races’.

At first, they used anti-Semitic laws to make life difficult for Jews to continue with their everyday lives. They outlawed marriage and sexual relations between Jews and Germans and removed all civil and political rights of the Jews. Furthermore, restrictions alongside brutal propaganda encouraged a culture of segregation and hostility. This process of victimisation was intended to isolate Jewish people from the wider population.

Why and how we remember?

On 27^th January 2023, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz Death Camp in 1945,  we remembered the 11 million victims of the Holocaust.

A group of year 13 students were privileged to bear witness to the testimony of Holocaust survivor, Ruth Posner BEM, and took part in a webchat organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day.  Ruth Posner was a child at the time of the Holocaust and shared her experiences of how her family were evicted from their home in Warsaw, Poland, after the Germans had invaded and were moved to live in a Ghetto in Warsaw.  She eventually escaped the Ghetto with her aunt and assumed a false identity and was hidden by a Catholic family.  She was eventually arrested, not for being Jewish but for being a Polish-Catholic and, towards the end of the war, she was put on a train by the Germans with her aunt and transported to Essen in Germany where she hid on a farm until the end of the war.

Ruth’s message was one of hope that, even through the darkest of times, people can overcome adversity and it is the responsibility of ordinary people to speak out against prejudice and discrimination.

 “Change isn’t happening fast enough for man. You must make it happen faster. When you see injustice happening, stand up!” Walter Kasel (survivor)

Links for further reading:

https://www.hmd.org.uk/what-is-holocaust-memorial-day/this-years-theme/

https://www.hmd.org.uk/learn-about-the-holocaust-and-genocides/bosnia/

Written by Deputy Head Students Hannah N and Mazin E.

Self-care is vital in maintaining positive mental well-being. It is the process of caring for your individual needs and allowing your body to relax by doing things you enjoy. As discussed within school during Mental Health Week, a healthy mental state is vital as it impacts on all aspects of our social and intellectual lives.

With the holidays near approaching, whether you are celebrating during the Christmas period or not, having a break from school can be a positive way to spend time with friends and family, catch up on work, mentally recover from the demands of school and prepare for the new year.

With lockdown measures no longer in place, we can venture out more than we have done over the last two Christmas periods.  It is also important to make sure that whilst out, meeting up with friends, we stay safe.

Mental and physical health is important to be cared for holistically. Positive physical health, such as through exercise, can also have positive impacts on mental health as endorphins and dopamine are released giving us that ‘feel good’ factor. 

Here are some ideas that you may find helpful to try in promoting more positive mental health:

• Going on walks
• Trying a new hobby
• Watching shows or films that you enjoy
• Setting revision boundaries and allocating time to rest
• Getting involved in sports or clubs

Our mental well-being is a core principle of our daily lives. It impacts on how we function in a plethora of activities and therefore, we must sustain a good work-life balance and avoid the harmful effects of neglecting this.

Sometimes we can feel anxious and display behaviours due to the circumstances surrounding us.  We can combat these ‘down’ feelings by having a routine, whereby you can, for instance, work for a few hours a day with regularly timed breaks and then reward yourself when you have finished by partaking in a fun activity such as going out with friends to the cinema.

Sustaining your mental health in this way increases the overall efficiency of your work so you get the best of both worlds. Additionally, there are many activities after school that you can take part in such as puzzle club, sports and many more.

We hope you may have found interest in the points that we have raised to outline the importance of mental health and caring for your self-care.  Perhaps this blog has allowed you to spark more interest in you being able to discover something you can do to help improve your overall mental health.

Links for support: 

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

https://www.kooth.com/

https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/talk-us-phone/

https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/your-feelings/mental-health/

Links for further reading : 

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/https://www.youngminds.org.uk/

Written by Head Students Daniel P, Makara M and Dilraaj K.

Her Majesty the Queen served our country for 70 years. She has left a legacy as the longest serving British monarch and the longest reigning female monarch in world history. Queen Elizabeth became an international icon who worked alongside 15 British Prime Ministers. She was not only a mother, grandmother and great grandmother to her family, but she was akin to a grandmother to our generation.

From being a mechanic during the Second World War to becoming Head of the Commonwealth, the Queen was nothing short of outstanding. She endured many hardships during her reign, yet continued to portray devotion and selflessness to the Commonwealth. On 8^th September 2022, Her Majesty’s death touched the hearts of many people around the world.  During the period of mourning thousands of people, from home and overseas, paid their respects to Her Majesty and reflected on the remarkable work that she carried out during her reign.

Now, as we start a new era under the reign of King Charles III, we will all experience some level of change.  We will have new coins and notes, postage stamps will look different, the words to our national anthem will be amended slightly and, with the line of succession to the throne shifting, many of us will never know another queen in our lifetime.

As well as the country changing, many of us have been going through our own individual changes: Year 7 have made the transition from primary to secondary school; Year 11 have transitioned into Sixth Form; we have all moved on to the next stage of our journey at Barr Beacon School and there are new faces amongst the staff.

Change is a part of life which we all experience and embrace, making the most of new opportunities that will help us grow as a person and help us to adjust to new circumstances.  Some of us will take longer than others to adjust to change. Our advice to you all would be to look back at the past with fondness and to look forward to the future with excitement, as there are many great things to come. Although it is perfectly natural to feel anxious, it is always good to talk about your feelings and to seek advice from those you trust.

“It’s worth remembering that it is often the small steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change.” – Queen Elizabeth II.

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/coping-with-change.htm

https://www.royal.uk/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/cq23pdgvr7rt

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/live/2022/sep/19/queen-elizabeth-ii-state-funeral-westminster-abbey-updateshttps://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20200930-why-embracing-change-is-the-key-to-a-good-life

Congratulations to our Year 12 students on their successful appointments for the various lead roles.  We are looking forward to working with them over the next 12 months as they bring new and exciting ideas to their roles, building on the success and legacy left behind by their predecessors. They will all be working towards making Barr Beacon the best it can be so that all pupils and students feel accomplished and ‘proud to succeed’.