Barton Court Grammar School
CLARION! WINTER EDITION
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Contents Page Contents Page 3
Notes from the Editors
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Indie Films
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Headteacher’s Report
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Why Learn a Language?
Nina Meets the Stars of the Hunger Games
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Student Drive Report
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Is the Magna Carta Still Relevant?
Young Dragons/An Adventure in Time and Space
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Cosmetic Biology Club
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Black Friday
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Role of Media in Politics
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Why is Corbyn so Controversial?
Merry Christmas from Around the Globe
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Some Good Ol’ Festive Christmas
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Terrorism: Au nom de Quoi?
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Is University Really Worth it?
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Fantastic Festive Recipes
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How the Holocaust Changed Society
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The Cup that Stole Christmas
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Christmas Quiz
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Art Department News
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Sorry I Won’t Hear You
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Boys’ Winter Sports
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Outside the Box
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Girls’ Winter Sports
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Eco-Schools Report
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The Barclays Premier League’s Hits 56 and Misses so Far
Forthcoming Events
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Canterbury Youth Parliament
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2015 Italy Trip
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Spanish Exchange Trip 2015
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Cross Country/Royal Society
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WWI Battlefield Trip
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Berlin Trip 2015
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Drama Trip
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Note from the Editors Hello, ‘Clarion!’ Readers! There has been so much happening in Barton Court, outside Barton Court and beyond, that it is no small amazement to me that this edition of ‘Clarion!’ contains such a plenitude of forthright thinking and intentional prose.
The student writers included in this edition have been places. The travels, the names, the selfies – it is clear that not only sports teams venture beyond the county boundary. The cultural domain of these students is international and frequently attuned to the changing landscapes therein. Encouragingly, the way to bake cakes and the way to consider new political landscapes share the same devotional attention to detail. Even the subject of ‘Life after BCGS’ and the pull toward University, while not the only way forward, is finally found financially irresistible for one writer. The enrichment visits to Italy and Berlin present these destinations as culturally exciting and thought-provoking, while the school`s charitable achievements have also attracted both comment and further action. Our current editorial team has to be the most conscientiously charitable that ‘Clarion!’ has ever witnessed. Respect. Please read and support their ‘Outside the Box’ campaign. And to remind all potential and active writers out there, ‘Clarion!’ is looking for new writers with each and every edition. Step up and have your say. Enjoy! Mr. Nelson
Firstly, thank you to all of those who contributed to the ‘Clarion!’ Christmas edition; it is the work of the students who drive the school magazine to the quality read it has become. Thank you to Mr Nelson for guiding us through this process and thank you to those who produced articles on their trips, their school work, or even their valued opinions on the events which have shaped the last few months. In particular, thank you to the core team of ‘Clarion!’ editors: Emily Allison, Eavan Goodman, Molly Lambourn, Shannon Potter, Ruby Fitzgerald, Bryony Thorogood, Adam Whyte, Lucy Barfoot and Sam Wilson. Without this group, there would be no ‘Clarion!’ and, more importantly, no opportunity for Barton Court to display its students’ achievements and successes, as well as their journalistic skills. This has been a long process but one which has produced a product this school can be proud of. This group have written many thought-provoking articles, as well as some light-hearted festive fun, for the Christmas season. I hope you enjoy this Winter edition of the Clarion, and we wish to keep up the good work in the coming year. On a personal note, good luck to the Year 12s and 13s with their upcoming mock examinations. Merry Christmas George Chrysostomou
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Headteacher’s Report Headteacher’s Report Welcome to the Christmas edition of our School magazine, the Clarion! which contains a small selection of the fun and educational activities that everyone has been involved with since the summer term plus some very interesting articles written by our students. A huge thank you goes to Mr Nelson, George Chrysostomou and Bryony Thorogood for all their hard work, time and commitment producing it this term. A record amount of money was raised last year, £7,630, by our fantastic students and staff, for the students chosen charities: Cancer Research UK, Make a Wish Foundation, Pilgrims Hospice and Kent Air Ambulance. In addition, students raised money for MacMillan Cancer Research, Movember, Help for Heroes, RAF Benevolent Fund, Comic Relief, Kent Dogs for the Blind, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Marie Curie and SNAAP. This year fundraising has already reached new heights and we have already raised £5,700. Recently students raised £938 from our first ever Christmas Fayre and in RAG week students raised an amazing £1,052. Students are constantly giving their time and energy to worthy causes, such as contributions to the Food Bank, cakes for the Macmillan Coffee Morning and Jeans for Genes Day to name a few.
Our Head Boy, Jake Fox, and our Head Girl, Danielle Oliveira, have been stunning this year and are not only excellent ambassadors for the School, but are also fantastic role models for younger students. They have worked tirelessly for the benefit of the School and shown a huge level of commitment and professionalism when carrying out their duties and representing us. The Senior Prefect Team’s contributions to the School have been well received and welcomed by both staff and students. Please do take your time to read the whole magazine, in particular the fantastic articles written by the students and some of the excellent enrichment opportunities available at the School, with details of some of the day trips and residential trips that have been offered to our students. Barton Court and our students have had an extremely successful year. The IB Diploma results yet again exceeded our expectations for the 5th consecutive year with 54% of all grades at Level 7 or 6. The IB average point score has risen significantly to 34.7. What does this mean? 34.7 is equivalent to more than 3A* grades at A level. Which is amazing! Students achieved high grades at A Level again and the combined IB and A Level scores were 68% A*/B placing the School, yet again, as the highest performing school in the district at Post-16 and ranked in the TOP 100 state schools in the whole country. At GCSE students achieved high grades yet again, maintaining the School’s record of consistent high achievement at KS4. 60% of students achieved 3 or more A*/A grades and 46% achieved 5 or more A*/A grades. One statistic that is truly impressive is that 26% of our students achieved 8 or more A*/A grades. We are extremely delighted and proud of our students’ achievements at both KS4 and KS5 and we celebrate these with them and their families at the annual Awards Evening on Wednesday 16 December at the University of Kent. Last March, the School was awarded Thinking School Status by Exeter University. This term we have launched the Thinking Schools: Thinker’s keys to compliment the learning and thinking tools of the Maps, Hats and Habits of Mind introduced in previous years. We have placed thinking at the heart of our learning and teaching and we are developing a common visual language of Thinking Tools to enable our students to become independent, confident, thoughtful, life-long learners. We believe that thinking students will be successful in their learning and life beyond Barton Court. We are working with Exeter University towards Advanced accreditation and our target date for this award is February 2017.
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In the last four years we have renovated over 39 classrooms as part of our rolling programme of school improvement, creating a 21st Century learning environment with the latest technology, allowing us to deliver outstanding teaching and learning. We now have Interactive Whiteboards in every classroom and over 185 new computers across the school site for student use. Our Sixth Form Learning Resource Centre and biometric registration for Sixth Form study periods is proving very popular with students, as they appreciate the best resources we can offer them. We have developed our own Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) with Student and Parent portals now up and running for 24/7 learning and improved communication. It is so important that students have access to the best facilities and resources the School can offer and it is for this reason, as the Governors continue to plan for the future of Barton Court over the next 10+ years, that we look strategically ahead at how the School can continue to develop and improve for future generations. The School submitted a planning application in August for a new teaching block, which will contain 7 new classrooms, 3 new Science labs, new dining facilities, new school kitchen, new Hall, meeting room, office, reception and sick bay. We hope to hear the outcome of this application in the New Year. We have been allocated some money towards the cost of the new block by KCC as part of the national programme of “basic need� money which is allocated to schools to provide additional school places in the future to meet the increasing need due to the population rise. However, there is still a funding gap. We have applied to the DfE via the CIF application for the additional funds and we should hear the outcome of this in March 2016. If successful we plan to start the build project in the summer of 2016 ready for completion for September 2017. It is such a privilege and pleasure to be Headteacher at Barton Court Grammar School and sometimes it is hard to believe that this is my sixth year at the School. Time has passed very quickly, although not without its challenges!
The School has evolved and is now a truly outstanding grammar school delivering high quality education to our young people. This is the absolute minimum they deserve and Barton Court is a lovely, caring and supportive community within which to learn and teach. The wide range of activities offered and the fundraising events organised by the students is testament to the hard work and commitment of all staff and students in making our school such a special place to learn and develop. I have no doubt that you will enjoy reading our Christmas edition of this magazine and I would like to take this opportunity to wish our readers a Merry Christmas with best wishes for the New Year from everyone at Barton Court Grammar School.
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Why Learn a Language? by Eavan Goodman The decline in foreign language learning has been ignored for long enough. The benefits, too often overlooked, are versatile, varied and valuable. Modern Foreign Languages are never going to be the most popular subject in school. We must accept that Psychology, Film Studies or P.E retains that prestigious title. This is understandable. Learning a language can be demanding and bewildering for a lot of people; its reputation not helped by the insistence of students that they don’t have the brain for languages. I, however, am not convinced. Mastering a new language requires time and effort, but the numerous rewards gained surely are worth it.
Job prospects: Everyone is aware of today’s competitive job market. We are told repeatedly how we can boost our CV’s and make ourselves more ‘employable’. Could proficiency in a foreign language be the key to employability, and land you that high-earning, jet-setting job in the future? While I can’t guarantee you are going to be the next Richard Branson, languages definitely are a powerful asset not to be disregarded. Businesses actively seek out employees with a second language and not just for the obvious international positions. Language learners are seen as valuable for their possession of communication skills which can be applied to many contexts. As our world becomes increasingly globalised, contact between countries is on the rise, and more and more companies deal with clients from further afield. In Britain, languages have not been seen traditionally as a priority, so the statistic that three-quarters of British adults can’t speak a foreign language competently is hardly a surprise. However, employers are attuned to the changing times. In fact, 49% of UK employers rated French as useful for their organisations and research has repeatedly shown that university graduates who speak a foreign language earn, on average, more than those who don’t. Unfortunately, in the current state employers are having to recruit from overseas on the basis of their superior linguistic offerings.
Cognitive ability: Many prominent researchers accept, on the basis of conclusive evidence, that people who speak more than one language fluently have better memories, are more cognitively creative and mentally flexible than monolinguals. Neuroscience has furthered these ideas to fascinating effect. In 2014, a Swedish MRI study showed that learning a foreign language has a visible effect on the brain. Military recruits with a gift for languages learned Arabic, Russian or Dari intensively, while a control group of medical and cognitive science students also studied hard, but not at languages. MRI scans showed specific parts of the brains of the language students developed in size whereas the brain structures of the control group remained unchanged. These positive effects are not restricted to those who learn languages as a child. Edinburgh University has clearly showed with its research on 853 participants, that the acquisition of a new language is beneficial regardless of the age at which it is learnt.
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Improve your English: Stick with me on this one! It may seem counter-intuitive but the knowledge of grammar rules and the structure of language can be valuably transferred to your native tongue. In an American study by Cooper, students who studied four or five years of a foreign language scored higher on the verbal sections of a standardised test than students who had studied any other subject for the same number of years. Increased awareness of the mechanisms of language can have powerful consequences that are completely relevant to you.
“Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own.” ‒Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Confidence boost: From my own experience, I can attest to the impact learning a language can have on self-confidence. Inside the classroom you are pushed to think on your feet, with results that are at times nothing short of embarrassing. But, you learn from mistakes and improve on the next occasion. I firmly believe that learning a language can instill a sense of determination not found in other subjects, not to mention the life-saver that quick-mindedness can be in high pressure situations. Then, there’s the fantastic opportunities opened up by language study. Be adventurous and embark on an exchange or simply make use of your skills while on holiday. Each day can offer a small victory, whether it be a new word learnt, a more natural conversation or the momentous occasion when you successfully order in a café and are not met by the server’s puzzled expression.
Broader horizons: Accessing different cultures is surely one of the biggest benefits, purely because it can bring so much enjoyment. Foreign cinema, once you brush off the stereotype that it is all wacky and incomprehensible, is actually a great way to immerse yourself in various societal and contemporary issues, or at least to add an injection of variety to your DVD collection. Gaining a new perspective is essential to developing as a person, even if this is as simple as taking an interest in another country’s politics or picking up a foreign book. Now, I don’t want to perpetuate the cliché by tempting you with the prospect of an Italian boyfriend or a Swedish girlfriend, but we cannot forget that thanks to learning languages, you can meet so many more people from a diverse array of backgrounds. These new connections not only can enrich your social life but also, if you’re lucky, provide you with a hospitable host and tour guide while travelling. Saving money? You can’t argue with that.
So, the next time you groan at a grammar lesson or complain about conjugations… Remember, it may just be worth it in the long run.
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The Student Woman Drive in Black—Theatre Team Report Student Drive Team Report Trip in November
Mrs Brown by Emily Allison
Following a fantastic end to last year, Barton Court’s Staff and Student Drive Teams have, once again, been extremely busy. Terms One and Two have seen a number of important events for us, and lots of hard work, which we hope to continue throughout the rest of this school year.
One of our main action points at the end of last year was to introduce the entire school community to Edmodo, an innovative educational network that has over 51,000,000 users worldwide. As it stands, the majority of students have now signed up, and are beginning to incorporate it into their daily schooling lives, using it to communicate with teacher and classmates, to share ideas and to help manage their learning. Our aim is for Edmodo to become something which can bring students closer to each other, teachers and Barton Court alumni, in order to really enrich their learning and to introduce them to a range of exciting opportunities for super-curricular activities.
The Student Drive Team was also involved in Barton Court’s first Gifted & Talented Workshop, on 13th October. Run by the English Department, the session saw 35 Year 5 Students working with Prefects and Drive Team members to analyse a Native American myth, using various Thinking Tools. It was wonderful to see the students working with such enthusiasm, and we were really impressed by the range of interesting ideas that they came up with. The next Workshop will be run by the Mathematics Department on 1st December, and we look forward to also getting involved there.
Open Evenings have also been important for us in these past couple of Terms as, contrary to last year, we were lucky enough to be granted a room of our own. This allowed us to introduce prospective students and their parents to the work we do, and the Thinking Tools that are used here in school. On display was a sample of the exemplar work used in our accreditation at the start of 2015, and we also had tables for each Tool, where visitors could go to find out more about them. Overall, the response from both students and parents was extremely positive, and we were pleased that our work was approached with such interest!
The Drive Teams have been busy providing students and parents with new Thinking Challenges, too. Students can access them via the Learning Gateway and the new Edmodo group (using the code ef4mj7), whilst parents have been emailed with details of how to find their challenges. Designed to challenge your thinking, as the name suggests, the Thinking Challenges are well worth having a go at – especially as there are prizes on offer for the winners! Student winners are awarded BCGS points, and parent winners can win BCGS points on behalf of their children. So, why not put your thinking to the test? Have a go at the Barton Court Thinking Challenges!
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Finally, if you’ve been in the Maths corridor over the last couple of weeks, you may have seen the new Student Drive Team notice board, designed by Mel Hoare. If you haven’t already seen it, please do drop by to take a look – you’ll be able to read about our journey, learn a little bit more about the work we’re doing, and find out how you can join us. Recruitment is something that we’ll be focussing on in the coming Terms and, if you would like to become part of the Team, simply follow the flow-map below...
HOW TO JOIN THE STUDENT DRIVE TEAM: Do you feel that Thinking Tools aid your learning? Do you want to affect changes in the Tools we use in school?
Register your interest by contacting us via the following email addresses: 09-EAllison@bartoncourt.org 11BoyleL@bartoncourt.org
NHarvey@bartoncourt.org
We will invite you to take part in our selection process.
If successful, you’ll become a member of Barton Court’s Student Drive Team! As you can see, it really couldn’t be easier to join the Student Drive Team. We want to try and incorporate a range of new ideas and perspectives into our work this year so, if this is something you think you can help with, please don’t hesitate to contact us – we’d love to hear from you!
On behalf of the Staff and Student Drive Teams, I’d like to conclude by thanking you for your ongoing support of our work. We look forward to coming back and continuing to work with you all in 2016!
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Is the Magna Carta Still relevant?
by Molly Lambourn
2015 has marked the 800th anniversary of one of the most celebrated documents in history. Contrary to the wishes of King John, the Magna Carta has survived against all odds. For those who do not know the basics, the Magna Carta was issued in 1215. Its purpose was for the nobility at the time to control King John, a tyrannical leader who believed himself to be above the law. The Magna Carta was an effective document to state basic laws of the public. At this point, the majority of people were unable to read, so it was the nobility who compiled the Magna Carta. At the time, the Magna Carta did not have entire success in preventing royal tyranny. So, is the Magna Carta, a crumbling old document, still relevant today? Well, firstly, it is important to consider that the Magna Carta must be considered for what is has come to be, rather than what it was. Sure enough, if we consider the Magna Carta in terms of King John’s time, its purpose wasn’t for the liberty of people that we associate it with today. In fact, the original Magna Carta does not state much at all to do with freedom and equality of the people. Therefore, when we assess the relevance of this document that is so brilliantly praised by historians, it is important to consider it on a symbolic level, rather than literal. The Magna Carta represents, in short, the people coming together to impose law and order upon a tyrannical King. If a document is created to say that no one, not even the King, is above the law, then this document becomes quite a powerful tool. A group of Barons work together to control a King, perhaps at this point mainly for their own interests, yet very quickly we can see how it impacts the rest of society. The Magna Carta considers important issues that can be seen in our law today, for example the clause referring to how no free man should be arrested without any evidence against him. The Magna Carta acted as a peace treaty, and was also a means of modernization. Consider that it had clauses such as the standardisation of weights and measures. Above all, the Magna Carta is relevant as a source of patriotism: it represents English values of democracy, and the freedom of speech. The document is hailed in the US and we now have the Bill of Rights, which was heavily inspired by the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta is arguably a document of malleability - consider its use in the 20th Century, for example. We have the Suffragettes in 1911, who argued that the inhibition of their right to vote, defied the key principles of the Magna Carta, as it states that no one should be denied or delayed in their rights and justice. In conclusion, I would state that, although the actual Magna Carta states very little about liberty, if we look to its use throughout history, I would argue that it is an effective and universal tool for politicians and historians. The Magna Carta forms the basis for creating ideas which capture the thoughts of historians from every generation. A notable example being, of course, those opposing fascism in the Forties, who used the Magna Carta to propel their argument. So the Magna Carta is not only symbolically relevant, it is physically relevant. The document is still used today as a form of inspiration in our law; the Human Rights Act of 1998 being perhaps one of the most recent examples of an act inspired by the iconic Magna Carta. I would go as far to say that the Magna Carta has increased in its power and prominence over the centuries, as people have found more intuitive ways to use it to impose a fairer law and order upon society.
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Cosmetic Biology Club by Mercedes Brandy On Thursdays, from 3pm until 4pm, I have the pleasure of running the Cosmetic Biology Club for students in Years 7 and 8, as Deputy Science Extra Curricular Prefect. Every week, we create our own soaps, bath bombs, lip balms and (eventually) perfumes. I’ve found it’s been a great way for the new students in the younger years to make friends while also having fun. As budding scientists, we often experiment with our creations, combining different colourings, scents, glitters and flowers in a variety of differently shaped moulds, to create products that are both attractive and fun. On one week, for example, we placed small brightly coloured soaps inside a much larger translucent soap to create different patterns that looked stunning when the light shone through them. Unfortunately, as with most experiments in the Science Department, mistakes are bound to occur. In the club’s first attempt at making bath bombs this year, we produced a rotten egg smell that managed to fill the entire science corridor. However, this mistake allowed our young scientists to research what exactly had happened and we found that one of the compounds in the blue powdered dye we had used had set off a chemical reaction with the citric acid and sodium bicarbonate in our bath bombs. We quickly learned from our mistake and have since created more attractive smelling products. At the upcoming Christmas Fayre, we plan on selling some of our homemade soaps and bath bombs both to raise money for the School and for our club, and we’d love any other budding scientists (girls or boys) to join us. Our products make excellent gifts for friends and family, especially during the holiday season, and it’s great to be able to take home the soaps you’ve made yourself.
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The Role of Media in Politics in 2015 by George Chrysostomou The media is as much a part of politics in the modern age, as Twitter is as much a part of a teenager’s life. Indeed, there is a link between the two: as social media is also rising in popularity, it is allowing more people to share their political ideologies with the world than ever before. Politicians are scrutinised, satirised and often ridiculed amongst the pages of newspapers, on screen in morning breakfast shows, and even through the internet. The time of policies and informed debates have arguably gone from the public’s mind, and now it is simply a battle of individuals and the stereotypes their parties stand for. Of course, it wasn’t always like this; there was, in fact, an era when politics was decided upon the strength of a manifesto, the willingness of a group to evolve Britain, and ultimately the leadership qualities of a party rather than an individual. This started to change under Harold Wilson’s government from the 16th October 1964 to the 19th June 1970. Wilson recognised the changes which needed to be made, the power of the television screen, which no one had used to its full potential, and the opportunity to present the Government as a modern one. This started the long history, which politicians seem to have with the British media, often being presented in a certain light, or trying to be protected from scandals being publically aired, much like the expenses scandal of 2009 onwards. Should we really have to keep tabs on a politician’s personal life, rather than focus on the real issues they are trying to represent? Or, are we more content to watch David Cameron eat a sandwich with a knife and fork, whilst we whinge that Jeremy Corbyn had his shirt untucked, exclaiming he should have had a uniform warning? When looking at the potentially dangerous consequences of the media in 2015, I believe the General Election is a perfect example of how influential the screens in our homes can really be. Question: who was arguably the largest character during the 2015 General Election? Answer: Nigel Farage, UKIP’s charismatic leader. Question: why did Mr Farage gain such a following during the events of this election? Answer: because no one would stop talking about him! Every channel you turned to, every pub you entered (no encouragement of underage drinking), every lesson you entered (hopefully without the effects of the underage drinking, which I just advised you not to do); Nigel Farage was the topic on everyone’s minds. Whether you loved him or hated him, no one could deny the publicity his erratic personality and working class background gained him. I wouldn’t even describe Nigel Farage as a Marmite personality, because that simply does not represent how polarising he really is - as well as the fact that Marmite is open to being affected by EU trade laws, whilst Farage turns his back on such European control. The consequences of this coverage of such an individual is a remarkable one. Whilst shows, such as Newzoids, mocked his right wing views, and Al Murray created the parody party FUKP running for the South Thanet constituency, a minority of the British public felt compelled to vote for Farage’s party. 3,881,099 members of our nation, in fact, voted for the man whom many saw as the joke of politics. Could it arguably be that the media compelled many to see Farage as the true underdog in the election, or was it simply the fatigue of the same parties and false promises, as well as the unique take on our relationship with Europe, which inspired many to vote for what they truly believed in?
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Of course, this was also the year of a shocking change; Scotland turning from red to yellow like a traffic light. The platform provided to SNP was an outstanding opportunity for the party to capitalise on the momentum which they formed during the 2014 Independence Referendum. The year the “Scottish lion roared” was the same in which the Welsh dragon growled and the Green guinea pig whimpered. Indeed, multiple parties were given the same publicity afforded to the Big 3, allowing them to participate in live television debates on ITV and BBC – politicians such as Leanne Wood presented as equals to our Prime Minister. Whilst individuals such as Natalie Bennett and Caroline Lucas stood forward for their respective party, Nick Clegg seemed to take a step back from the public eye, not gaining the same coverage as some of the other leaders. Although this may have been for personal reasons, or the defeatist attitude he seemed to possess during the closing weeks of the election, in the long run it did affect his campaign, and the exposure upon the masses. In comparison, his two main rivals, Ed Miliband and David Cameron, created their own opportunities, allowing their campaign team to produce headline worthy events, such as the Edstone (which is still missing today, although located somewhere in Hastings, judging by the involvement of Sarah Owens). The big difference between both of these core campaigns, however, was the presentation of their leadership qualities. In recent polls, David Cameron came out being more ‘prime ministerial’ than Ed Miliband, potentially affecting the outcome of the final election results. People are so influenced by the media that their opinion upon individuals and parties are shaped by what others are telling them, essentially taking away a true freedom of opinion. It is in this same vein that we can now stereotype readers of certain newspapers, much like a “Yes, Prime Minister” sketch. Recently, this debate over the true power and influence of the media has taken a turn, as a political leader has taken the subject head on. From his victory speech onwards, Jeremy Corbyn has made no attempt to hide his frustration of the media, and the disrespect they seem to cause. During his speech, he thanked Ed Miliband for handling the intrusion of his life by the media: “I also thanked him for the way in which he stood up to the abuse he received by much of our media and the dignity he showed when his late father, the great Ralph Miliband, was so brutally abused by some of our media. So, Ed, thank you for all of that.” His opinion was further presented later on in his speech where he pleaded for the negative affect on others to be kept minimal: “But please don’t attack people who didn’t ask to be put in the limelight, merely want to get on with their lives, leave them alone, leave them alone in all circumstances.” We often enjoy taking part in political “banter”, based on what we have seen on the news, but truthfully it is often an intrusion upon the lives of men and women who, despite many people’s opinion, are trying to make our country a better place. None of them volunteer to become a celebrity of sorts, many simply trying to get on with the jobs they are assigned. Although the media is crucial in presenting us with policies, and making the public aware of potential scandals within our government, these can be presented to us in a more objective way. We do not need to be given an opinion, we are all perfectly capable of forming our own, and, although the House of Commons may need cleaning up, with some of the “Punch and Judy” politics it possesses, so too does our media, and the way in which some journalists and reporters carry out their jobs, in disrespectful and biased ways. This a dangerous time to be in, because hundreds of thousands of people are constantly influenced and exposed by the opinions of others. We must not lose sight of our own ideologies throughout, which is at the heart of our democratic political system.
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Why is Corbyn so Controversial?
by Ruby Fitzgerald
It is unlikely that you are yet to hear of the new Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn. The self-proclaimed socialist has made political waves, leading his party away from the safer, middle-ground politics of previous leader, Ed Miliband. The first shock came with his leadership election win. Despite wide-spread criticism of Corbyn, from big names like
Tony Blair and Alastair Campbell, Corbyn achieved a landslide victory of 59.5%, with second place Andy Burnham trailing behind at 19%. This was a historic event. Corbyn’s win dwarfed that of Tony Blair in 1994, giving him the ultimate mandate to run the party. But, why is Corbyn so controversial? Politics this far left have been out of the mainstream for a long time, and his stances threaten the political and economic norm. Many politicians and big-businesses’ current complacency and economic security would be attacked if a strong left-wing government took charge of our country, and they are doing all that they can to prevent this happening. The former Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, claimed that some of our biggest news outlets, The Sun, The Daily Mail, The Telegraph, and The Times, are all writing biased material on Corbyn, as they “will do anything” in order to prevent him becoming Prime Minister. He will make it more difficult for them to dodge their tax, so they are attempting to halt him now and reduce his support before it gets to that point. Livingstone argued that it is unjust that “four billionaires own three quarters of the papers that the British people read. (…) They will do anything to prevent a Labour Prime Minister, who’s going to make them start paying their fair share of tax”. So, if the UK media is selling us biased material on Corbyn, what are the facts? Corbyn’s policies are fair and straightforward; his key areas of focus, as taken from his website, are human rights, peace, welfare, the NHS, education and justice. For example, on the topic of human rights, he states that “amplifying the voices of those whose voices are suppressed is at the centre of my work as an MP”. Now, this
is a crucial idea, which provides the framework for all of Corbyn’s policies, listening to the voices of minorities and disadvantaged groups, rather than baying to the masses for votes. One of Corbyn’s key policy matters is welfare, an area hit hard by our Tory government. Corbyn argues that, as “one of the richest countries in the world”, there is “absolutely no reason why anybody should have to live in poverty”. He has also campaigned to protect the NHS, the environment and Labour’s ‘Building Schools for the Future’ program. Perhaps the ultimate point of contention is Corbyn’s policy to scrap Trident. Trident is the nation’s nuclear weapons program, and the Labour leader is fundamentally against all nuclear weapons. Now, this is not a point-of-view I will try to convince you to align with. I personally believe the ownership of nuclear weapons is morally wrong, even as a form
of defence; however, this is a multi-faceted issue and one which involves an incredibly in-depth debate, which I cannot go into here. However, what stands is that Corbyn is shaking up our norm. No matter where you side politically, this is an exciting time. We are finally returning to the adversary politics, which make our system so exciting. If Jeremy is still the Leader by the 2020 general election, we should expect an emotionally charged, nail-biting result, as the left and the right split our nation once more.
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Terrorism: Au nom de Quoi? by Emily Allison In the Summer Edition of ‘Clarion!’, I looked at the 7/7 Bombings. Its tenth anniversary was upon us, and the wounds we’d been left with were finally beginning to heal. But, in the wake of January’s Charlie Hebdo attacks, it had become clear that terrorism is far from a thing of the past. It is just as real in 2015 as it was in 2005. I therefore wrote my article in an attempt to work out, even if only for my own peace of mind, how realistic the threat of future attacks by the so-called Islamic State, and other such terrorist organisations, actually is. This is the follow-up article I’d hoped I wouldn’t need to write.
Paris
Beirut
It is now three days after the Paris attacks, four after those in Beirut. The world is still reeling. 172 people are dead, hundreds more are wounded or critically ill. Cities are devastated and countries shaken. At 11 o’clock, we will hold a minute’s silence to mourn the dead, to send our thoughts and prayers to those affected, to pray that these will be the last such attacks. In our hearts, however, we know that they won’t be. The Islamic State has already claimed responsibility for both of these attacks, and have since warned of future attacks in Paris, London and Washington D.C. From now on, it’s simply a waiting game. But it is one that none of us want to play.
In one of the most moving images from the attacks in Paris, a rose was posted through a bullet hole. Attached to it was the message: ‘Au nom de quoi?’ For what reason? In whose name? Or, just simply, why? I fail to see any justification for these heinous, cold-blooded killings – not religion, not political beliefs, not a desire for social change. Instilling fear into people’s lives in this way is totally inexcusable, whichever way you look at it. My cousin was born in July. In the four short months since his birth, the world has seen 140 terrorist incidents. In my seventeen years, there have been over 3,000. These statistics are harrowing, they make me numb with sadness. I really mean it when I say they break my heart. And, I’ll be honest, it scares me. Terrorism scares me. I don’t want to live in a world where terrorist attacks are the norm. I don’t want to have to wake up yet again to news of another bombing, another beheading. I don’t want to have to explain to my cousin, to my future children, why innocent people are dying at the hands of these organisations every single day. If this is what humanity is becoming, I’d rather not be a part of it. But, I suppose this is exactly what terrorist groups want. This is why it is called terrorism. Our fear is their fuel – and, until they are satisfied that they have enough, they will not stop. So, perhaps the way for us to beat terrorism is to accept this fear, and to overcome it.
Terrorism scares me, but I’m facing my fear. I’m putting it into words so that I can come to terms with it, and move on: it’s a threat to us all, there’s no escaping it. And, as an individual, I know there’s little I can do to confront the Islamic State, al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, all of the other countless organisations out there that we probably aren’t even aware of. But, if we, as a global community, can come together, I believe there’s a chance that we can rise above them. Pray for Beirut. Pray for Paris. Let us join together, and pray for humanity. Stand together, show unity. Let them know that they won’t beat us.
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Is University Really Worth It? by Ella Gannon With the increase of tuition fees from £3,000 to £9,000 a year, introduced in 2012, and the recent change of the maintenance grant starting September 2015, can we really question why so many students are now exploring other options, rather than applying to university?
Many of us will remember the demonstrations that took place in London 2010, in the fight against education cuts. News coverage was plastered with negative images and videos of students turning violent against the police and vandalising historical monuments, including Nelson’s Column, which distracted the public, and more importantly the British Government, away from the message they were trying to convey. Thus, tuition fees tripled to £9,000 a year, meaning that the average 3-year course costs £27,000, without living costs. Five years later, and further education is still being modified, without student’s welfare in mind: the former maintenance ‘grant’, which was given to students to help pay for accommodation and other living costs, has now become a ‘loan’, resulting in an extra £5,740 debt. So, with a huge debt of up to £60,000 hanging over a 21-year old as they start their career, is it really worth it? Yes is the answer. The simple fact is, the more you learn the more you earn. Over the last decade, graduates earned an average of £12,000 a year more than non-graduates, and those aged between 22 and 64 who have a degree, had median salaries of £29,900 compared with £17,800 for non-graduates. So, the debt doesn’t seem so scary now, right? Not only does university boost your salary, it makes you more employable, even to a job that is completely different to the degree you’ve studied, thanks to Graduate Schemes. However, it’s not all just about money. University is a unique learning experience, both academically and socially, where you can get the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. You get the chance to try something you’ve never done before, whether it’s taking up a new hobby, spending a year studying abroad or working in student media. And of course, you learn life skills by living away from home: cooking, cleaning and budgeting. Every adult I have spoken to has told me that they had the best time of their lives at university, where they made lifelong achievements, friends and memories. So, why wouldn’t you want to go to university?
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How the Holocaust Changed Society
by Lucy Barfoot
The Holocaust, which began in World War II, was the regime where the Nazis murdered a mass number of people, such as those of different religions, homosexuals, Poles and prisoners of war. There were over 40,000 death camps, concentration camps and ghettos across Europe; the only way out of being tortured was death. 6 million innocent people were murdered because of their heritage. Today, there are only a few survivors that are still alive to tell their story, so they can try and restore the good in humanity. On Monday 2nd November, I met an inspirational man, who is a survivor of the Holocaust, named Zigi Shipper. He has told his story to thousands of young people because we are "the most important generation"; we can change the future. Born in 1930, he was only 9 years old when the Germans invaded Poland. He was sent out of his three-bedroom apartment, which he shared with his grandparents, to a room, with no toilet, food or running water, in a town filled with other Jews. The Jews had to work in factories from the age of 12, working 12 hour days and only just having enough money for some food, as the rations got smaller and smaller. People also started disappearing and going to unknown destinations, which is when Zigi got sent to Auschwitz. I went to Auschwitz a week after meeting Zigi, and got an insight into his life there. There were two camps: a concentration camp and a death camp. The first thing I noticed was a sign written in German saying "work will set you free". This type of propaganda gave the victims a false sense of hope that they would have freedom again. However, propaganda was also used on the German people to try and get them to work on these camps; they even had to choose between the safety of their family or the strangers behind the camp walls. These people may have been strangers to one another, but they all had an identity. They were people before they were dehumanized and turned into a statistic for the number of deaths the Germans had caused. I realized this when I walked into a few rooms where, behind the glass, were thousands of people’s belongings, ranging from their suitcases to their hair. There were also many pictures, which they had brought with them; these showed the faces of the people and the lives they had lived before: as farmers and doctors, going on holiday with their families or having a picnic at the beach. These families were split from the moment they entered the gates. People who were disabled, elderly, young children or anyone unable to work, would be sent straight to the "showers", which were actually the gas chambers. The other people would have to go straight to a job that would be based on their skills. The conditions were very poor, as they had to work in the winter, where the temperatures were down to -30°C, to working in the summers, where it was over 30°C. The people here would only last a few days; if they were "lucky", they could last a few months. People did try to rebel, but they never succeeded. If they were caught stealing or running away, they would get shot or taken to the dungeons. Some would be locked in a dark room and starved, others had to sleep standing in a cramped cubicle. If one person rebelled, everyone would get punished. For example, one woman grabbed a gun and shot two officers, when stuck in a gas chamber with 2000 women; however, when the lights blacked out, everyone was shot. Another example could be of a man who ran away: the others had to pay by standing outside in thin rags, for 19 hours in the winter, with no food or drink and, if they fell, they would be shot. After seeing the horror of what we, humans, are capable of it, I see that it is really important that we learn about the power of love, and forget about hate. Before I left Auschwitz, there was a memorial where everyone lit a candle, said a prayer and reflected on the trip. I left with the hope that our future can change, and I felt inspired to spread the message of love and not hate. Hopefully, we can bring humanity back. Zigi was very lucky, as the Germans escorted a few people out of the camp, to move them to their next destination. However, the British soldiers managed to stop them and take them to a safer place. Zigi now lives in London and believes that his real family are those who have survived the Holocaust because only they know what happened. Unfortunately, this ending was not the same for the other 6 million people that were murdered in these camps. Zigi's message, now, is for everyone to spread the power of love and not hate, so that history is not repeated.
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Art Department News by Ms Hodge Christmas Card Competition This year’s Christmas Card Competition saw the best collection of entries ever! There was a wonderful range of creative and imaginative designs from across the school. The standard this year was incredibly high, making it a difficult task to select the winning design. In first place, chosen by Ms Cardus, for the official school Christmas card was a digital design by Liberty Brooker in Year 11. Well done to everyone who entered!
Christmas Carol Concert Programme Alongside the Christmas Card Competition was a competition to create a piece of artwork for the Christmas Carol Concert programme. A big thank you to all those who took part, and congratulations to Lowenna Hayter and Ruby Wood, both Year 9 students, whose artwork was selected for the second year running.
Saatchi Gallery The Art Department would like to invite all of our creative, imaginative and talented art students to get involved in an excellent art competition, run by The Saatchi Gallery in London. It is our hope to send a very strong collection of exciting artwork from BCGS students. Your artwork can be in any medium and of any size - for example, you may choose to use photography, painting, drawing, digital design, film, sculpture or collage. There is no prescribed theme and no restriction on medium used. The deadline for entries is 21st December. Email your entries to: nhodge@bartoncourt.org
Focus on Society Photographic Competition National Photographic Competition for young people aged 14-18. This is your chance to capture how young people, places, ideas and issues of UK society, and win part of the ÂŁ2000 total prize fund. The deadline is 11th December. For more information visit: http://www.esrc.ac.uk/photocomp
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London Art/DT Trip On Wednesday 4th November, Year 12 and 13 Art and Product Design students visited London to enrich their learning, to inspire ideas and to help develop their own work. The V&A Museum offered a fabulous opportunity for students, in particular the Product Design students, who were able to study the furniture and 20th Century design sections. Art students visited the Tate Modern, enjoying the array of artwork on display in the permanent exhibitions.
National Portrait Gallery Visit with Y10 art students On a bright and sunny October morning, the GCSE Year 10 Art students visited the National Portrait Gallery in the heart of London. Here they experienced first-hand the portraits that have been so influential over the course of history. The students had a tour of the gallery, taking in the variety of portraits, created by the likes of Francis Bacon, Julian Opie and L.S. Lowry. During the afternoon session, the students had the opportunity to attend a lecture by one of the leading curators from the gallery, where they had the opportunity to ask questions. The students will use this vital experience to help develop their portrait outcomes for their current project.
Art Competitions: Get involved! We’ve already had some success this year with competitions. Molly Lambourn and Max Lamdin, both Year 13 students, had their artwork selected for an exhibition in Maidstone for the John Downton Awards. They attended an awards ceremony at the beginning of July, and Molly Lambourn was successful in winning the drawing prize for her age category. A big congratulations to both students.
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The John Downton Award 2015 by Molly Lambourn The John Downton Awards is an annual art award given to young people from the age 15-18. It is run by Kent County Council and is most notably supported by the Turner Contemporary and Kent University. It is an opportunity for young people to come together and share the brilliant work they do at school, in their separate qualifications.
I entered the 2015 John Downton awards at the start of term. I didn’t expect to get a response, however, mine and Max Lamdin’s work were both selected for the exhibition from the 365 entries. I was pleased to see that work was selected on grounds of quality and contextual meaning. It wasn’t simply a case of choosing one boy and one girl from every school. Furthermore, the judges were actual experts from universities, it was pleasing to see that when they announced the award that they had a justified reason and understanding of each piece that they chose.
I would recommend anyone to enter this award. It was really easy to enter: you simply had to submit a picture of your piece and write two sentences explaining the concepts behind it. Once submitted, the judges would select pieces to go in the exhibition. The Award gets bigger every year, with 36 schools in Kent submitting work. Only Max and I entered this year from Barton Court; I think it’s worth a go and it was brilliant to see what other young artists around Kent were doing. There were a few awards available. For 15-16 yearolds there was the Highly Commended, Bronze, Silver and Gold. There were also the same categories for 1718 year-olds. Furthermore, they made available the Best Photography, Painting and Drawing Awards. I was lucky enough to win the Best Drawing Award with my piece, “Map of One Existence”. The piece was inspired by Grayson Perry, and will now be exhibited in the Turner Contemporary from 7th December until January. My map is essentially a personal narrative of my life, both the poignant and mundane moments. It is quite awkward in many ways for an outsider to read, yet, at the same time, people seem to be able to relate. It is raw in its message, I use a mixture of illustrations and text to express my past, present and future. The piece has a stream of consciousness, some points are considered whilst others are just in the moment. It is a representation of life and a celebration for the mundane, tragic and beautiful situations.
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Boys’ Winter Sports by Mr Lintott Year 7 The Year 7 A League District Competition proved to be a hard-fought campaign this year, with some results not reflecting the team’s good effort. With performances good and results not going to plan, it was great to see the boys play away from home at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School (Q.E.) and have a deserved 3-1 win. Goals were scored by Ben Matthews and Jacob Reynold. In our final game, against Langton at home, we were full of confidence following the Q.E. performance, and we used this winning momentum to good effect by taking an early and deserved lead. With both teams going full out for the win, the game turned on a penalty decision to Langton and they were then back in the game after scoring. Both teams then used the counter-attack to good effect as the game became more open. Langton used this to slightly better effect with good finishing, eventually winning the game 3-1. We now wait for our District Cup games in February— with a continuation of this good character in the team and good spirit, we will undoubtedly do well.
Year 8 Year 8 were unfortunate not to win more games after their first few matches, losing to Canterbury Academy and Archbishops by only one-goal margins. The Archbishops game was even more frustrating, after conceding a goal in the final minute. We then played a Kent Cup 1st round game against Folkestone Academy and bounced back from these defeats in style, with an emphatic 9-1 victory! Goals were scored by Max Halliday (4), Harvey Lintott (2) Will Moses (1), and Oscar Lwellyn Odlin (2). After a disappointing defeat in our next league game, against Q.E. we then went back to the cup competition, playing our second round match against Langton away. Again, just like last year, we started very well, with more possession and goal-scoring opportunities created in the first half. However, with a goal from a quick counter-attack against the run of play from Langton, we were unfortunate to be a goal down at half -time. We showed fantastic resilience in the first part of the second half, and came back to 1-1 a few minutes after kicking off. The game was then a very even affair, but Langton showed better finishing and resolute defending to win the game 4-1. After this disappointing exit in the cup, we then played Langton again in our next and final league game! With the boys wanting to finish the season on a high, we then turned the tables on Langton and won 4-1, with goals from Olly Dodds, Max Halliday, Kosh Rai and an own-goal after a long range shot from Harvey Lintott. Again, we wait for our District Cup opponents in February and hopefully we will get further positive results.
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Year 9 It has been a season of mixed results and performances from the Year 9 team who, despite demonstrating consistent effort and commitment, fell just short in achieving their first win in the Under 14s top division. There was a change in tactics for the Year 9s, who attempted to play a 3-5-2 with pacey, hardworking wingbacks and solidity in front of the defence, provided by Ronnie Murray and Tom Parkison. Yet, with a squad that promised so much, it was a disappointing start for the boys, who lost 4-2 away to Herne Bay. Their second game against Archbishops provided more positives yet, despite their dominance and early lead, the Barton Court boys struggled to turn their chances into goals and found themselves 3-2 down. A half time change saw Henry Skinner enter the fold to try and find that goal, yet this hope quickly vanished after Henry missed a (nearly) open goal with his first touch, leading him to inform everyone on the pitch “I am still warming up!”. Barton Court continued to press and, after a quick talking-to by the referee to one of the Archbishop’s players, who took offence to Captain Murray putting his weight about, they were finally rewarded with the last kick off the game, Tom Halliday taking advantage of an Archbishop mistake to score the vital goal that brought the teams level. A tired performance against Langton Boys (losing 10-1), followed by a cancelled fixture against Canterbury Academy, provided a disappointing finish. Despite this, it is hoped that the team will come back fighting next season!
Year 10 With a depleted squad, it was a hard-fought season for the Year 10 boys who, despite their energy and enthusiasm, failed to record a win throughout their fixtures. It was a tough start for the boys when only 8 players turned up for their first game of the season against St Anslems. With the opposition turning up with enough players to fulfil a rugby fixture, it was agreed they would ‘lend’ some players to Barton Court so that an 11 vs 11 fixture could be played. Despite this, St Anslems continued to dominate and it was only for some fine saves from Felix Ronder, playing in a mud bath due to the conditions, which kept the score at a respectable level. The away team began to run away with it in the second half, yet it was heavens to the rescue as a torrential downpour resulted in the game finishing early and all players, coaches and parents bolting for cover. The second game for the Year 10s, against Whitstable, proved to be another heavy defeat, yet the boys continued to stay positive and were rewarded in their third and final game of the season, where they achieved a creditable draw against a strong Langton Boys team. The players must be praised for their enthusiasm and effort showed throughout the season, with Mr Hellyar being told by another teacher: “that was the most entertaining game I have ever been involved in”.
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Kent Footballers prepare for Dallas Cup After competing in a tournament in France with PSG, West Ham, Lyon and Tottenham Hotspur, two Kent County Under 13 footballers are preparing for a trip to America! Harvey Lintott and Will Moses will be taking part in the prestigious Dallas Cup competition in March next year, with teams from all over the world competing, such as Bayern Munich, Boca Juniors, Lyon, Everton and Liverpool. Players such as Michael Owen, Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney have all played in this competition in previous years, before moving into the full professional men’s game. The next issue of the school magazine will have an update on the boys and their final preparations before leaving for their 10-day tournament.
Year 9 selected for Kent and Gillingham Under 14s Congratulations go out to Tom Halliday, who has been selected to play for the Kent County squad and has been signed by Gillingham FC! The school now has three county players and Tom has joined Harvey Lintott and Will Moses in playing for Gillingham Football Club.
Year 8 selected for District Football squads Kosh Rai and Max Halliday have been selected for the Canterbury Schools District squad and have already played two games against Ashford and Maidstone Districts. Well done to both boys on this great achievement, and we wish them well for this season. In our next edition, we will have more information on their games and performances at District level.
Flag American Football with Year 11 Boys Following a very successful taster day of coaching Flag American football for Key Stage 3 students and coaching from two-time Super Bowl winner, Byron Chamberlain, American Football Development (AFD) Coaching have been working with Year 11 boys groups in PE lessons, delivering 7 sessions of high quality coaching. This has been led by the current Under 16s GB coach and has proved to be a big hit with the boys. It is hoped that further sessions can occur and that students can start to join the local and very successful East Kent Mavericks, based in Canterbury. It is hoped that further possibilities of extra-curricular Flag American football will take place, again, led by AFD. For further information on Flag football, please see their website: www.afdlimited.com In July 2015, AFD officially launched its inter-school competitions, with showcase matches between AFD’s flagship school programmes. Spring 2016 will see the kick-off of AFD’s inter-school leagues, with schools from across the county competing to be crowned the winners of the “Kent Bowl”. See more at: http://www.afdlimited.com/for-schools/#sthash.DY6qng7q.dpuf
Basketball The Under 13 and Under 15 boys basketball squads have started training sessions in preparation for their games this year. The first set of 6 games will be against Q.E. school and we are of course hoping for some good performances like last year, where we only lost 1 game out of 5 at Under 13 level.
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Girls’ Winter Sports By Miss Poole Football Girls’ football has proved very popular in Term 1, with an excellent turnout from students in Years 7 and 8. Despite some match cancellations from other schools, the team did get their first competitive fixture before the half term, against Community College Whitstable. Despite the torrential rain and a thumping 8-0 loss, the team never lost their spirit and showed great enthusiasm for the game. The girls have continued to show excellent commitment into Term 2, with regular attendance at indoor sessions on a Monday for Year 7 students. Their commitment was rewarded by a strong performance in their first indoor tournament, coming second of four schools. The star player on the day was Laura Temple, who put her body on the line on many occasions, to act as a rock in the defence. The team have the opportunity to go one better in their upcoming tournament at Canterbury High on Monday 23rd November. In addition to the indoor sessions, the girls have been attending outdoor sessions with Gillingham F.C. Coach Nicola Garner on a Thursday from 3-4pm. The students have been turning up in all weathers to practice and refine their skills under Nicola’s watchful eye. Their only complaint has been that Nicola’s boom box can’t be used in the rain! If you are passing the field on a Thursday, stop and watch the girls enthusiasm as they show their skills whilst bopping to the music.
Year 11 Girls PE - Zumba Year 11 have once again had the opportunity to do Zumba classes in their core PE lessons. The students have been given the opportunity to learn a number of Zumba dances, and are quite a sight to see when they are all in perfect sync. The module has also given students the opportunity to lead dances for their peers, with their confidence visibly improving all the time. Fitness Frenzi instructor Chris Hilary has once again proven an excellent tutor, and the girls have thoroughly enjoyed the variety in their Year 11 PE curriculum. Year 10 will get the opportunity to strut their stuff in the new year, so hopefully they can show the enthusiasm and style of the Year 11s. Chris has given out awards to the following students for excellent effort and accuracy in their routine replication: Ellie Holder, Juliette Adams, Shannon Richards, Lauren Weir and Beth Condon. Hopefully we can see this enthusiasm return for the annual Year 11 Zumba house competition later in the year.
Upcoming Fixtures Term 3 and 4 are due to be busy for the girls sporting fixtures. Look out for news in the next article about more girls’ football and netball as well as basketball, indoor athletics and cross country!
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Netball Term 1 has seen the introduction of a new District netball schedule which has ensured that Years 7-10 get a game at least once a fortnight, and training in the alternate weeks. This has proven very successful across the District, and students are reaping the rewards. Year 7 have proven themselves extremely committed to training, with huge turnout for every session. This dedication paid off in their first fixture of the year, in which they won by a convincing five goals to one. Unfortunately, our second game was a 3-0 defeat to a very strong and tall Canterbury Academy team. We bounced straight back, though, and won our third match against the Abbey School by three goals to one. Star players so far have been Maddi Upton, Nadine Munnelly and Amelia Coleman. Whilst the other netballers are on a break due to the basketball season, the Year 7 team have opted to continue training under the guidance of Year 11 and 12 students Darcy Martin, Beth Condon and Alex Willis. Thanks to these girls for their great leadership and enthusiasm for the sport.
The Year 8 team have played all of their games with small squads, but have shown great persistence and determination to improve. Their first game of the year saw a fine three goal to one victory over the Abbey School. This was followed by a 3-0 loss to Canterbury Academy. Their final game before the winter break saw them return to winning ways with a six goal to two victory over St Anselm’s. Star players so far have been Ava and Eleanor Parish-Colthup, who have proved to be a deadly shooting duo! The team would benefit from a larger squad and the Year 8 enrichment day proved that there are many talented netballers in the year group. Why not come along and represent your school in netball? Year 9 have played four fixtures to date, being beaten just once. Results have included impressive wins against Archbishops (7-1 and 4-3) and Spires (9-1), and a disappointing 8-1 loss to Simon Langton Girls. Star players so far have been Ella Woodin, Courtney Cope, Isobel James and Jodie Finnis. Year 10 have had the most fixtures to date, with six games played across three evenings. The team’s current record is two won and four lost. The team have shown they are capable of some outstanding performances, as seen in their victories against Spires (9-6) and Abbey (10-0). Losses to Simon Langton (12-3), Archbishops (8-4 and 9-8) and Canterbury Academy (8-2) have highlighted the teams need for more commitment from all team members in terms of attending training. Star players so far have been Mollie Harding and Sophie Kelderis.
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The Barclays Premier League’s Hits and Misses So Far by Adam Whyte The 24th Barclays Premier League campaign began on 8th August 2015 and, with the lack of any national competition during the summer break, the start of the new season couldn’t have come sooner for football fans. As Nick Hornby put it in his book ‘Fever Pitch’, “football fans think of their years running from August to May” and the absence of any form of competitive football for approximately 80 days is almost unbearable for these individuals. It’s widely acknowledged that football fanatics needs the debate, the controversy and the highs and lows a typical football season brings in order for their day-to-day life to be completely fulfilled. At the time of writing, each Premier League club has played 11 games (all statistics correct as of 6 th November 2015). Whilst it’s very early days, an image is starting to be formed of the League’s current hits and misses. Which supporters stake the claim of supporting the League’s in-form side at this stage? Which side is struggling to build up any form of momentum? Alternatively which individual is on fire? And which player has undoubtedly run out of steam? Ponder no longer… Prior to the start of the season in early August, 2014/15 Champions Chelsea, runners-up Manchester City and back-toback FA Cup winners Arsenal were hot favourites to stake a title challenge. However, only one of the mentioned sides started as they were expected to. In terms of expectations for the upcoming campaign, many of these were tarnished barely three weeks in. The League’s so-called ‘smaller clubs’ were the ones who took the gauntlet and ran.
West Ham United Following Sam Allardyce’s contract termination in May 2015, few expected much of West Ham going into the 2015/16 season. The appointment of Slaven Bilic at the beginning of June of this year was seen as routine appointment for a side which finished 12th last campaign. The Croatian boasted very little managerial experience other than with the Croatia national team during the 2012 European Championships. The West-London side’s first signs of intent came on 26th June when they completed the signing of Dimitri Payet from Olympic Marseille. What followed on the 9th August was an opening day victory away at Arsenal whereby Payet provided an assist. The remaining games saw the Hammers beat Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield, Manchester City 2-1 at the Etihad and the Champions Chelsea at Upton Park 2-1.
Leicester City At Christmas last year, Leicester City looked dead and buried at the foot of the Premier League table. With 10 points out of a possible 51 at that stage, it wouldn’t have been a poor use of money if you were to bet on them going down. However, their miraculous survival campaign saw them remain in the Premier League for a second successive season. Under new boss Claudio Ranieri, the Foxes were given a new lease of life. Despite this, very few expected Leicester City to be situated in third place with 22 points out of a possible 33 and boasting only one defeat. Notable wins so far this season include an impressive 2-1 away win at West Ham, as well as high scoring home wins against Sunderland and Aston Villa. The most notable of Leicester City’s achievements can be seen going forward in the form of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez. Vardy, at the time of writing, has scored in each of his past 8 games; joining an elusive club of Daniel Sturridge and Ruud Van Nistlerooy. Just 4 goals behind the League’s current top goal scorer Vardy is Mahrez, who has also contributed 5 assists alongside his 7 goals.
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Manchester City Many would have predicted Manchester City to make a strong start to the Premier League 2015/16 season. After falling short of all expectations domestically last year, Manuel Pellegrini’s men were tipped to come back with a bang this year following the high profile signings of Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne. City’s start to the season was nothing short of perfection. Consecutive 3-0 wins away at West Brom and at home to Champions Chelsea sent an immediate message to their title rivals. The Sky Blues went on to win their first 5 Premier League games; scoring 11 and conceding none. Their home form has also impressed. The month of October started with two home games for Manchester City resulting in 6-1 and 5-1 wins against Newcastle and Bournemouth respectively. Currently sitting at the top of the League with a more than respectable goal difference of positive 26, things are looking bright at the Etihad. But there are several sides who most certainly haven’t put their pre-season preparation to any use. For numerous reasons, some sides currently sitting in the bottom half of the Premier League haven’t enjoyed the fresh start the new season provides. Many will find it hard to disagree with the following teams who have had a stuttering start, to say the least, to the current season. Chelsea In August of this year, prior to the start of the latest Premier League season, the BBC asked 30 of its finest TV and radio pundits, presenters and commentators who would win the league in 2016. Alan Shearer, Gary Lineker, Mark Lawrenson and Guy Mowbray were among the 22 people who predicted Chelsea to retain the Premier League crown. 11 games into the new season, they couldn’t have been more wrong. The 2014/15 Champions currently sit in 15th place in the Barclays Premier League with a meagre 11 points. With just three wins, two draws and, most notably, 6 defeats the Blues seem a depleted shadow of their former self. Home defeats to Crystal Palace, Southampton and Liverpool have mounted the pressure on Jose Mourinho who has seemingly crumbled under the weight of expectation left from last year. Having recently lost his appeal against a £50,000 fine and a one match stadium ban, the ‘Special One’ has had very little to smile about. Continuously blaming the referees’ decisions has given the great manager a sour reputation and many neutrals have called for him to be sacked. And to top it all off, there are many reports suggesting there has been a mutiny against Mourinho within the dressing room. Could it get any worse? Aston Villa
In February of 2015, Tim Sherwood was appointed as Paul Lambert’s replacement at Aston Villa. Against the odds, the former Premier League winner kept the Villains up and took them to their first FA Cup final in 15 years. However, this was as good as it was going to get for Sherwood and Aston Villa. After an opening day victory at Bournemouth, Aston Villa went on to lose eight of their next nine league – including six straight defeats – leaving them rock bottom after 11 games with just 4 points. Villa fans will argue the loss of Fabian Delph, Tom Cleverley and, in particular, Christian Benteke left them in an impossible position, with Sherwood’s signings not stepping up to the plate. The Midlands club will hope the appointment of new manager Remi Garde will kick-start their season. Better late than never, I guess! Sunderland
Dick Advocaat wept tears of joy as he secured Premier League safety for Sunderland at the end of last season. He even convinced his wife to let him stay on at the club for a further season. However his 2015/16 season didn’t go as planned. After eight games, the Dutchman resigned; leaving Sunderland without a win. His replacement was the experienced Sam Allardyce who has a record of keeping sinking ships afloat. Despite seeing his new side demolished 6-2 at Goodison Park, Sunderland fans will be expecting big things from ‘Big Sam’, especially following their first win of the season coming in his second game in charge (a 3-0 home win against rivals Newcastle).
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Canterbury Youth ParliamentWednesday 7th October 2015 The event was staged in the prestigious Powell Lecture Theatre, Canterbury Christ Church University. It is located in the Powell Building in the North Holmes Road Campus. https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/support/computing-services/cs_av/cs_av-powell-lecture-theatre.asp
The first half was essentially an open debate/forum for students to offer their views on the general topic of Young People in 2015 – Education and Beyond. Each school brought speakers to make prepared speeches in pairs, individually or in groups which they delivered from the podium to the floor. Students could have been from any year, as the key objective was to get students involved! Some gifted Year 7 students could have been a good match for some Year 10s, while some Sixth Formers may have wanted to participate and they would also have been very welcome. The speeches were to tie in with the broad topic and be suitably interesting and relevant. They could have been about how the education system is flawed or the challenges facing young people in modern society or voting for 16 year olds or improving travel in Canterbury for young people, etc. Each school had a maximum ten-minute slot, within which five minutes should be questions. A chairperson was present to stop any presentations, to ensure that there was time for questions from the floor. Schools can have 5 students on 5 topics for 1 minute each or one student on one topic for 5 minutes then taking 5 mins of questions. In many ways, this was a public speaking event with some requirements to handle questions and comments. The format was deliberately loose and the topic deliberately broad. The hope was that students would offer their genuine and honest ideas on the issues faced by local young people in this part of the day. There were judges to select those teams and individuals who were particularly original, enthusiastic and appeared to be authentically addressing the issues of our time. The timings were finalised, based on 11 schools which are now attending. The second half of the day had a more traditional debating format, but with schools working in mixed teams to argue specific motions that were allocated to them. The mixed team was ideally two students from one school, debating alongside two from another school, but this was flexible, depending on age. The detail of the speeches in the paired schools was confirmed on the day, in break out rooms. The motion was proposed in two three-minute speeches by one mixed team, then opposed in two three-minute speeches by another mixed team. Judges then questioned each team. Each mixed team then had two one-minute speeches to offer concluding remarks. Each debate took about 40 mins.
Essentially, the event needed one member of staff for the day, and anything from two to fifteen students to attend the public speaking then the debating. The afternoon event needed a pair (to be added into a mixed team) and the morning event needed one student or a group who would present as the school. The same students could have participated in both events.
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The Guest Speakers and Judges: David Bates Principal Lecturer and Director of the Politics and International Relations Programme at Canterbury Christ Church University, Kent.
Angel Layer Chair | Kent Youth County Council Ambassador and Media Campaigner| Model Westminster Member of UK Youth Parliament
Bernadette Fisher Whitstable Labour Councillor Union officer with Unite and its predecessors for 25 years. Before that, she was a union researcher having achieved an MA in European Studies back in the annals of history in 1987. She is very interested in European politics still with a personal bias towards Spain, in particular.
Ralph Leighton Senior Lecturer at CCCU. Previously taught in Kent schools for over 20 years, as well as part-time at Mid-Kent College and the University of Kent Law School. Teaching responsibilities are primarily related to 11-18 PGCE Citizenship. Research interests concern the nature of citizenship education and its potential to facilitate social change.
Competing schools: Archbishops
Spires Academy
Barton Court Grammar School
St Anselm’s
Canterbury Academy
St Edmund’s
Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School
St George’s
Simon Langton Boys’ School
The Wye School
Simon Langton Girls’ School
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Italy Trip 2015 by George Lynch The Drive Although it may seem daunting, the 18-hour drive to and from Italy really wasn’t bad. The coaches were air-conditioned, had comfy seats and had televisions located at the front and back of the bus meaning there was the option to watch films whilst on the journey to not get bored. On the way to Italy, the coach stopped off for breaks in France and Switzerland to allow students to buy new refreshments and food, along with presents for family. On the return trip, the journey was barely noticeable due to the driving being done in the night, meaning that you fell asleep in Italy and woke up in France.
Lake Garda During the week, we travelled out to Lake Garda and had a teacher-led tour of the Lake and its surrounding villages. We started in the Southern area and travelled upwards, ending up in the Northern section. Travel-wise, a coach was taken to reach the Lake, then a boat was used to cross it; taking us from the Southern section to the Northern point. At all points of the trip, there were fantastic photograph opportunities for students to take, in order to capture the Lake and its culture.
Ice Cream In the course of the week, there were many opportunities to enjoy Italian gelato which is said to be better tasting and better textured than any other ice cream in the world. After dinner at the hotel, students were driven out to Lazise to enjoy Italian ice cream under fireworks and the essence of Italian culture.
Venice During the trip, we had a day long tour of Venice. We started by entering the city via boat and were able to soak up the beautiful architecture and culture. A guided tour was given by the teachers, whilst we walked round Venice crossing over bridges and working our way through the maze of small city routes. Whilst in Venice, we had time allocated to wandering round a market area of the city, to buy goods for family and friends back home.
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Pizzeria One night of the trip, we travelled via coach to a pizzeria. Students enjoyed fresh, Italian pizza with a view of the local town. Before the trip, students had the option to choose what type of pizza they wanted on the night and if any alterations were wanted, they could be done before reaching the pizzeria.
Verona Near the end of the week, a day was spent travelling around Verona. The day started with a guided tour from the outskirts of the Castelvecchio, leading through to the Arena and ending at Juliet’s house. The tour was led by a tour group in Verona who were able to answer the never-ending questions fired at them from members of the student groups. Afterwards, students had time to ‘Rome’ around Verona and buy gifts from the various outlet shops located in the streets, around the coliseum, before heading back to the coach and leaving for the hotel.
Hotel Food Whilst staying at the hotel, we were provided with breakfast before we left to do our various activities, lunch packaged in paper carrier bags for the trips out and, finally, dinner once we got back to the hotel. The three-course dinner varied from each night to the next, with the food still being Italianbased. Each night, vegetarian options were available as an alternative to the main meal and water was provided as a drink.
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STEM Trip- Sandwich Big Bang Spanish Exchange Trip 2015 Discovery Park
By Sinclair Perry by Sinead Morrissey
This October, 14 students and 2 teachers from Barton Court flew to Las Rozas in Madrid to stay with the Spanish families from “El Burgo de las Rozas” secondary school. This trip gave us the opportunities to see some famous sights in Madrid and Segovia, experience the day-to-day life in Spain, make some amazing life-long friends, and, of course, practise our Spanish!
Day 1: The journey there was fairly easy, by coach and plane, although most of us were quite nervous about meeting our exchange partners and their families for the first time! For some of us, it was our first visit to Spain, so there was a mixture of nerves and excitement. When we arrived at the school in Las Rozas, we were greeted with open arms by the Spanish families and students. Everyone was very kind and friendly when welcoming us into their homes that evening. Those of us participating in the exchange for the first time spent that evening getting to know our exchange partners and their families, and we all got on very well with each other.
Day 2: The second day was spent at the high school in Las Rozas. All of the students from Barton Court had a group activity with Miguel, one of the English teachers there. We had to work in teams to build a tower that a marshmallow would balance on top of which was quite fun, until they all eventually fell down! Then we took part in a Year 8 music class which was also in English, and we spent most of the lesson playing Frère Jacques. Afterwards, we had a Spanish pop-rock session with another music teacher, where we learnt how Spanish music compares to British music. Later on, the Headteacher of the school, Belén, and one of the English teachers who organised the exchange, Concha, told us about what we were going to be seeing in Madrid on Tuesday. Finally, we also took part in a Year 9 Geography lesson, which involved the Spanish students asking us questions about what British culture is like for young people and how it compares to Spanish culture. This was funny as it turned out we all liked the same music, food, TV programmes and pretty much everything! After school finished, we and our exchange partners had paella together in the school, which allowed us to get to know other Spanish students, as well as our own partners. That evening we spent it with our families and mine, Robert’s, and Ella’s exchanges took us all to a Spanish party, it was really fun!
Day 3: On the third day, we all went to Segovia, an old city near Madrid. We saw the famous huge aqueducts and walked underneath them. Also, we went into the castle and climbed to the top, which showed a fantastic view over Segovia. Then we were able to walk through the town in our free time and visit some shops. There were also some great street performers, including a man who was playing a strange drum-like instrument and a man who walked around making huge bubbles with just two sticks and a piece of string. Then, when we arrived back in Las Rozas, most of the others spent the evening with the families, but some of us and our partners went to a shopping centre called Heron City. There was so much to do there for people our age and it was so much fun!
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Days 4 and 5: The next two days were spent with the families and they decided what we could do. Some of us went to central Madrid and we went to a huge traditional Spanish market. It had everything! We also did some shopping which allowed us to buy things for our families back at home. The next day, we spent with the families, as well, with some of us and the Spanish students spending the day together. We also went bowling, and one of the Spanish students, Jorge, beat Robert who is meant to be one of England’s best bowlers!
Day 6: The day before we left, all English and Spanish students went to central Madrid where we visited the Royal Palace, the Prado Museum of Art, and the Bell Tower where the ball is dropped on New Year’s Eve. In the Palace, we saw all the grand rooms that had been royally decorated from top to bottom, and it seemed quite different to Buckingham palace. Then, in the Prado Museum, we saw famous paintings by Velazquez, Goya, and Bosch. We also got some free time to do some shopping on our own, in which we went to El Corte Ingles, the Harrods of Madrid.
Day 7: On the last day, we arrived at the school bright and early - 7:45! We said our goodbyes to our partners and their families. We only have to wait another 5 months until we see them again. We had a safe journey back, arriving at Barton Court at about 3:30, where we were back with England’s dreary weather. This Spanish exchange has been a fantastic experience for me and has helped me improve my Spanish and knowledge of Spanish culture. Also, I have made some brilliant friends there that I am still keeping in touch with. We are all very excited for when they come to England in March. Most of us, definitely me, are planning on doing it again next year and we highly recommend that you do it as well.
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Cross Country Championship By Cole Gibbens On Friday the 27th of November, Barton Court representatives took part in a Cross Country Championship at Kent College. As a whole, I am sure I can talk on behalf of the PE Department in saying that we students really did the School proud. Throughout the afternoon, there were many races in which we finished very high in the rankings. We started the afternoon with the Year 7 runners competing. These Year 7s did extremely well because, not only was it something that they had never done before, but the conditions weren’t the best: the rain was heavy and the wind was strong. Running through that weather really does take some doing, so I will be the first to congratulate these determined students. Edie Thompson was able to finish 16th and will go on to represent the district at the county championships in January. Erin Van Petegem and Zach Mollatt came 19th and 18th respectively, and so will be on standby as reserves for the district team. Following this, the Year 8 and 9 boys were competing against each other. By this time, the competition was in full throttle. The course consisted of a lap and a half around a field, before entering the woods. A kilometre or so later, the boys exited the woods, before entering the final straight. Elliot Wraight (Year 9) was our first finisher in this race, getting a strong 6th place. A while later, the Year 8 and 9 girls took to the course. A good race, and very well done to all of the girls who took part. At 2pm in the afternoon, the Year 10 and 11 girls and boys competed for Barton Court. Representing the Year 10 and 11 boys was me, Cole Gibbens (Year 10), and Joe Whitby (Year 11). The race was 3.8km long, consisting of a long trek round the field, before entering the woods. I finished in 2nd place, winning a place on the podium and an automatic place in the next stage of the District Cross Country. Joe finished 21st, only one place out of the qualification zone. Iszy Osmond and Saskia De Giles competed in their fourth successive years and finished in 4th and 5th place. This secures them a place on the District team for the January County event.
Royal Society Trip by Jake Fox Every year, a collection of science’s brightest prospects and most qualified researchers gather for the Royal Society Summer Exhibition – a chance to show off just how far they have managed to stretch the limits of modern science, within a multitude of different fields. And, this year, our Year 12 Science Students had the opportunity of seeing all of this, first- hand and up-close. These exhibits highlighted the marvels of modern science in their respective fields, and many also used this to show just how far we have come from the early days of science in general; for example, from our early understanding of DNA to our new ability to manipulate it. Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Psychology, and even a mix of these, were covered in a host of demonstrations and experiments, where University students and researchers explained to the general public just what all of the flashing lights were about, anyway. As with most exhibitions of this variety, every student had a different experience, and a different favourite of the exhibits on show. Some were inspired by the Richard III proof demonstration, admiring the ‘mixture of history and biology’ and just ‘how well it showed off what research had really gone into it’. Others opted down the modern route, and were fascinated by the demonstrations of reforming material and Nano-Technology, with these showing ‘just how far science has come and how far it can keep going’, especially with this level of continued interest and support. Many even used this as an example to follow from for their projects this year, as EPQ and EE ideas to work with and, hopefully, further their understanding and interest in all of the topics available. With a wide range of exhibits, from highly-selective hearing devices to rockets fuelled by electrons and plasma, this was an experience that most there won’t forget in a hurry.
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World War One Battlefield Trip by Ms Martin Two BCGS students were selected in November to participate in the National Education Programme for the First World War Centenary Battlefield Tours Programme. The programme, sponsored by the Department for Education, Department for Communities and local government, aims to send two students from every secondary school in England to visit the First World War Battlefields as part of the country’s commemoration of the Centenary of the First World War. Alex (Year 10) and Finlay (Year 11) were selected, following a written response explaining what the First World War means to them. Alex was honoured to lay a wreath at the Menin Gate in Ypres, with Alison Rose, the British Ambassador to Belgium. They also met with Captain Andrew Young from the Army Education Service and Lance Corporal Tariq Baksh, from the Household Cavalry.
Whilst there, they and Mr Wood, Head of Year 7 and Teacher of History, visited Tyne Cot Cemetery and Memorial, Langemark German Cemetery, the Memorial Museum Passchendaele, Newfoundland Memorial Park and Thiepval Memorial. All agreed that it was not only a momentous tour, but a very moving one too.
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Berlin Trip 2015 by Millie Korzeniowska The Berlin Trip took place during Enrichment Week last year, and was open to GCSE and A-Level History students. Leaving early Sunday morning and returning late on Friday evening, we had five
days to delve into German culture and explore the history of Berlin. The week was filled with an abundance of enriching visits to historical monuments, to greatly help our understanding of how the upheaval in the 20th Century caused such a change, not only in the German capital, but across Europe. The visit to The House of the Wannsee Conference, where the proposal and implementation of ‘The Final Solution’ took place in January of 1942, was perhaps the one that struck us most. On January 20th, the SS General, Reinhard Heydrich, assembled 15 high-ranking members of the Nazi party
and German government officials at the house in Wannsee to discuss the ‘The Final Solution of the Jewish Question’. In 1947, one copy of the minutes of the meeting was recovered, the 16th of 30 copies. This copy was edited by Heydrich, replacing the phrases referring to the extermination of Jews with coded Nazi language. Using euphemistic language to disguise their wrongdoings was something often done by the Nazi party. Though the minutes are not entirely accurate, you can still understand how horrific these plans were. Perhaps the most astounding thing about the house in Wannsee is that no more than 80 years ago, in such a beautiful house, surrounded by serene gardens, a plan to eradicate over 11 million people was arranged. It’s a shocking place, but really allows you to come to
terms with what happened there in the 40’s. Other visits to Plotzensee Prison and Sachsenhausen concentration camp were gripping experiences which allowed me to understand the atrocities that took place during the 20th Century that, before the trip, I could not quite comprehend. Though the trip was not made up only of outings to places of sombre, historical significance, the teachers took us out for meals during which we could listen to the rather idiosyncratic tales of our tour guides, Martin and Ed. For anybody taking history, this trip is a wonderful opportunity to explore aspects of the World Wars that simply cannot be experienced in a lesson.
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Drama Trip by Miss Brown
On the 15th October, GCSE Drama students travelled to London in order to see a production of ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’. They had been studying extracts from the text during lesson time, and they were eager to see how the professional production dealt with the many challenges offered by the original text. To help, Miss Brown had booked a 2 hour practical workshop in the morning at Pineapple Dance Studios with ‘Theatre Workout’, a company who uses current industry professionals to lead workshops. This one was based directly on the physical techniques used in the production, primarily methods used by Frantic Assembly. Students learnt techniques such as lifts, balancing, mirroring and other ensemble work that is shown during the second act of the production. Students were then able to appreciate the hard-work and choreography that went into producing such an amazing show.
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Indie Films: a Better Representation than Big Budget Blockbusters? by Sam Wilson Only a fraction of films are made with the multi-million pound investment in Hollywood franchises; there's a whole category of film, which encompasses just about anything from ghostly horror to teenage romance to gritty action, as long as they were made without the backing of a major production company or large cash investment . In many cases, these films are called “B-Movies” or “Indie Films” as they are seen to be largely inferior to massive blockbusters which are viewed thousands of times in every cinema in the country. This stigma associated with films without the “all-star cast”, “thrilling graphic effects” and widespread marketing campaigns is one which effects everybody. Of course, we would rather go to a cinema to watch the final instalment of our favourite series, whether it be Harry Potter, Star Wars, Twilight or anything else, than sitting at home watching a film made by an unknown French director in the 1980’s. In the scheme of things, it's more a reflection on the power of money on an industry that historically was more about conveying meaning. However, I'm looking to shed some light on “Indie Films” and why, in fact, they encapsulate the magic of some cinema greats in a modern era, and are, therefore, a better representative of the industry than most of what we see on the big screen nowadays. Of course, I'm not here to slam every single film that is played in cinemas, as, genuinely, we have seen some great blockbuster films over the few years: ‘Sicario’, ‘Nightcrawler’ and ‘Birdman’ to name but a few. It is not these films which I believe to be the issue with the film industry, but those that appear to exist purely to please the masses and exploit them for money. For example, the budget of the four films in Michael Bay’s ‘Transformers’ franchise was a huge $755 million but when compared to the $3.761 billion it has taken in at the box office, it's nothing. The franchise itself has no artistic value; they're no masterpieces of film, they can barely hold together a passable review, yet they gross the rough equivalent to every human being on the planet paying $0.50! A shocking statistic that shows the true diminishment of the industry: from meaning to money. It's difficult to define an “Indie Film”: accurately, it is any film made without the support of a big production company, instead from an independent production company, such as ‘Broad Green Pictures’ or ‘Samuel Goldwyn Films’. They are two examples of relatively high profile independent production companies but there are many more that produce authentic independent films every year which tend to be regionally released or shown at independent film festivals, such as Sundance Film Festival. Typically, “Indie Films” will be made on a low budget but there are rare exceptions such as ‘Pulp Fiction’s $8 million budget or ‘Donnie Darko’s $3.6 million budget, but even these are nothing when compared to, for example, the $155 million budget of recent sci-fi film ‘Terminator Genisys’. So surely if a film like ‘Pulp Fiction’ or ‘Donnie Darko’ can receive highly positive critical reviews and convey such deep meaning beyond all the actions which physically appear on screen, with only a fraction of the budget of ‘Terminator Genisys’, then why can't that do the same, if not better. It's a matter, really, of what the general public are most interested in seeing. Many people look for exciting action, or their favourite actors or their favourite franchises when deciding upon a film to see, rather than deeper meaning or the actual quality of the film. It's a personal thing: some people prefer to see films they know will provoke thought, whilst others are fine with films that are ‘easier to watch’. Along with ‘Pulp Fiction’ and ‘Donnie Darko’, we see another indie film, which achieved widespread acclaim and success as possibly one of the greatest horror films of time: ‘Blair Witch Project’. With a budget of just $22,500, it made a staggering $250 million at the box office worldwide. This is the perfect representation of the independent film industry, and is an inspiration to aspiring film makers everywhere. The phenomenal profit of this found footage spectacle conveys chilling scares, acceptable acting and a sinister mood. To conclude, of course the blockbuster film industry does provide many truly brilliant films for us to see at our favourite cinemas, and the independent industry produces a lot of low-budget drivel. However, there are some genuine diamonds in the rough that prove that you don't need to invest millions into a film in order to produce something worthwhile for audiences. So next time you're looking for a good, new film to watch, save the money you'd spend on getting to the cinema, buying food and paying for the film but instead sit down on the sofa, make yourself a drink, grab some popcorn and browse the Internet to find some great, free, independently produced films to watch, you might be surprised.
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Nina Meets the Stars of ‘The Hunger Games’! Nina has Chronic Rheumatoid Arthritis which was diagnosed when she was 18 months old. She has taken various medication throughout her life which mostly controls the condition, but she still has flares which affect her joints, making some movement difficult. With steroid injections, these flares subside and she has months of relative normality. The nurses at the hospital in Canterbury said that the current medication, which she takes for it, qualified her for a wish to be granted from the Rays of Sunshine Children’s Charity, so Nina wrote down her three possible wishes and they granted her one! Nina has read all the Hunger Games books and has loved all the films so far, so was looking forward to seeing this last one in November. The Charity telephoned in September to say that they had been given tickets and that she could go to the Premiere in Leicester Square in London on the 5th November; she would watch the arrivals on the Red Carpet, and then watch the movie. She went up with her mum and met other children being granted wishes from the same charity, and was then escorted to a pen at the end of the Red Carpet, just before the entrance to the Odeon Cinema. Several celebrities, who were there to watch the movie, came down the Red Carpet and were guided to the children to say hello, including Ben Haenow, Tom Daley, Jason Donovan (ask your mum) and Alfie Deyes (from YouTube fame). Then, the film’s stars started coming. Nina got to meet and get autographs from Donald Sutherland, Julianne Moore, Stanley Tucci, Woody Harrelson, Sam Claflin, Liam Hemsworth , Josh Hutcherson and Jennifer Lawrence. When they had all gone by, she went into the cinema and watched the movie, which was as fantastic as she had hoped. But, no spoilers— you’ll have to see it for yourself!
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RAG Week
Young Dragons Project by Ross Edwards by Young Dragons is a new project to the school that supports groups of young people who want to start up and run their own company. Business Enterprise Volunteers, people who share their time and expertise with us and school teachers, help to give valuable support through regular meetings in school and conversing via E-Mail.
The Young Dragons Business Enterprise Project involves groups of KS4 and KS5 Kent and Medway students in the setting up and running of their own mini businesses. Capital has to be raised by floating shares or injecting funds, and students take on various roles in their companies, designing and manufacturing products and services for the duration of the project. The project provides opportunities for the development of employability skills as well as supporting Numeracy, English, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and all Business Studies courses.
Our Project - Edge Welcome to Edge! We are a group of 6 equal partners who share the same ideas and split various roles and responsibilities. Our idea for a product is a themed glow in the dark pack that can be reusable over and over again, this differs from existing products as we offer a wide range of themes. We aim to penetrate the toy market as it is an expanding market with a constant flow of potential customers.
Adventures in Time and Space by Josh Milton-Bell It promised to be an exciting line up for a Whovian! Russell T. Davies, who wrote the first few series, was discussing his work for ‘Doctor Who’ and other great dramas. ‘Doctor Who’ writer and creative chief, Steven Moffat, executive producer, Brian Minchin, and the Time Lord himself, Peter Capaldi, would be on later. They were all appearing at the first ever Radio Times Festival in London, which celebrated television, books and radio. The tickets went fast and, before I knew it, I was sitting and listening to the first talk by Russell T. Davies. Davies discussed how he got into screenwriting and suggested that, to pick up great dialogue, you have to be a good listener. He obviously is very successful at it, since he’s picked up many awards over the years. When it came to ‘Doctor Who’, he was asked to name his favourite character. He chose the Daleks. He thought they were the most devious things in the world and added, “they have such contempt for every other life form”.
On a much larger stage, I’m sure there were about five hundred people there; I took my seat for the main ‘Doctor Who’ session. The actor Peter Capaldi came on last to rapturous cheers. It was great to see him in person. He’s much taller than you imagine. He was wearing his signature dark suit, white shirt and boots. Comedian Frank Skinner, the host, who is a massive Doctor Who fan, wondered whether Capaldi would still be The Doctor in Series 10 since his companion, Jenna Coleman, was leaving. Capaldi was keen to stay but the ‘Doctor Who’ writer, Moffat, was slightly more playful: “That depends how Series 9 ends… And anything could happen!” he said. So there we have it. The talk lasted for about an hour and I felt privileged to see some of my inspirations. But, for how much longer we will see the latest Doctor on our screen? We will just have to wait until Christmas!
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Black Friday (for 2016) by Lucy Barfoot Black Friday represents the beginning of the Christmas shopping period. It is a day when people rush into the shops to be the first person to buy the latest gadgets at a cheaper price.
This first
originated in America, and has only recently come to the UK. Although this sounds like the ‘dream’ shopping day for everyone, there is also a downside to the discounted products: people begin to use violence just for the sake of a new gadget. In 2013, there was an incident where a man was shot in the leg at a Target store in Las Vegas, as he wrestled a person over a big-screen TV. Over the years, the police have had to arrest a number of people for punching and kicking others over TVs, children toys and other gadgets, as humans turn into animals for the sake of a new product. This is why many people celebrate Black Friday by doing their shopping online.
Here are some tips to prepare you for next year’s Black Friday…
Plan ahead: Make sure you do all of your research beforehand. Find the shops which are selling that product for the cheapest price, and even find an alternative, in case the shops sell out. Also, make sure you plan your route, so you do not run out of time!
Make sure your phone and laptop are charged: This is important because, if you have not done enough planning, you can go onto the internet to find out about other shops and products. You can even make your life easier and safer in this situation, if you do your Black Friday shop online.
Set budgets: Always make sure that you set yourself a budget, so you do not spend more than you have. Sometimes, seeing things at cheaper prices actually makes you buy more. Remember you will need money for food and bills for the rest of the month, until the next pay day!
Check that you are getting a deal: Some people believe that, because Black Friday has many things discounted, everything is cheaper. This is NOT the case. Make sure you are getting the best deal by comparing with other shops and websites.
Be safe: I am sure that no one wants to get arrested before the Christmas holidays, so make sure there is no violence when you are shopping.
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Merry Christmas from Around the Globe
by Shannon Potter
Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, at least according to Andy Williams. It’s an inescapable global phenomenon, which holds both religious importance to Christians, and a significant cultural and family importance to others. In fact, the holiday is so influential that shops and other retailers, much to the delight of children and the dismay of parents, begin to promote the holiday in November. Whilst we, here, in the UK are hanging stockings above the fire and opening our advent calendars, many other nations celebrate the holiday in unique ways, from the Austrian demon Krampus, who punishes bad children; to Finland’s touching remembrance of their loved ones at the Christmas time, lighting candles at the graves of their family, making a sombre yet beautiful sight at the coldest time of year. In the UK, we often associate Christmas with Father Christmas, Coca Cola and John Lewis adverts, fir trees and the agony of Christmas shopping. Traditionally, a turkey dinner is enjoyed with our loved ones and a unique Christmas pudding or cake is eaten. The fir tree was made popular by the German Prince Albert in the Victorian era and has since been welcomed into British homes. Presents are left by Father Christmas on Christmas Eve and opened on Christmas Day. Often, houses and shops are beautifully decorated throughout December; holly, lights and tinsel cover the streets and the living rooms across Britain. Mistletoe is also a tradition, much to the delight of some mischievous fellows or friends, as those who stand below the plant are supposed to share a kiss. It is impossible to say ‘Christmas’ in the UK, without having primary schools rehearsing and performing their nativity plays and the annual carol services that schools across the nation hold. Unfortunately, though, most residents of the UK never see the white Christmas we are so often promised, unless you are fortunate enough to be in Scotland. German Christmas is often considered to be the most traditional in the world. The Christmas markets are sights to behold: brightly decorated stalls sell their wares, whilst the popular Christmas trees surround them. Many of the Christmas carols we sing in the UK originally come from Germany: for example, O Christmas Tree (O Tannenbaum) and Silent Night (Stille Nacht). However, the main day of gift giving in Germany is Christmas Eve, by Santa Claus. Germany has other important figures at Christmas— in Nuremberg, each year, a girl is chosen to play the role of the Christkind (a girl with Christ-like qualities) and is given many official duties, like visiting hospitals and retirement homes. The demon Krampus also makes appearances in some parts of Germany. One of the main things that Germany is associated with at Christmas is Stollen, a yeast bread made with fruits that is enjoyed all over the world. New Zealand celebrates in a way we, in the UK, see as less traditional. Parades are held with floats depicting Santa Claus, and marching girls accompany the parades, making for a wonderful commercial event for the whole family. Barbecues are becoming increasingly popular for a Christmas meal—fish and venison is grilled, to be served for Christmas lunch. Hot fruit puddings are popular as a dessert in New Zealand, but cold desserts, like pavlova and ice cream, also have a centre stage in their celebrations. Like the UK and USA, most of the gifts are presented to family on December 25th by Santa Claus. The most striking feature of Christmas celebrations in New Zealand are their choice in decorative foliage. Unlike the UK, USA and most European nations, the tree of choice is the Pohutukawa tree, also known as the New Zealand Christmas tree. They are a key feature in Kiwi greeting cards and festive poetry.
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The United States of America have one of the most commercial and interesting Christmases. Thanksgiving is celebrated in November, where a turkey dinner is eaten, and Black Friday, a major shopping event, which ends in both bargains and casualties, is held not long after. There is no set Christmas dinner in the USA; some choose the UK style meal, others of Eastern European origins prefer dishes such as Keilbasi for Christmas, Italian-American families will chose a more traditional meal for their background. In some areas, such as New England, Christmas shops can be found that only stock toys and gifts for Christmas all year round. The USA are also home to one of the most alcoholic Christmases in the world, consuming large amounts of beer and eggnog. There is even a strange American tradition called the Running of the Santas, where men dressed as Father Christmas go on a pub crawl. Venezuela has a more unique Christmas. Like most European nations, they have an artificial Christmas trees and the nativity scene, which is more popular than the trees, but they also have some unique types of music. Gaita and Aguinaldos y Parrandas are types of music played around Christmas. Hallacas and Pan de Jamón are the traditional Christmas foods of Venezuela, which are very different to the turkey dinners we have here. In Venezuela, either Santa Claus or the baby Jesus gives presents when Christmas celebrations start on December 21st. Epiphany and Santa Barbara's day are both celebrated around Christmas time. Though the most peculiar thing about the Venezuelan celebrations is the mode of transport in Caracas. Roller-skates are used to get around to the early morning masses, the streets are closed off from the 16 th to 24th to avoid accidents and speed up the commutes of churchgoers. The nation of Israel does not celebrate Christmas, but instead celebrates the holy Jewish festival of Hanukkah. In Israel, there are many delightful foods, such as the Sufganiyot doughnut. There are also shows throughout the country, the best of which can be found in Jerusalem’s Old City, put on to mark the occasion. Lighting the Menorah Candles with family and friends is an important part of the celebrations. Toys, such as the Dreidel, are made and given out at this time of year. The event starts with the annual Light Torch, which is passed from Modi’in to the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City, hand-by-hand to light the giant Hanukkiyah at the Western Wall. Across the globe Christmas is celebrated not by all but by many. Other festivals such as Hanukkah and Kwanza are also celebrated around this time of year. All of these celebrations give us a chance to spend time with our families and friends, across each nation, across each holiday. The most important similarity is to enjoy yourself and make memories with your family, whether that be done by roller skating through the city streets, running around dressed as Santa Claus or simply sitting together and talking. These new shared memories will be the greatest gift that we receive at Christmas time this year.
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Some Good Ol’ Festive Crackers by Bryony Thorogood and Emily Allison By Sinclair Perry
What Christmas carol is heard in the desert? O Camel Ye Faithful!
What do you get if you eat Christmas decorations? Tinselitis!
What do you get if you cross an archer and a gift wrapper? Ribbon Hood!
Who is Santa’s favourite singer? Elf-is Presley!
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What never eats at Christmas? The turkey, because it’s usually stuffed!
How does Good King Wenceslas like his pizzas? Deep and crisp and even!
What is the best Christmas present ever? A broken drum, you just can’t beat it!
What is the difference between the ordinary alphabet and the Christmas alphabet? The Christmas alphabet has Noel!
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Fantastic Festive Recipes by George Chrysostomou
CHRISTMAS MORNING MUFFINS INGREDIENTS: 250 grams plain flour 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 100 grams caster sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (or good grating of fresh nutmeg) 2 clementines (or satsumas) approx. 125 ml full fat milk 75 ml vegetable oil (or melted butter left to cool slightly) 1 large egg 175 grams dried cranberries 3 teaspoons demerara sugar (for the topping)
METHOD: 1.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6/400ºF. Line a 12-bun muffin tin with muffin papers or inserts.
silicone
2.
Measure the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, caster sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg into a large bowl; grate the zest of the clementine/satsuma over, and combine. If you are doing this in advance, leave the zesting till Christmas morning.
3.
Squeeze the juice of the clementines/satsumas into a measuring jug, and pour in the milk until it comes up to the 200ml mark / halfway between the ¾ cup and 1 cup marks.
4.
Add the oil (or slightly cooled, melted butter) and egg, and lightly beat until just combined.
5.
Pour this liquid mixture into the bowl of dried ingredients and stir until everything is more or less combined, remembering that a well-beaten mixture makes for heavy muffins: in other words a lumpy batter is a good thing here.
6.
Fold in the cranberries, then spoon the batter into the muffin cases and sprinkle the demerara sugar on top. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until golden brown.
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Sports Round-Up: Fantastic Festive Recipes Girls Netball
by Miss Poole by Ruby Fitzgerald
SPICED CHRISTMAS TREE COOKIES INGREDIENTS:
FOR DECORATION:
100g butter
300g icing sugar
175g dark muscovado sugar
Water
85g golden syrup
Sweets/decorative sprinkles
350g plain flour 1 tbsp ground ginger Âź tsp ground cloves 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 egg, beaten A pinch of salt
METHOD: 1.
Melt the butter, muscovado sugar and syrup in a pan until it has all dissolved.
2.
Mix the flour, spices and ½ tsp of salt in a separate bowl.
3.
Allow the butter mixture to cool and stir in the bicarbonate of soda, half the flour mixture and beat well.
4.
Add in the egg and the second half of the flour mixture, beat together until it becomes a soft dough.
5.
Tip this onto a sheet of foil and flatten the mixture, allow it to cool and place in the fridge until it is firm.
6.
Whilst the mixture is in the fridge heat the oven to 190C, or gas mask 5.
7.
Roll out the dough and using a festive shaped cookie cutter stamp out the shapes. Place these on a baking sheet and bake for 12-15 mins until golden.
8.
Once the cookies are out of the oven leave them to harden and place on a rack.
DECORATION: 1.
Mix roughly 3 tbsp of water into the icing sugar to create 2.
Decorate as you wish, using food
3.
Leave to allow the icing to harden.
a thick icing. colouring to colour the icing. Add sprinkles.
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What Makes a Classic
The CupChristmas that Stole Christmas Film? by Bryony Thorogood Admit it. At least once in the last couple of weeks, a coffee shop has been on your mind. Whether it be where you will find your daily morning coffee or the meeting point for a gathering of friends, it’s bound to have at least crossed your mind.
Recently, the reason why you might have thought about a specific coffee shop, Starbucks, is simple: it’s Christmas. As the seasons change, so does the drinks list. Gone is the Pumpkin Spiced Latte and the Salted Caramel Mocha, replaced with the Eggnog Latte and the Honey and Almond Hot Chocolate. Also gone is the plain white cup, replaced with a plain red cup instead. The problem? Who stole Christmas from Starbucks? Since 1997, Starbucks has had a variety of designs on its infamous red cups. Recently, there have been a number of sites created specifically to count down until the day that Christmas is introduced into our daily lives, without too much of a grumble. People were guessing what the new design would be, with last year’s being photographed and posted online every 14 seconds. The public were sorely disappointed, with an obviously more Christmassy design coming from Costa, instead. The complaints started pouring in when a so-called “Arizona-based social media evangelist” claimed the new Starbucks design took Christ out of Christmas, in an effort to be politically correct. As any obscure story does, the complaint went viral. What more could Starbucks want for their publicity? Everyone’s been talking about them, even more than normal. They’ve been mentioned on sources from The Ellen Show to Buzzfeed, as well as everything in between. People have been entering the shop to see if the cup really is as bad as everyone is saying it is. If anything’s going to boost their sales, surely a “controversial” product like... a red cup will do just that. However, people are claiming to not go to Starbucks anymore as a result of this; the question I must ask is: why didn’t the overpriced drinks drive you out a long time before? However, as for the actual reason for the controversy, no one quite knows. I mean, why a lack of snow and reindeer means a lack of recognition for Christians, we might never know. It looks like it was just a bid for attention from someone who was feeling left out, as these stories always are. Maybe it was Santa Claus, upset that we’ve lost all our Christmas cheer, hushing up the conversations until mid-December. Maybe it was Jesus, upset that his face wasn’t advertising Christmas, like it never really has in a non-Christian organisation. Maybe it was the Starbucks logo, trying to hide the fact that it is a picture of a mythical creature that would lead sailors to their death by singing. All we know is that it’s produced some wonderful artwork as a result (from pens that Starbucks aren’t providing, to make their products more festive).
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Christmas Quiz! Email your answers to 09-CBover@bartoncourt.org and we’ll decided a winner!
1.
Name the three teachers, pictured on the left. (3)
2.
Not including Rudolph, name Santa’s eight reindeer. (8)
3.
How many lords were leaping in the Twelve Days of Christmas? (1)
4.
On which day of the week did Christmas fall in 1963? (1)
5.
There have been three official Band Aid singles: True or false? (1)
6.
Who wrote the story ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’? (1)
7.
What is the UK’s most popular Christmas song, and who is it by? (2)
8.
Who tracks Santa’s whereabouts every Christmas? (1)
9.
Where does London get its Christmas tree from? (1)
10.
What is the name of the famous German Christmas cake? (1)
11.
This year’s Starbucks Christmas cup is green: True or false? (1)
12.
Who lives at the postcode H0H 0H0? (1)
13.
Which three gifts were given to Jesus by the Wise Men? (3)
14.
For which event was ‘Jingle Bells’ originally written, and what was it called? (2)
15.
Who banned Christmas in 1647, after the English Civil War? (1)
16.
Where does Boxing Day get its name from? (1)
17.
Two weeks before Christmas is the most popular time for relationship break-ups: True or false? (1)
18.
When was the Queen’s Christmas Day speech first televised? (1)
19.
Why were Victorian postmen called “robins”? (1)
20.
When do the Wise Men find Jesus? (1)
21.
What was the Christmas number one in 2009? (1)
22.
When was the last recorded white Christmas in the UK? (1)
23.
Since Christmas Day 2015 falls on a Friday, on which day of the week will New Year’s Day 2016 fall on? (1)
24.
In total, how many ghosts visit Ebenezer Scrooge in ‘A Christmas Carol’? (1)
25.
This year, does Hanukkah come before or after Christmas? (1)
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I’m Sorry, I Won’t Hear You by Bryony Thorogood We don’t always talk about the way we think. Certainly, we try to analyse how we think, and then we try to improve it, but there are always aspects of our thoughts that we won’t mention. Our mental health is one of those aspects.
In a class of 30, statistically, there will be 3 of us that have a mental health problem, whether that be Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or even a lesser known one. Do we hear about these? No. Because 3 out of 4 young people are afraid to even talk to their friends about what they are going through. No one should have to suffer in silence. It’s sad that people do. People can’t turn to their friends because they are scared of being judged. They need their friends’ help to be ‘cured’, but they want to be ‘cured’ before they can talk to their friends. By not talking about it, we’ve made a vicious, silent cycle. Admittedly, mental health is not unspeakable anymore. But it wasn’t long ago that it was first brought into the public eye. Even now, after being introduced, we’re still frightened of bringing it into a conversation because we’ve taken it too far. Instead of just talking about it, we’ve created soap characters with Bipolar Disorder that are violent and pushed out of society, or we watch the ‘Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners’ feel physically ill from facing their worst fears. If it’s ‘cool’ to smoke and kill yourself in that way, is having a thought at the back of your head, which makes you want to kill yourself, any different? So many people know someone who was lost to cancer. Without question, we donate to and fundraise for charities like Cancer Research. We don’t laugh and joke around by comparing a headache to cancer in the brain; so why do we keep our pens organised and say, “Oh look, I’m so OCD”? Suicide is the most common cause for death in men under 35, and suicide is more common for men than it is for women. Men are refused help with their mental health more than women are — they are just told to ‘man up’. Perhaps because of the fear of looking for help, the statistics claim that more women have a mental health disorder. Since the Victorian age, women have been thrown into mental asylums if some part of them did not fit an ideal: if they were not ‘pure’ for their husband, or if they did not keep their opinions quiet. Therefore, women are ‘crazier’ than men. In the English language, we have the ‘psycho ex’ and the warning that a woman is ‘hysterical’ if she expresses an opinion that she feels strongly about. Terms which, understandably, will make a woman ever crazier. However, it’s not the terms that describe a woman that will make her voice an opinion. Less than 100 years ago, it was the want to have the same voting rights as her male counterparts. Girton College in Cambridge, was given full-college status in 1948, showing the school’s official admittance to girls. Just 3 years ago, Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head, on her way home from school, for demanding the right for girls to receive an equal education to boys. Although women in the UK can now go to school and vote in elections, this doesn’t mean the world is perfect at all. Not only is there still a large number of things that we don’t speak about for women in this country, many of the things that women are grateful of here are not available elsewhere.
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Despite men only being around thanks to the mother that gave birth to them, it used to be only men who made decisions on laws that would affect half the population. It is men who have created the taboo and stigma around any issues we have in society. Particularly prominent is this taboo in countries like India, where no one talks about what makes a woman a woman. 15 year old Margdarshi will happily endure a difficult trek daily, to go to school, to get an education that many girls can only dream of; yet, she wouldn’t go to school once a month, every month. In India, women are ‘impure, filthy, sick and even cursed’ during their period. They must stay at home, they cannot go into temples or the kitchen, and they cannot visit some friends, because they are scared of what the people around them will think. All that is available for them to use are unsanitary pieces of cloth that are unsuitably washed after every use. It is only with the introduction of charities Goonj (NGO) and their ‘MY Pads’ product that make these girls’ lives any easier. Like all charities, though, Goonj cannot get by without the help of others’ donations. ‘MY Pads’ were first made out of discarded, usable clothes that the women, who founded the charity, located from those lost as a result of a flood; but, even now, they need donations to make them. Events like International Women’s Day have been celebrated since the early 20th century, to raise awareness of the stigma towards feminism, and women in general, which is evident around the world. These events promote an opportunity to raise desperately-needed funds for charities that will support the many that do not have the same benefits as richer countries, like ours. However, the recognition has only come as a result of the growing feminist movement, which is searching for equality more than it is searching for a competition. Similarly, World Mental Health Day occurs every year, to raise awareness for what is going on in our head. Charities that deal with mental health disorders raise funds, so that there can be a friendly face for people who cannot confidently turn to the people around them. These therapists want to lessen the stigma in society as much as they want to lessen the stigma that their patient has imagined on their own. Without our help, however, not only will these charities take longer to reach their aim, but they will also be unable to help us understand the world around us.
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‘Outside the Box’ by Bryony Thorogood, Emily Allison and Chloe Nye THE REFUGEE CRISIS As we are sure you all know, the current Refugee Crisis has caused 12 million people in Syria to leave their homes. The conflict in Syria is intensifying, which means that people have no choice but to run for their lives. Everyone is suffering, but the people hit hardest by this suffering are the women and children, who have been forced to flee. However, now, they are short of basic resources. Women and children, who should be having fun or having the ‘normal’ problems that you and I face on a day-to-day basis have instead been exposed to the horrors of war, lost people they love and are living in constant fear. Why should they wish for a Christmas present, when all they really want is their home?
THE TEAM Our team of ten is made up of volunteers with the British Red Cross; some of us have been volunteering for years, whilst some of us have only been volunteering for months. Since September, we’ve been organising what is known as a Social Action Project, in which our team is working together, in order to make a positive impact on our local community. We had a number of ideas for our project but, with the Refugee Crisis continuing to worsen, we eventually decided to focus on providing care to those caught up this devastating humanitarian disaster. Thus, ‘Outside the Box’ was born. ‘Outside the Box’ aimed to provide shoe boxes of much-needed resources and items, as well as simple gifts, to refugees who, due to internal conflicts and the threat of persecution, were forced to flee their home countries. Our goal was to obtain 375 boxes in total: 300 of these boxes, to be provided by primary schools in the area, would be shipped over to Calais, whilst the other 75, from schools like ours, would stay here, in Kent, to be given to the young refugees supported by the Kent Refugee Action Network (KRAN).
WHAT WE WERE DOING AND WHO WE HELPED KRAN is an independent charity supporting young unaccompanied asylum seekers and refugees, based in Canterbury and Folkestone. They offer a safe, welcoming space, with a range of activities and services for young refugees aged 15-24 years. As well as this, they provide 20 hours of classroom-based activities for unaccompanied refugees aged 16-18. At KRAN, emphasis is placed on filling in the gaps in a young person’s knowledge, and importance is given to fun activities that improve confidence and help a young person engage with the wider community. The young people may also have the opportunity to participate in trips to sites of special interest in the area, such as Dover Castle and Canterbury Cathedral. Most of these refugees aren’t from ‘poor’ backgrounds. They are people of very similar ages and backgrounds to all of us. From you and for these young people, we weren’t asking for the world: just for something small that you would like for Christmas, if you couldn’t be at home, with your family.
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THE FINAL RESULT AND HOW WE GOT THERE Our aims did not only involve the shoe boxes filled with gifts for at Christmas. We wanted to be able to celebrate our success with those that the gifts were for, and we wanted to give our own touch to the boxes. During the October half-term, we braved the cold outside Waitrose in Canterbury for a combined total of eight hours, to raise funds for the party we would be organising for those at KRAN. Thanks to the kind donations of the people we saw, we raised over £200, in addition to 1€, 5 American cents and 25 Canadian cents.
Through the donations of people at this school and others, as well as the money raised during our own fundraising efforts, we were able to create 50 boxes for KRAN, 50 boxes for the West Kent Refugee Project. We also have collected more than 75 additional boxes for the refugee families in Calais.
MEETING KRAN On Sunday 6th December, we were lucky enough to have a get-together with some of the young refugees who use KRAN’s services. We were able to personally give them the boxes that we had collected. We also played some icebreaker games, and began to get to know them. Everyone had a really lovely time and we would love to repeat this in the near future.
OUR FUTURE Although there appears to be no easy solution or ‘quick-fix’ to the Refugee Crisis, charities, such as the British Red Cross, continue to provide humanitarian aid for those in need and those fleeing conflicts from around the world. We hope that our efforts will have made a positive impact on the people who need them. Our team of Red Cross volunteers have all really enjoyed the project and have found it very rewarding being a part of it. We have all contributed to the project and it is fantastic to know that our efforts paid off. We hope to go onto more projects in the future, and continue making a positive impact in our community.
“Seeing [our project] come together today and seeing the faces of the young people, who we have helped, makes me so proud of what we have achieved. We all give up our time because we honestly want to make a
difference and, today, being able to see the product of all our work and time we’ve put in, was so rewarding.” – Mary Phillips, Team Leader of ‘Outside The Box’
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Young Dragons Project Eco-Schools
Eco-Schools Report by Ross Edwards by Gemma Ellard by Gemma Ellard During Energy Month (November), the Eco-Schools representatives in every year group presented an assembly introducing Eco-Schools to students. Here is an overview of the organisation:
Eco-Schools is the largest sustainable schools programme in the world, which operates in 55 countries, with nearly 70% of all schools registered, and over 11 million students getting involved.
Their mission is simply to make every school sustainable, and to ensure that good habits are learned where the environment is concerned.
Barton Court currently holds the Bronze Eco-Schools award, but our aim by the end of this year is to be awarded the Silver Eco-Schools Award.
Energy Month - a campaign by EDF energy with the aim to encourage people to learn more about energy, where it comes from, what the big issues are and how to save it - has just passed. However, there are many events coming up in the school year with opportunities for you to get involved and help our school become more sustainable.
30th November - 11th December 2015: UN Climate Change Conference The conference objective is to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on climate, from all the nations of the world to limit the global temperature increase to 2 °c above pre-industrial levels.
2nd February 2016: World Wetlands Day This day is dedicated to raising awareness of the wetlands in the world, as more than 64% of our wetlands have disappeared since 1900. Ramsar has announced that ‘Wetlands for our Future: Sustainable Livelihoods’ will be the theme for World Wetlands Day in 2016. This theme demonstrates the vital role of wetlands for the future of humanity because more than a billion people depend on making a living from wetlands.
7th - 11th March 2016: Waste Week Waste Week this year will focus on the issues of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment whereas last year’s campaign focused on food and plastic packaging waste. You can get involved by recycling old electrical equipment as, currently in the UK, we recycle less than a third of these items.
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22nd March 2016: World Water Day World Water Day is an annual event by the UN, celebrated on March 22nd. The day focuses attention on the importance of freshwater and advocates for the sustainable management of freshwater resources as, today, 748 million people around the world still have no clean water to drink.
11th - 17th April 2016: National Gardening Week National Gardening Week was launched five years ago by the Royal Horticultural Society and since then has grown into the country’s biggest celebration of gardening. The aim of this week is to encourage people and organisations to come together and help keep their neighbourhoods, environments and shared spaces beautiful through gardening.
2nd - 8th May 2016: Compost Awareness Week Compost Awareness Week is an international campaign run annually which promotes all the benefits of composting such as improving soil structure and help prevent erosion.
16th - 20th May 2016: Walk to School Week This week is part of National Walk to School Month which is a campaign by Living Streets. Their aim is to encourage all children to walk to school, due to the health benefits and because it helps save our planet by not using cars. You can get involved in this week by ditching the car for a healthy walk to school!
20th - 26th June 2016: Recycle Week This special week has been held since 2004, and its mission has been to encourage us to recycle more due to its importance for the environment. Go to http://www.recyclenow.com/what-to-do-with to find out what you can recycle!
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Forthcoming Events Gifted & Talented Information Evening 21st January
Enrichment Day 2nd February
Non-Uniform Day 12th February
Year 8 Options Evening 2nd March
Enrichment Day 9th March
Non-Uniform Day 18th March
Spring Concert 22nd March