Every year, Barr Beacon School hosts the annual ‘Dance Spectacular’ to celebrate the hard work and success of our students from Years 7 – 11. Due to the current circumstances, our students have been working extremely hard at home to ensure our show can still go ahead virtually. Thank you for watching and we hope you enjoy it.
“White rabbits”
“Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit”
“Pinch punch first day of the month”
Whatever you may say when you wake up to a new page on the calendar, let me ask why we may say these things? (Let’s leave aside their sometimes very strange origins: https://metro.co.uk/2018/10/01/why-do-we-say-white-rabbits-and-pinch-punch-on-the-first-day-of-the-month-7993616/)
I can put my hands up to admit that I am one of those people who like to say these ‘good luck’ mantras to just be on the ‘safe side’. But this left me to ponder why should we depend on these few words to help determine how these next 31, 30, 28 (or 29 in a leap year) days will go?
My own personal ethos (and that of Barr Beacon) fully agrees that hard work will always pay off no matter how long it takes. Success is not determined by luck. Only we can decide how we want to mould our futures, whether it is a long-term goal like wanting to pursue a certain vocation or a short-term goal like simply getting through a whole month and keeping yourself organised.
A new month can commemorate a sense of change in ourselves like setting new goals to achieve. Perhaps we could take up a new skill, talk to a new face in one of our classes or even try something that we had always wanted to do but never had the chance to, such as staring a blog? (N.B. I’m talking autobiographically here!)
It is also a great time to look back on the last month and not forget what we have learned and how the world is changing. Both the Black Lives Matter movement (see the previous blog) and Pride Month has shown us that our world is striving closer towards equality that the people of these communities have always deserved. Starting a new month isn’t about moving on to the next ‘trending’ discourse but a chance to tackle these problems further until there is nothing to tackle. Remember to educate, sign petitions and donate to both communities as we need change.
Now, a new month doesn’t always mean a new you and new goals. You shouldn’t ever feel limited to a date beginning the 1st to push you into a state of fresh starts. It could be in the middle of the month, in the middle of the week, in the middle of the day and you may feel in a little bit of a slump, but this doesn’t mean you have to wait another 15 days to start all over again. You can hit the refresh button whenever you like and the sooner you do, the closer you can get to reach this month’s goals you may have abandoned on the second square of the calendar.
But a new month is always a great place to reset and go. And go with passion, determination and never giving up.
For this new month of July which we’re all about to embark on, I hope we can all embody all of these qualities and when we hit the 31st I cannot wait to see all the amazing things we have achieved and that we can carry on with in the future.
Although we may not need it, as hard work will be the backbone of our successes, for this month and many more months to come… good luck!
For more information on the Black Lives Matter movement please read our previous blog post.
Here’s a page to petitions for LGBTQ+ rights: https://www.change.org/t/lgbt-rights-3
Here are some links to LGBTQ+ charities and communities which you can use to educate and donate if you can:
All Out: https://allout.org/en/what-all-out
London Gaymers: https://www.londongaymers.co.uk/
Switchboard: https://switchboard.lgbt/
Stonewall: https://www.stonewall.org.uk/
Pictured below are my rabbits Pippin and Luna wishing us all ‘good luck’ for this July!
At Barr Beacon School we aspire for you to speak clearly and confidently at all times. We also want you to be able to have a discussion with others, expressing your views maturely while being sensitive to others’ viewpoints. We often have such discussions in school but, while you are at home, you can enjoy lively, topical and relevant discussions with the people you live with. We will be posting suggested ‘Talking Points’ here, often linked with what’s going on in the news. Have a go at leading a discussion at home!
Read more guidance HERE or download and watch our Powerpoint with narration HERE.
Our first talking point is a very sensitive and important topic so make sure everyone listens respectfully to everyone’s views – Click Here.
Our second talking point centres around some of the points raised by Marcus Rashford in his open letter to the government. Take a look here and get talking! – Click Here.
Our next talking point is around the different ways people have been affected by lockdown. Click Here.
UniFest 2020 is taking place virtually next week (Monday 29th June to Friday 3rd July). Everyone in Year 10 is welcome to take part.
What is UniFest?
UniFest is an online event, run by local universities, which lets you explore university. You will get the opportunity to attend mini taster lectures to see what studying at university is like; you will hear from current students about life at university and there will even be virtual campus tours. Please see the attached poster for more information.
I’m interested. How does it work?
On Monday, Wednesday and Thursday Miss Killick will email everyone in Year 10 a link to an online presentation. You don’t need to access this immediately, as some of you will be in school or attending live lessons and these take priority. You can therefore access the presentations at a time that suits you. The only element you need to access live is the Question and Answer session on Thursday afternoon at 4.00pm.
Keep an eye out for the emails next week.
When UDOIT Dance Foundation advertised the UK National Dance Championships was going to be held online this year as a virtual competition, dance teacher Miss Salmon messaged the pupils to ask if they would like to participate virtually.
The pupils their videos through for checking prior to sending them off and we have had some success. We have four students who are now through to the next round!
Miss Salmon said: “They have represented Barr Beacon in a professional manner and I’m very proud of them.”
We will keep you updated after the next round.
We are very proud of H. Hussain, one of our Year 12 students. She has used Lockdown as an opportunity to put her baking skills into practice and earn money for charity.
What started as a hobby to give her something to do besides schoolwork has turned into a successful cake selling venture with all proceeds going to the Penny Appeal, which aids people in more than 30 crisis-hit countries. So far she has raised £1042.55!
Next on the agenda is to bake cakesicles for NHS staff at Walsall Manor Hospital to thank them for all the hard work they continue to do during this difficult time.
You can find out more about the Penny Appeal charity HERE.
By H. Kumar-Mehay, Head Girl
The world may seem to be a scary place right now. But the scariest thing of all is the thought of turning a blind eye to the issues in our society, the thought of not educating ourselves. Not just on the health issues that our world faces today but the social issues that people of colour, in particular that black people, face every day.
Over the past few weeks, the problems that face black people every day have suddenly caught the mainstream media’s attention and now hopefully yours. It seems that every few years the Black Lives Matter movement appears as ‘important’ as if these lives are only to be cared over a certain period of time. These problems, however, are not short term for this community. Unfortunately, it seems as if these problems that are faced are ones that have an unlimited lifespan. We cannot live in a world where a person’s skin colour determines if some people will come back home to their families. People should be able to live their lives without the constant fear of getting stopped for appearing ‘suspicious’, determining if they will live to see another day or die.
We should refuse to ignore this truth and refuse to not share this truth with others. If you are unaware of the problems that black people face today, I am not here to advise you to do some research. I am here to tell you that you must. You must research and educate yourselves to help fix a system built upon discrimination and antagonism. To help build a future we all deserve, we must be better so we can live in a world where we are emancipated from the destructiveness of injustice that affects black people today. In this day and age, it is simply not enough to not be racist. We need to be to actively anti-racist.
Thank you.
To all those black individuals who have lost their lives to injustice, we will fight for peace so that you can rest in peace. Here are some of those names. Names we must never forget.
Educate yourself
Reading list
https://lectureinprogress.com/journal/resources-for-supporting-black-lives-matter-movement
BLM movement
White privilege and ally meaning
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/newsbeat-52892949
Links to educate
https://linktr.ee/actionEDUCATE
Donate
Where to donate if you can: https://linktr.ee/actionDONATE
Links for petitions
Sign the petition to issue a State executive order to hold police accountable for unlawful action
Sign the petition to Suspend UK export of tear gas, rubber bullets and riot shields to USA
Sign the petition for the UK government to condemn President Trump’s response to BLM protests here.
Sign the Justice for Belly Mujinga petition here.
Sign the Justice for Breonna Taylor petition here.
Sign the Justice for Tony McDade petition here.
Sign the Reopen Sandra Bland’s case petition here.
Sign the petition to raise the degree for Derek Chauvin’s murder charge here.
Sign the petition to battle racism by updating GCSE reading lists
Sign the petition to make it compulsory for Anti-Racism Education in U.K. Schools
Year 9, 10 and 11 girls: FREE 3 day online STEM event by Loughborough University
Girls in Years 9, 10 and 11 are being offered a wonderful opportunity to sign up to Loughborough University’s online virtual STEM residential event. This is sponsored by Ford Motor company.
The event will feature STEM Taster sessions delivered by university staff, which including robotics, renewable technology and much more. There will be talks from successful women in varied STEM careers and guidance on researching your future options. Also, you can explore what university life would be like at a top Russell Group university with virtual campus tours and related videos. You will have the chance to talk to Loughborough students live on the web chats.
This is an opportunity not to be missed, and an experience that will help to enrich your personal statements and career profiles. Places can be booked HERE
YEAR 7, 8 and 9
You are invited to attend the Virtual Big Bang Fair this Tuesday 16th and Wednesday 17th June, from 1.00pm each day.
This fair is all about STEM. Take part in hands on STEM challenges, quizzes, competitions and activities or watch live sessions showing you all the amazing possibilities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.
Follow the link below to get involved and use the password: StaffsUni2020 to enter.
www.learnbydesign.co.uk/staffs-uni-explore-at-home
We have emailed this to pupils in Years 11 and 12 already but anyone can take part. It is never too early to start researching universities.
UK University Search Virtual Fair – Wednesday 17th June https://ukuniversitysearch.vfairs.com/
Virtual Open Days
UCAS have created a very handy tool, which showcases all of the virtual university opportunities in one place. Virtual open days, webinars, subject taster sessions… you simply filter by what you are looking for, and off you go: https://www.ucas.com/ucas/events/find/type/open-day
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
