Monday 9th February 2015 . Issue 138
Word on the Street The Newsletter of Bethnal Green Academy and Sixth Form
BGA students celebrate Burns Night
Mayoral Elections at BGA
On Monday 26 January, 19 Year 7 students, recognised for their hard work and outstanding attitudes in English lessons, gathered in the main hall to celebrate the annual Scottish tradition of Burns Night. Named after one of Scotland’s greatest poets, Robert Burns, the celebration represented an ideal opportunity to promote our cultural diversity. With a number of Scottish staff working at the academy, the day proved to be an exciting and entertaining one for all involved.
On Thursday 28th January The Street was transformed into a polling station. BGA students were invited to cast their vote for the next Young Mayor of Tower Hamlets. The Young Mayor represents 11-18 year olds across the borough and is elected every two years by young people who live, work or study in the borough. Students had read the Candidates' Manifestos before deciding who they would elect to represent them for the next two years.
The experience involved students learning more about Robert Burns’ work through the reading of a selection of his poems. Alongside this, a game of ‘Scots Bingo’ gave the students the chance to learn a few words of the Scots language, which was prevalent in much of Burns’ poems. The day culminated in a few typical Burns Night traditions, including addressing the haggis, ceilidh dancing and singing Auld Lang Syne. Two
students, Anisah Ahmed and Maria-Iulia Marin, even tried their hand at reading verses from ‘Address to a Haggis’, a Burns poem written entirely in old Scots, doing a sterling job despite the unfamiliar vocabulary! The celebration was a triumph for the cultural awareness we promote at BGA, giving students the unique chance to experience Scottish culture in the same way they share their own with staff every day. Well done to all involved!
A Week of Art and Butterflies
St Matthias House building Project
Last week was Art Week at BGA. Butterflies took over the street every lunch time as students painted, cut-out and made a Kaleidoscope of butterflies. Art Week celebrated the fluttering creature that adorns our BGA school badge. The week's programme of activities also included a day of ‘Art Beat’ and a workshop run by London's Courtauld Gallery in which students selected famous paintings and each curated their own mini exhibition. Mr Marston photographed as many faces as he could so that all the faces can be combined to create a BGA Faces poster. This week we can all enjoy a "Turbine Hallstyle display of butterflies in the Street so that we will continue to reflect on what the butterfly means to us at BGA.
On the 21st and 28th January, the St Matthias primary school workshop saw Year 5 and Year 11 work together to mark out, saw and glue up 6 timber framed houses in an hour! It was a spectacular sight, and year 11 represented the academy brilliantly. A few of the year 5's announced that they wanted to come to school here because they'd had so much fun learning.
It's Official! BGA is Best!
Best examination results in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets: 80% of students achieved 5+ A*-C grades Find us online at: www.bethnalgreenacademy.co.uk
Like us on Facebook, Follow us on