Girls Sports Round Up

Sports Reports—Girls’ Round—up

By Mr s Nuttall

Sports is a big part of the BCGS community. Here, Mrs Nuttall describes some of the latest achievements. Congratulations to everyone who took part in these games!

GIRLS’ SPORT

It has been a busy start to the year for girls’ sport with action across netball, football, basketball and indoor athletics.

The netball season saw teams from year 7 through to 10 competing on a local level.

Established squads in year 8, 9 and 10 have worked hard in training, with excellent attendance. This has helped them have a positive start to the year with a number of wins. Numbers of netballers in year 7 have been fantastic, enabling us to field two teams on a number of occasions. The girls are developing into a strong team and we are looking forward to the second half of the season. All year groups will be competing in district tournaments when netball commences in term 4.

Year 7 have been the top performers so far in girls football. The year 7 girls performed excep

tionally well in the district tournament which was hosted at Barton Court. They took on schools from all across the district and finished in a respectable 3 rd

place. There were some

excellent performances which showed great promise for future seasons. Unfortunately many of the girls under 14 and under 16 football fixtures fell foul of the weather. However, they showed great commitment and enthusiasm for training and they are looking forward to commencing games in February.

Basketball has been the sport of choice for the girls in terms 2 and 3 with students competing at under 14 and under 16 level. The under 14 team has seen a core of year 9 girls supported by some year 8’s stepping up to play with the older age range. There have been so closely contested games, most recently a very narrow defeat to Herne Bay High. Despite a poor first quarter seeing Herne Bay rack up an 8 point lead, the girls came fighting back to bring it back to 8-6 heading in to the last quarter. It was a fierce game with some aggressive defending to the death. Unfortunately the girls ended up losing 10-8, but they showed great team spirit and are determined to get revenge in the district tournament.

Under 16’s have also put in some strong performances starting the season with an impressive win against QE, followed up by another win against Canterbury Academy.

Unfortunately Langton proved too strong, but again the girls are determined for revenge in the district tournament.

January 2020 saw the return of indoor athletics, with the year 7 and 8’s competing in the

district competitions held at Herne Bay High. There were some great performances from both year groups, with year 7 finishing 2 nd

and year 8 finishing 3 rd

. This was an outstanding

result and bodes well for the summer season.

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

By Mr Hellyar

This year we have had in excess of 65 students take part in their Bronze level of the Award. Students have been working on their individual sections, focussing on volunteering, skills, physical and also building up their map work, navigation and camp craft skills. The expeditions have been highly rewarding and the students have conducted themselves in an exemplary manner. The practice expeditions were based around Blean Woods to the north of Canterbury for one group and between Chilham and Westwell fort the other group. So far we have had a very successful assessed expedition where all students passed with flying colours. The Assessors were full of praise and have requested that they be allowed to come back next year as they were so impressed with Barton Court students. The remaining assessed expedition is currently in the planning stages and will be conducted in mid-October near Cranbrook, where we will be using The Swattenden Centre as our starting base camp. I am looking forward to seeing all of the students once again, pass all elements of this section and I hope that this will be the final piece in the puzzle for them to complete the Bronze Award. We have had nearly 50 students completing the Bronze level as at the end of October.

This year we have seen staff volunteers rise from just me to a whole team. This has certainly helped with the planning and organisation of each and every expedition. I hope that the numbers of staff getting involved will increase further next year as we build larger numbers into Silver.

Things are looking very bright for the D of E Award at Barton Court, as we now have our own operating licence and have already got over 50 students signed up to start their Bronze level.

Sports Roundup— Climbing!

By Mrs Nuttall

Year 11 students have enjoyed a number of climbing sessions on the Christchurch climbing wall.

Students have challenged themselves on a range of walls, using both colours, one colour of just natural features as they attempt to scale each route.

Students have developed responsibility for belaying, whilst the climber trusts them to

keep them safe.

There has been some great coaching and communication to encourage and guide the climber on their routes, whilst we have also seen some exceptional grit, determination and resilience.

Gifted and Talented Update

By Ms Wild

Gifted and Talented co-ordinator, Ms Wild , explains a little more about Higher Project Qualifications and we get a taste of some of the topics covered in this exciting enterprise.

The younger years are completing their Higher Project Qualification this academic year, which equates to 1 GCSE.

Similar to the EPQ, which we run in Sixth Form, the pupils are allowed to research anything that they are passionate about. So far we have a range of research questions from “how does cognitive dissonance affect feminists?” to “to what extent can we accurately state that dogs are colour blind?”.

Here are a few example titles to offer food for thought:

Higher Project Qualification Proposal- How can music affect your brain and mental health?

Throughout this project, I will be discussing how listening to music can affect a person’s mental health and weather the impacts are positive or negative. I will explore all sides of the topic: the negative, positive and to what extent it can affect mental health.

Project Proposal for Higher Project Qualification— “To what extent is British politics still sexist?”.

We chose the topic of sexism in British politics because issues regarding equality and representation are very relevant at the moment with frequent debates in parliament and among the public as to how prejudice and discrimination based on gender should be faced. It links to psychology, which is another subject area that interests us. This science allows us to examine the mindsets and preconceptions of modern politicians, as well as members of the public, when forming opinions on politicians based on their gender, whether positive or negative.

Higher Project Qualification Proposal— Can you train domestic cats to do tricks?

For this project, I am going to research the history of domesticating cats and the belief that cats have to be trained to be domestic. I intend to look at the developing relationship between humans and cats. I will address wild cat circus trainers in the past and modern-day training cats to do tricks in the circus and home. I will discuss how I am intending to train my cats and what techniques I am going to use.

Auschwitz

by Katy Ford

January 2020 marked the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

Here, Barton Court student, Katie Ford, comments on her own experience of visiting the notorious Nazi Death Camp

When I signed up to take part in the Lessons From Auschwitz Project, I knew immediately that it would be an eye-opening experience. It not only educated me further on the Holocaust, but also allowed me to gain a greater understanding of the personal stories of experiences at Auschwitz One and Birkenau.

I expected that the visit would be harrowing, and that it would be difficult to come to terms with the atrocities that had occurred there. On arriving, these expectations were met, with the both Auschwitz One and Auschwitz Birkenau being almost incomprehensible places. The visit to Birkenau in particular was incredibly eerie, as we arrived there late afternoon, and a mist had descended on the deserted camp. One of the things that shocked me most about this site was the scale of it; even before entering you could sense the hugeness of it.

Upon entering through the infamous gate, with the railway running through it, we were informed by our guide that the site covered over 2km². This was incomprehensible when you think about how many people were able to fit on the site at one time. You could barely see the ends of the camp no matter where you were standing, which really hit home to me how trapped and lost people must’ve felt.

There appeared to be no way out. At Auschwitz One, we were taken into rooms where piles of belongings had been thrown away by the Nazi personnel as soon as people arrived. Shoes, bags, hairbrushes, glasses, all everyday items, removed in a split second, stripping people of their identities. However, although I found myself immensely shocked by these mountains, the particular mound which I found most upsetting was the one full of human hair. This hair had been cut off the people as they entered the camp. I honestly couldn’t believe my eyes. Even when I was walking around the camps, I still found it very hard to picture what had gone on exactly where I was standing, the unthinkable had taken place there.

I found that I had more questions than answers by the end of the day; I had gained more understanding, but somehow felt more confused. By this I mean that I understood more of the events which took place in terms of what factually happened, however this raised even more questions for me, related to things such as the meanings behind their actions. The day was unforgettable, and I have so much that I have taken away from it.

Year 13 Globe Trip

by Alexandra Barrett. 13S

The Year 13 Globe trip took place on 14th November 2019, where students studying Shakespeare for their English Literature A Level had the opportunity to visit the historical theatre and learn more about the play ‘Othello’, along with the context behind it.

The day started with a coach journey to the Southbank. The Globe stands a short walk along the river, surrounded by other London icons, such as St Paul’s Cathedral, The Millennium Bridge and The Tate Modern. After arriving at the theatre, we met our tour guide, Simon, an actor working at the Globe and the Royal Shakespeare Company. The tour consisted of a talk about the social and historical context of the Globe along with a chance to sit in the audience seats and even go on the stage! It’s an unusual space for actors to work in, given the two pillars on stage, and the most powerful place to stand on stage is the corner, with your back facing the audience: it is only from here that an actor can address every member of the audience! We asked questions about the key structures of the building, such as its absent roof and amazing painted artwork, and found out about the different social classes and their place in this theatre, and the theatre as an entertainment medium.

After this informative but rather chilly outdoor experience, we were grateful to move inside for our lecture, which focused on Shakespeare’s use of prose and verse in ‘Othello’. Eleanor volunteered to read, so we could hear the cadence of these two different writing styles, and Simon used this to illustrate which form gave a character the most power. This was followed by a chance to try on Elizabethan clothing and see what people would be wearing at the time. Sapphire volunteered to be the model, whilst two Elizabethan clothing experts dressed her as a rich Lady of the period. They were very informative and talked about the difference between upper and lower class clothing.

Globe Trip - More!

by Alexandra Barrett. 13S

At the end of the day, we participated in a drama workshop, which explored a key interaction between the two central characters in ‘Othello’. It was fun to get up on our feet and act out in pairs, looking at the text from the eyes of an actor. This, and the discussion after each activity, enabled us to get inside the mind of Othello at the point where he is driven into an epileptic fit by his jealousy, or of Iago, as he calculates the best way to push Othello to this outcome.

Overall, it was an amazing day where we got to learn all about the context behind the play and meet an actor who could show us the theatrical side to it. The students not only felt better prepared for exams, but had a fun and interactive way to learn extra facts as well!

One student commented: ‘An absolutely brilliant day where I not only got to learn about the play but also got to see it through the eyes of an actor. An amazing opportunity to meet the man who played Cassio at the Globe’s production of ‘Othello’ too!’

The Woman in Black—Theatre Trip in November Mrs Brown The Woman in Black—Theatre Trip in November Mrs Brown Student Drive Team Report

by Emily Allison The Woman in Black—Theatre Trip in November Mrs Brown The Woman in Black—Theatre Trip in November Mrs Brown Foreign Exchange News by the MFL team

The BCGS French Exchange

We arrived at BCGS at about 4:30 AM. Even though it was early, everybody was ecstatic about going to France. The coach took about seven and a half hours to get to the school, Collège Théodore Monod in Gagny. Once we were there, we met our exchange partners and did some ice-breaking activities before we were guided around the school. Following this, we went into our exchange families and spent the evening with them. The next day, we took the bus to a train station and took a train to the Chateau de Vincennes, a beautiful chateau in Paris. Numerous Kings and Queens of France used to reside there (such as Louis VII, Louis IX, Philippe V and Charles IV). That day, Wednesday, was a half day at the school, so we went to our families earlier than usual. This gave us more time to practise our French, engage in French culture and get to know the family a bit more. Later on in the day, the families took us out somewhere (such as Paris, ice-skating and bowling). Thursday was our full day at the French school. Even though we spoke a different language, the students welcomed us and helped us with the tasks we were to do. The lessons we were in were very interesting and amusing and we all felt engaged in the work. Some of the lessons we took part in were, PE, Food Technology, English, Maths and Science. We also had lunch at the school which consisted of beef, mashed potatoes, carrots, bread and cheese. As the day drew to a close, we ate the food we made in Food Tech. We made Madeleines. The following day we took a train to central Paris. Although it was raining, we all had a brilliant time. As soon as we arrived, we went to Galeries Lafayette for about an hour and a half to shop. There were plenty of things to buy there as it was a colossal department store. After we went shopping, we headed straight to the Louvre where we took pictures outside the famous pyramids and took in the beauty. Then, we went to Le Forum des Halles (Chatelet) to have lunch provided by the families and went on another shopping trip. Forty -five minutes later we took the Metro to Champs-Elysees and stopped at the Arc de Triomphe. Shortly after, we took another ride to the Eiffel Tower. We stopped at the Eiffel Tower for a while to take pictures and observe it. After that, we took another ride to the Sacre-Coeur. We went up the steps to get a better view of it before going on another shopping trip - and on the carousel! We arrived back in Gagny at about 5:20 PM where we went back in the families for one final night. The day we left, we stayed in the families for the morning until around 3:30 PM. At about 4 PM, we said goodbye to the families and started the long but thrilling coach ride home. Overall, the French Exchange was excellent, very enjoyable and a great experience for anybody wanting to study French. I would recommend this trip to anyone as I had a brilliant time.