Tropical Fish Club – Week 2
24/03/2021
Earlier this week we managed to recruit Mr Wright, our D&T technician, to create a suitable solution for the top of our tank. We were previously resting odd offcuts of perspex along the brace bars of the tank. Mr Wright had a cunning idea, he used his skills and the technology in school to produce two sheets of clear acrylic measured and laser cut to size, with gaps for filter pipes and finger grip holes. These sheets were laser cut in D&T to produce smooth and precise edges, they now act as a neat lid, allowing maximum light penetration and stop any unwanted items from entering, as well as reducing evaporation. Thank you, Mr wright, for doing such a cracking job!
On Wednesday this week we focused on our hardscape and plant selection. We first began to position the pieces of wood (redmoor root) around the tank to find an appealing appearance. Pupils discussed how these pieces, along with the use of stones, could create a very natural look, especially once plants are added. More importantly, this provided an opportunity for some of the lads to get their hands (and arms) in the tank!
We then looked at information on available plants so that we can pick ones which we like and have space for. We considered the following about the different plants:
How tall/bushy they grow
The colour and shape of the leaves
The light/co2/nutrient requirements
We wrapped up with considering how we could position each plant species to achieve a desired look. We also realised that one breaktime (30 mins) a week was not enough time for us to learn and make decisions about the hobby. We decided that we will also meet at Friday breaktimes from now on.
We now look forward to ordering/receiving and planting our new plants. As well as setting up a very kind and generous donation we have been fortunate enough to receive….. watch this space!
Mr Bansal
28/03/2021
Today we received a very kind and generous donation of plants from Scaped Nature. I was in-touch with Ray McCune after seeing some fantastic videos on youtube of his shop (in Norwich) and home aquaria. Him and his wife have set up a business where they sell aquatic plants/aquarium gear/terrainiums etc. After reaching out to him and sharing our project, Ray kindly agreed to donate some plants towards our project.
He sent us a large number and variety of cryptocorynes, anubias and microsorums. These are fantastic plants which should hopefully thrive in our tank. They have a variety of leaf shapes/sizes/colours and demands. Some of these plants are epiphytes, meaning they grow on surfaces of other plants/wood/rocks. This gives us the ability to tie/stick them to rocks/wood and move them around our aquarium without the need to dig in the roots and disturb the substrate.
Some of the lads arrived rushed over at the end of the school day just to see the plants before going home for the weekend. They were surprised and excited to see our project coming alive. Mubarak said he never realised how empty the tank was until he saw all the plants in it now. We now look forward to carefully selecting the position of these plants and tying the epiphytes to rocks/wood.
Lastly, we would like to thank Scaped nature once again for their very substantial donation towards our club! You can visit them at https://www.scapednature.com/
Week 2
Fasting in Ramadan
Some of you will start a month of fasting for Ramadan on Monday 12 April 2021 (subject to the sighting of the new moon). This is, no doubt, a special time for you and your families. It is great that you are showing such dedication to your faith and keeping hold of a traditional practice that many other faiths also recognise. Part of the purpose of the month is to bring people and communities together. Although this year Ramadan might feel a little different with some of the restrictions in place, we still hope that the month brings you much happiness, benefit and increase. Please do remember, however, that your commitment to school and your education needs also to continue. To help you with this, a few practical tips/reminders follow:
- The summer fasts and long days will require you to go without food and drink for a long time. You must be best prepared for this by making sure you take something of good nutritional value in the pre-dawn meal before you close and make the intention to fast. Cereals, yogurt, dates, wholemeal bread, vegetables, fresh fruit are amongst some of the healthy/slow release carbohydrate foods that will keep you satisfied for longer.
- Following on from this during the school day avoid running or standing around in the sun. Try to find some shade and occupy yourself in low energy activities.
- It is very important that you continue to come to school prepared to learn. Lessons will happen as normal. Your teachers may make slight adjustments in some of the practical subjects for you but you should come fully prepared to take part with the correct equipment/kit.
- In the same way you must also wear the correct school uniform. Obviously when it is very hot, you may be allowed to take your blazers off, your form tutors will advise you about that. However, some students during Ramadan feel that they need to wear mosque caps/hats. We understand that this may be recommended at certain times/places but it is not a religious requirement for you to wear these in and around school.
- The real significance of this month is about self-discipline and working on improving your character. It is not just a case of going without food for long hours. Working on honesty, truthfulness, charity, forgiveness, respect etc… are some of the positive character traits that become the focus of this month. This is something that the school whole heartedly supports and we hope that in some way we can all benefit from this.
- With the shorter nights, long days and late night prayers many of you will only get about 6 hours of sleep every night but you will still be expected to attend school punctually as normal. Therefore some readjustment to your routine will be needed to help with this. Like in some traditional cultures you should try to catch up on some sleep after school in order to re-energise for the rest of the day/fast. It might take a few days for this to settle but it is a sensible way forward.
- It is also the case that many of you will be taking important internal exams during Ramadan. While we wholeheartedly support your commitment to fasting, we also ask you to uphold the duty of taking these exams seriously, sensibly and with the best of effort – educational success is also something important to the religion of Islam. During the exam period, it is crucial that you develop a positive routine around fasting, prayers, revision and the taking of exams. Remember also if you are not feeling well then there is the chance of making up the fasts at a later date. Islam does not require one to place hardship, unrealistic aims or one’s future in jeopardy. Similarly, if you become unwell whilst you are fasting then you should end the fast by taking some water. In such situations Islamic rulings allow the breaking of a fast, this can also be made up at a later date. There is also the prospect of offering the late nightly prayers at home rather than the mosque before an exam day, allowing you to get more sleep to feel fresher for the examination. It will be a good idea to have a very intense revision period before Ramadan begins, this will ease some of the pressure and perhaps allow for a more strategic schedule during the month itself.
- When it is very hot, it is obviously important that you remain hydrated but without food or drink. This is a challenge which most of you will have experienced having fasted in previous years. Small things like washing your hands with cold water, wiping over the face/head with cold water will help keep you cool. This should be done at break/lunchtimes. We don’t want students constantly out of lessons unless it is absolutely necessary.
- If you are unwell and unable to attend school then you should follow the normal absence procedures. Ask your parents to phone the front office and inform them on the day about your circumstances preferably before 8:40am.
- Remember also that one of the strengths of HGS is the broad cultures and faith groups represented in both our student and staff populations. This is something quite special for the School. So while those of you who fast will need time/space to practice your faith please do remember that the Dining Hall will remain open and most people will continue to eat and drink throughout the day and they too will need time/space to do so!
- We ask students to do their prayers when they get home after school. Due to COVID-19, there will not be enough time or socially distanced space during KS3 or KS4 lunch to do prayers on site. You will have plenty of time to complete the afternoon prayer when you get home.
We wish you a happy and prosperous Ramadan. If you do have any further questions or comments then you are welcome to speak to Mr Mohammed (room 10).
Focus on Education March 2021 No. 5
Following International Women’s Day, and after celebrating Mother’s Day recently, the horror that our nation felt upon learning of the abduction, disappearance and murder of Sarah Everard cannot be understated.
The news that a woman, who was walking by a main road during the evening on well-lit streets, could disappear only to be found under a week later in remote Kent woodland in a builder’s bag, discarded like rubbish, is a crime so heinous, so appalling, that many people simply cannot comprehend it.
What can be taken away from this tragedy that isn’t shock at its barbarism and evil, is how the subsequent events have empowered women and men to address issues surrounding the use of language to frame debate. It has once again shed light on how our society is in many ways institutionally sexist, with male chauvinism permeating many facets of our public life and debate. It has enlightened many of us in the way that some elements of society express how women are framed as having bad things done to them, that violence towards women – including rape, murder and kidnapping – is a woman’s problem, theirs to deal with. It never seems to be about how men are the perpetrators.
A TED talk by Jackson Katz summarised it superbly. He said ‘“We talk about how many women were raped last year, not about how many men raped women. We talk about how many girls in a school district were harassed last year, not about how many boys harassed girls. We talk about how many teenage girls in the state of Vermont got pregnant last year, rather than how many men and boys impregnated teenage girls.
“So you can see how the use of the passive voice has a political effect. [It] shifts the focus off of men and boys and onto girls and women. Even the term ‘violence against women’ is problematic. It’s a passive construction; there’s no active agent in the sentence. It’s a bad thing that happens to women, but when you look at that term ‘violence against women,’ nobody is doing it to them. It just happens to them…Men aren’t even a part of it!”
But men are part of it. Men are more than part of it. Collectively, men are the problem and bear the responsibility. No one should be a victim, but more importantly there should not be any perpetrators. And the facts speak for themselves: when it comes to murder, kidnapping and violence, 90% of all murders are committed by men, as are 97% of sexual offences.
We have to talk about this openly in our school and in our community.
The issues are absolutely not about any individual boy in this school or male member of staff. It is definitely not saying or alleging that everyone who is male is a closet kidnapper, rapist or murderer. No. It’s about how society collectively, the society and establishment of which I and every other male member of staff is a member, has by its actions – and more significantly inactions – enabled some men to harm women, not necessarily the harm which Sarah Everard had to endure in her last hours alive, but harm that has far reaching consequences and causes untold emotional damage.
Some of you may think it is not common place? It is another town or country’s problem? Think again. If any of you have read social media the last few days you find post upon post of brave women speaking out about misogyny and sexism, and downright abuse, on a daily basis.
Kate McCann, the political correspondent at Sky, shared her experience: ‘What happened to Sarah Everard has hit home hard for so many women because we make the calculations she did every day too. We take the longer, better-lit route, push the fear aside for the voice that says ‘don’t be daft, you’ve every right to walk home alone at night and be safe. Tell friends ‘it’s fine, it’s just around the corner, I’ll text when I’m back’ …but still we make a plan – Keys gripped between fingers we map the corner shops we could duck into en-route. Swap shoes for trainers in case we need to run. Keep our music low or turned off. Even being on the phone has downsides. One eye is always on the person in front or behind – would they help me, might they be a threat? Should I cross the road, would that make it worse? Are there lights on in any of these houses if I need to pretend this is where I live? You’re a grown woman and in no other area of your life do you feel so vulnerable. You resent it even though you understand there is a risk – however small. It is frustrating and tiring and constant. And yet sometimes, despite all those calculations, it still isn’t enough.’
This fear and trepidation that women in our society live under is not right or sustainable. It cannot be allowed to continue – we have to see change and fast. This behaviour cannot be normalised, and it cannot be accepted.
Off the cuff remarks and comments which are made seemingly in jest or as part of banter in school can be demeaning and do damage. Is it solely a problem for HGS? No. Most definitely not.
It is happening in every school in every part of the country. Yet many schools would not admit to it. Many schools are not brave enough to do so. We are.
And the only way we’re going to make sure it stops is to confront it, and face this challenge together.
If we allow and accept comments, cat-calling, sexist observations, and don’t shout it out and at the same time shout it down, then sadly, collectively, the males in this school are culpable of propagating a culture that will end up with such behaviour continuing to be the norm, behaviour that has far reaching and – if it reaches its zenith – tragic consequences. That simply is not good enough.
Let’s start by framing the debate correctly.
The headline is not ‘Drunk girl raped after night out’ but ‘Man rapes women’.
The headline is not ‘33 year old women kidnapped and murdered’ but ‘Man commits murder’.
The headline is not ‘Safety of women needs to be addressed’ but ‘Behaviour of men needs to change’.
Let us use this tragedy as an opportunity for HGS and our community to address this head on.
Let us use this tragedy to collectively change our own narrative.
Let us be a force for good.
Stay well and safe.
Be kind to yourself and each other.
Dr Bird
ELE Success
Gaurav Dubay, Head of English at King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School, was successful in being appointed as an Evidence Lead in Education (ELE) with the Education Endowment Fund. The application process is a rigorous and gruelling one, and very few candidates are successfully designated as ELEs.
ELEs are experts in using evidence and research to inform classroom practice. They contribute to wider educational training, combining their knowledge, interpersonal skills and coaching skills to help make evidence based practice a reality in schools across the country.
Although the role has a wide focus, ELEs are practicing practitioners and their concern is applying, analysing and evaluating evidence based practice within their setting and the MAT. The role fully supports HGS’s vision in embracing the ‘transformative power of education’ and in inculcating ‘a love of learning and intellectual curiosity’ in all students. Gaurav has already contributed to a wider reading project, oracy for learning, and disciplinary literacy, in his role as an ELE.
If you would like more information about the post and how it could benefit your school, please contact Gaurav on 0121 554 2794 or GDubay@handsworth.bham.sch.uk
Focus on Education March 2021 No.4
It has been so good to have all our students back in school again, and for the corridors to resound with their happy chatter. We have been impressed by their ready willingness to comply with additional measures to keep both our own and the wider community safe, and we are desperately keen to keep them all in school until the end of term.
As part of this return and as part of our wider focus on Wellbeing and the importance of good Mental Health is our monthly reference to the Action for Happiness Calendar. This is displayed on our website and the screens around school as well as being referenced in Assemblies and Form time in conjunction with specific activities, which enhance Mindfulness. Examples of this have been our Lockdown Games, our celebration and raising awareness of Children’s Mental Health Week, our assembly on Kooth https://www.kooth.com/ and the Mental Health Spectrum, and our promotion of Walking for Mental and Physical Wellbeing. Students are now also together enjoying PE, Games and aspects of the more practical subjects in which it has been more difficult to participate at home.
Whilst we continue to aspire to academic excellence and a broad and balanced education, it is vital too that we hone the skills and confidence of our staff in their support of students’ mental health and wellbeing. Staff have received an introduction to Wellbeing and Mental Health Awareness as well as updates as part of our annual CPD programme and our Wellbeing Action Plan. A number of staff have undergone Mental First Aid training, Anxiety support training and Bereavement and Loss training. We are also looking at other CPD and training courses for next academic year through BEP (Birmingham Education Partnership) and via SSS Safeguarding, Training and Assessment.
I would also draw your attention to the ten keys for happier living. This links into our educational philosophy of BLH (Building Learning Habits):
GREAT DREAM – Giving, Relating, Exercise, Awareness, Trying out, Direction, Resilience, Emotions, Acceptance, Meaning.
Please also check out our website at: https://www.handsworth.bham.sch.uk/about-the-school/wellbeing/
All of this reflects our wholehearted and proactive commitment to developing our students as well-rounded human beings – healthy in mind, body and soul – and to supporting and equipping them and their families for life’s challenges. Having a healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body.
Stay well and safe.
Be kind to yourself and each other.
Dr Bird