Due to a change in supplier, there will be an increase to the cost of sandwiches and wraps available to pupils. Details of prices:
Tiger French sticks can be purchased as part of a meal deal with a 250ml bottle of water for £2.00.
On Holocaust Memorial Day, we remember all those who were murdered or affected under Nazi occupation, Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
Holocaust Memorial Day is celebrated on 27th January each year as this was the day Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated in 1945. This year the theme is ‘One Day’. One day in history, one day when life changed, one day at a time, one day in the future, one day is just a snapshot as we look at it now.
“You didn’t think about yesterday, and tomorrow may not happen, it was only today that you had to cope with and you got through it as best you could.” – Iby Knill, survivor of the Holocaust
What was the Holocaust? It illustrates the dangers of prejudice, discrimination, antisemitism and dehumanisation. Holocaust did not just happen in one day; it was carefully planned. Between 1933 to 1945, the Nazis persecuted all those who did not fit their idea of pure Aryan race: Jews, Roma, black people, homosexuals, mentally and physically disabled people, Jehovah’s Witnesses and many others. By the end of the war, it was estimated that 11 million people had been killed. 6 million of those were Jews.
Often, we think of the Holocaust as numbers, and events of the past, but each one of them had individual stories and experiences to tell. It is crucial for us to learn from the past and educate others as we are the last generation to witness the survivors’ testimonies.
Even in recent years, genocides are still taking place across the world, it is unimaginable what the victims are going through and why in this day and age us Humans have not learnt to respect each other’s race, beliefs and differences.
The most important thing we can do is to share our knowledge to those around us, as the more we know, the more we become aware.
Take ‘One Day’ at a time and live it to the best you can make it, because everyday is a new day and every 24 hours is a new chapter.
Useful Link.
B.Fang
Deputy Head Girl
G. Kaur in Year 9 produced this stunning work to memorialise the Holocaust.
The bottom half of the painting is Hitler and the Nazis segregating and isolating Jews, like how they were held in ghettos, concentration camps, and sent to death camps. That half shows a background that is dark as it conveys the negativity and chaos that the Nazis were bringing upon those they considered 'undesirable'. The top half represents these groups being liberated by the allied troops, and the background is lighter to represent the good and positivity that liberation bought, it shows that these groups had been freed. These groups are represented by the birds, who are imprisoned and confined by the barbed wire. But then, birds can symbolise hope and freedom as they are liberated.
Staff absence due to Covid means we cannot accommodate Years 9 and 10 in school today (Thursday 27th January). We are so sorry for any inconvenience caused but there is no other solution. Work will be on Teams with live streams where possible and Assignments where not. We will be in contact later on today so you know what is happening tomorrow.
A reminder of remote learning details is available from the link here: Keep up with your learning – even if you have to stay at home – Barr Beacon School
Barr Beacon School pupils have marked Holocaust Memorial Day this week.
Students who have studied under the guidance of the Holocaust Memorial Trust have led assemblies for all year groups each morning this week sharing information about this significant event so that we can honour the day.
In addition, students of A-Level History and Philosophy & Ethics attended a lecture; a testimony from Eva Clarke BEM hosted by the Holocaust Memorial Trust.
Our pupils have found the opportunity to engage with the lecture both informative and moving as they reflected on Eva’s journey and experience.
100% attendance for 6 consecutive years!
Congratulations to 5 of our Year 13 students who have clocked up 6 years 100% attendance - a remarkable achievement!
They have each been rewarded with an iPad.
Elijah in Year 10 has won £100 and a trophy for his short story which he wrote for Young Writers’ ‘Spine Chiller’ competition. His entry was picked out of more 14,000 entries from pupils across the country!
You can read his story below.
I see you, you've seen me, you just don't know it yet. What a foolish child, brought into this tormenting world just to be taken, by me. Every footstep lures you to the shining gates of the afterlife. I see you. The crows holler their tune of warning, you ignore, foolish.
You venture into the unknowing shadows of the church. I'm on the prowl, with each step in perfect harmony, with the dagger being unleashed.
You've noticed me. Accept your fate. You nod your head to the beat of death as you draw your last eternal breath. I see you.
By Elijah G(14)
The Dance department entered five students in a competition to represent Barr Beacon School at The Great Big Dance Off. The students competed against a variety of schools across the West Midlands and achieved amazing results.
In the KS3 competition, E. Smith 8M1 and O. Clarke 9C3 both achieved joint 6th position against 44 other entries.
In the KS4 competition, M. Wood 11C1 reached 28th position out of 70 entries and D. McGuirk was placed 9th.
A. Mahon 9W3 (pictured) achieved 3rd place in the KS4 competition, beating 67 schools across the West Midlands. She will now go forwards to represent Barr Beacon School against the winners of each region in the UK finals in London during the summer.
The Dance department is incredibly proud of all five students.
As LGBT History Month approaches, Deputy Head Boy Will Mellor reflects on his experience as a photographer for last year’s Pride event in Birmingham and urges us all to push ourselves out of our comfort zones so we can learn more about ourselves – and other people.
As we all know the Covid pandemic has affected each one of us in different ways. For me the lockdowns and restrictions has driven me to push myself out of my comfort zone and begin to explore other avenues within my passion of media. For me in September I had the privilege of being an event photographer for Birmingham Pride event. This festival is one of the biggest and most important within the UK, attracting over 75,000 people to the streets of Birmingham to celebrate LGBTQ+ achievements and to promote a safe space where our community can express themselves without fear or prejudice.
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous on the train heading into Birmingham. I had personally never been to a Pride event. Neither had I had much experience with street photography. As an amateur photographer, I am always looking for ways to tell a story through the images I capture and, from the second I stepped off the train, there was an array of colours lining Grand Central and hundreds of people on the platforms heading to the celebration. There were many things that amazed me this day but the community feeling was what stood out to me the most: there was a overall feeling of joy and happiness that seemed to be infectious. You couldn’t help but smile at all the people around you. This immediately put me at ease and my real enjoyment of the day started here. From Grand Central I joined the many brightly-clothed people heading to the parade route.
Upon reaching the route I set about finding a vantage point to best capture the parade. This proved challenging as I wanted to capture multiple angles and views. As I was at one of my positions another photographer joined me. We chatted about our backgrounds and as I confessed that I was only an amateur he decided to take me under his wing. This was because he was one of the professional event photographers coving the parade for a newspaper. Throughout the day he showed me around the parade route and many ways of looking at the event through a camera lens. I was successfully able to capture thousands of photos, each portraying their own story.
I came away from the parade with a much greater appreciation and understanding of photography. I also have a better understanding of how a community can pull together to celebrate and support each other. The skills and emotions I experienced on this day will live with me forever and contribute to my development both as an artist and as a member of society. I would fully encourage people to push themselves beyond their comfort zone and continue to be “stronger together” (2021’s Pride theme).
Below are some great links where you can read more about the Pride festival and more about the local LGBTQ+ community.
We have been overwhelmed by the support shown by our pupils, staff and families in contributing to Santa’s Black Country Toy Appeal – the charity that the school has chosen to support this Christmas.The whole school community have been collecting a range of items (stationery, toiletries, clothes, footwear, toys, books and sweet treats) to donate to local children and young people in time for Christmas. This has been a great team effort led by our Year 13 Charity and Events Managers. Thank you to everyone for their contributions towards this great cause.
Special thanks to the brother of Darby M (Year 12) who made a generous donation of 8 pairs of football boots and 16 leather mini-footballs. The donation has been gratefully received by the school and passed onto the Black Country Toy Appeal.
Thank you and well done to our Year 13 Ambassadors (Sophia A, Olivia M, Francesca G, Isabel F, Aisha H, Sapriya B, Harvey L, Anil M, Jhanae H and Divya P) for packing all donations into boxes, ready for collection.
Barr Beacon School
Old Hall Lane
Aldridge, Walsall
West Midlands
WS9 0RF
T: 0121 366 6600
postbox@barrbeaconschool.co.uk
Monday - Thursday: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Friday: 8:00 am - 3:30 pm
