11 minute read
Chinese Enrichment
Chinese Visit
by the MFL team
During our Enrichment Week , the School was delighted to host 15 students and their teachers from a school in China.
Students took part in the multicultural day with Year 8, following their Barton Court buddies to exciting workshops, such as Circus Skills, ICT Mandalas, traditional crafts, Zumba, singing, African Drumming, mask making, Chinese stories and dance, team-building and parachute games and storytelling. They also enjoyed a visit to Ross Wood Campsite to see Year 7 on camp and took part in fire building, bracelet making, painting and a short walk around Blean Woods.
Barton Court students also took part in Chinese calligraphy workshops and learning Mandarin. The Chinese students had a great time and Year 7 & 8 really enjoyed meeting them all and learning about life in China.
Science Article
By Samson Duggan
Sam Duggan explores some recent scientific developments……….
1) Xenobot- Scientists have created the world’s first self-healing robots using stem cells from frogs. Their name (xenobots) originates from the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) from which the stem cells the xenobots are made from originate. Research conducted at the University of Vermont allowed for this scientific breakthrough, the creation of the very first living robot. The machines are less than a millimetre wide, and can walk, swim, survive for weeks without food and work together in groups, all inside the human body. The researchers claim the cells ‘promise advances from drug delivery to toxic waste clean-up.
One of the most promising qualities of the tiny living robots is their ability to heal themselves after they have been cut. ‘These are novel living machines’, says Joshua Bongard, a computer scientists and robotic expert working at the University of Vermont who co-led the new research; ‘they’re neither a traditional robot nor a known species of animal. It’s a new class of artefact: a living, programmable organism’. The organisms have been shown to move in a coherent fashion, towards a goal outlined by a computer that programmed it, but when they turned over they flailed like beetles flipped on their backs.
2)The star Betelgeuse is nearing supernova- claim a group of scientists observing
the recent dimming of the star in our sky. The super-red giant has, in recent
months, been getting gradually dimmer, which wouldn’t be considered particular
ly abnormal for a star of its size, except on the 15 th
of January scientists measured
a huge gravitational wave burst from the area near Betelgeuse.
Science Article
By Samson Duggan
Jackson Ryan, the science editor for CNet says ‘the gravitational waves we’ve detected so far usually relate to extreme cosmic events, like two black holes colliding or neutron stars finally merging after being caught in a death spiral’. If this star does undergo a supernova soon, don’t worry, you won’t need a telescope to see it, as it will be plainly visible from earth with the naked eye and even be brighter in the sky than the moon at night time! Surely an explosion that big will produce a sound, no? Of course not! The type of wave that sound is cannot travel through a vacuum, such as space and so to us here on earth, the explosion will be completely silent and peaceful.
3) Tardigrades are one of the most well-known micro-animals that we know of. They are eight-legged, segmented animals that live in extreme temperatures. They are not categorised as extremophiles as they are not actually adapted specifically for this environment. Studies have shown that even these hardy little animals are at a high risk from global warming due to this fact. They are not able to survive in high temperatures for a long period of time and therefore concerns are that they will shortly go extinct if the temperature on earth continues to rise. There is particular concern about these animals as their microscopic size makes it very hard for conservationists to help them in any way.
Music: A Quick Guide to some
under-appreciated genres By Shea Boyle
Shea Boyle is one of our highest achievers in the music department here at Barton Court. In this article Shea informs us some of the stigmas involved with certain music genres.
The music industry is currently the largest it’s ever been. New artists are born every day and thousands of songs are released every day, so it goes without saying that a large variety of genres and styles of music are explored. However, not all of these genres are received and perceived in the same way: a lot of music nowadays has a stigma attached to it. I’m going to explain stigmas involved with 6 different genres of music and why these genres each have their own reasons to be appreciated.
1. Hip-Hop
In recent years, Hip-Hop or Rap music has begun dominating the charts in western countries. Although the general perception of Rap music has improved as its popularity has risen, there is still a negative view regarding it, stemming from its origins.
Hip-Hop originated in New York in the 1970s: it developed from African-American and Caribbean youth cultures. The youth would use music as an outlet for their disadvantaged situations, often including a political or social message in their words. Over time, a stigma developed around Hip-Hop due to its political nature and often aggressive sound. However, I believe that it is exactly these features that make Hip-Hop so engaging.
Although this genre has recently developed a more boastful and drama-fuelled side, the core of Hip-Hop music includes some of the most emotionally-driven lyrics and strong messages found in music. These strong lyrics, combined with a catchy and ingenious accompanying beat, are a recipe for a genre of music well worth checking out.
2. K-Pop A dominant genre in the East, K-Pop is a genre with a rising popularity in the West. However, because K-Pop is predominantly sung in Korean, it is met with a xenophobic attitude by many in the West. The heavy focus on visual/appearance and dance choreography is often seen as feminine or cringe-worthy by many; however, these aspects are some of the most charming features of K-Pop. If people were not too quick to dismiss this genre, learning about its immersive and expansive culture could be illuminating for many.
BTS - arguably the most popular K-Pop group of recent times
3. ‘Classical’ Classical as a genre refers to music specifically from the Classical period. However, the term ‘Classical’ is often used to refer to music that sounds like it is from a bygone era (for example someone could call a piece of music from the Romantic period ‘Classical’). ‘Classical’ music is often dismissed as outdated, boring and samey. Although this may seem the case, some of the most complex and encapsulating pieces of music are ‘Classical’ works. Beautiful melodies and ingenious harmonic movement found in such pieces create powerful impressions that can completely mesmerize a listener.
4. Punk Punk or Punk-rock music, along with a whole range of related genres (such as: Emo, Screamo, Hardcore, Alternative rock, etc…), is seen as an aggressive and sad genre that is only listened to by social rejects and teens that are ‘going through a phase’. This stigma prevents many from exploring a new world of music that contains some of the most powerful lyrics and exciting instrumentals. Artists of this genre tend to be those that are least afraid to address controversial topics, most commonly mental health. This is a genre in which people can find topics that they can relate to and lyrics that can provide them with comfort.
5. Electronic /EDM Perhaps the genre most affected by the stigma involved with it, Electronic music is a vast genre that has the potential to become the future of music. The use of exciting new technology by highly skilled producers results in a world of inspiring, exciting and immersive music that ranges from something you dance to in a club to something that strikes you deep into your soul.
Negative ideas of Electronic music include people thinking that it is just incoherent machine noise (which can only result from either ignorance or just personal preference of different timbres) and, more popularly, people thinking that it requires no skill since there is a lack of ‘real’ instruments. This could not be more wrong, since professional EDM producers need to have mastered an incredibly large skillset (from sound design to mixing to mastering to equalisation to… you get the idea). Although there is no physical aspect to it, proficient use and skill with a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation [music software]) requires a great level of skill that is at least on par with playing an instrument, if not much higher.
The diversity of this genre allows for some of the most exciting, most immersive, most emotional and most magical music ever created. The potential of Electronic music is limitless. In fact, all the other genres mentioned (besides ‘Classical’ for obvious reasons) have recently been massively influenced by EDM.
6. Pop Even though this genre gets its name from its success: Popular Music –it still receives heavy scrutiny by many, and there is a stigma involved with it where elitists and people who believe they are interesting for disliking something that is popular think that Pop music is just uninspired, generic trash.
Artists of the Pop genre (or, in many cases, their producers) are masters of finding winning formulas for songs that entertain the masses. They are highly skilled at creating songs that are enjoyable for the majority, something that artists of other genres have clearly struggled to do (evident in the lack of success of those genres relative to Pop). Things become generic because they follow a winning formula, which is often true for Pop music, so they may seem uninspired when in fact they can be the exact opposite.
So go on, ditch your biases and prejudices and take a plunge into the unknown. A whole world of possibilities awaits. If you don’t like the new sounds, that’s fine. Just don’t blindly dismiss them –or be prejudiced towards them.
The School Production
by Ms Wild
Ms Wild provides an update on the exciting school musical production coming in the Summer……….
The Barton Court Youth Theatre is well underway with rehearsing our annual musical
Oliver! Due to the demand for tickets last year, we have extended to a three night show (Wednesday 8 th -Friday 10 th
July).
We have started the big chorus numbers of “Food glorious food” and “consider yourself”, our wonderful Finn Crockatt is taking on the role of Oliver. The cast list is attached:
Oliver: Finn Crockatt
Nancy: Molly Kennett
Artful Dodger: Ollie Rosenberg
Fagin: Petros Papa-Adams
Bill Sykes: Isaac Gidney
Bet: Emily Reynard
Noah Claypole: Ewan Gubb
Mr Bumble: TJ
Widow Corney: Maddie McIver
Mr Brownlow: Benjamin Sharp
Mrs Bedwin: Sophia Kollien
Mr. Sowerberry: Adam Jervis
Mrs. Sowerberry: Ella Askew
Charlotte: Isabella Jacobs-Moronta
Understudy: Ewan Gubb
Understudy: Emily Reynard
Understudy: TJ
Young Chefs at Barton Court
By Miss Morris
Recently Barton Court competed in the Rotary Young Chef’s competition.
18 Youngsters from East Kent took part.All four of our entrants scored very highly and earned aprons and certificates on the day.
The BCGS students who entered were: Joe Palmer, Molly McGlashen, Elizabeth Stuart and Fleur Connelly. Congratulations on their culinary efforts !
Fashion Show!
Ms Wild tells us more about Aimee Mann’s Fashion Show, held in early February……..
One of our amazing A-level students, co-ordinated and created her own fashion show last night as part of her EPQ. The fashion show concept was ‘Fashion through the ages’.
Aimee Minter took herself out of her comfort zone, presenting the fashion show with confidence and ease. Audience members commented on her commitment to the Extended Project Qualification, saying that she has ‘set the bar high’ ,and is a role model for those who are currently completing their EPQ.
Aimee was delighted that our newly appointed head teacher, Mr Hopkins, was there to support, along with governors. We hope this will set a trend of creative artefacts for the EPQ here at Barton Court. Well done, Aimee!
Fashion Show!
