Women

What are women?

To some people, we are strong, independent, special, unique and multi-taskers. To other people, we are cheap, useless, wimpy, stupid, ignorant, sex symbols who should be locked up away at home cooking and cleaning. As a woman I think these views are wrong and that we are more than what those people call us. Women have brains. They know what they want and how to get it.

Some women are misguided by false facts, people telling them they are worthless and a waste of time. They feel like they need to be spoon fed everything and that if they do not have someone to help them they will not be able to live. But with a little nudge they can stand up to these physical and emotional abusers. Women work hard. Some, like my own mother, are on their own with no man to help them but they get on and succeed.

Some women are the most important people in the world such as Michelle Obama and Kate Middleton. Women have had to fight to get where they are today. History shows us that in the past women were and still are, in the present, being treated like slaves with no rights and no freedom.

But we have stood up to the plate and made our mark.

Women are beautiful and deserve to be treated with respect. They have class, not necessarily in the dining room but in other things. They have attitude and they know men would be no where without them.

BY ANITA 

Why Lie?

Why lie?

It really annoys me when other pupils in my class produce an excellent piece of work whether it be a drawing or a creative writing piece.

  They ramble on and on about how ‘terrible’ and/or ‘un-creative their work is, however in their heart of hearts they know their work is good, all they are looking for are compliments or the usual ‘omg no that’s so good!’ or ‘wow that’s so awesome.’

At 10:00 which was around 2^nd period a tall confident boy in my class produced an excellent piece of work which ticked off all the criteria my teacher had set for us. He then as usual proceeded to use various swear words to describe his work and attract as much attention as possible.

  Thankfully most people in my class had all experienced this before, although a few faithful friends were foolish enough to compliment his work. 

By Seun

Teens hate politics!

Why Do Teens Hate Politics?

Today we had a workshop about Politics and Democracy. It was fun but I know the majority of pupils in my class didn’t like it because it was boring. The same in my last CP/PSHE lesson on Government. My hand shot up with the answer so many times that my teacher had to keep saying ‘Come on girls (It’s a girls’ school) don’t leave Temilola to do all the work’ or ‘Right, someone else apart from Temilola has to give the answer’. But no one else’s had shot up the way mine did. That was fun too but I know the majority of young people don’t like politics because it has nothing to do with them. I can’t say I’m part of that majority of youth.

I find politics and current affairs and international relations such a fascinating subject because of how it’s always changing. It fascinates me so much that I want to work in it when I’m older. People don’t understand how interesting it is. I know its kind of geeky but I don’t care. I might be the only person in my class who watches the news (and I mean voluntarily). Or the only one who knows what the teacher is saying when he or she explains the latest news story and doesn’t groan with boredom.

It’s about the lies and the wacky policies and the underdog party – That’s what makes it interesting. However there are so many teens that don’t understand how it affects them but I do. I can’t answer the question that I presented you with but I know it’s their loss that they hate it. I’m one step ahead of them and they don’t know that yet. Some people are stuck in their ‘massive’ worlds of twitter, facebook and bbm and they can stay there. I don’t care. All I know is that I’m connected with the whole world. And I know that I’m connected with politics.

Temilola.

Underwater

Underwater

16 meters underwater. A beautiful place, reserved only for the most daring people with a love for the ocean. Fishes swimming around you, your oxygen tank surprisingly light, the only sound is your breathing. You’re floating, suspended in water. It’s amazing.

Two months ago, this was where I was, taking part in my final scuba diving exam. It’s a fantastic experience that not many people have the guts to do. With all of the safety precautions and risks, it seems a bit daunting, but it’s worth it. It took me six months of training to get to this stage, and I was proud of myself.

I did my four first open water dives in the red sea in Egypt, and the instructors were shocked when I told them I was only thirteen. I remember my third dive clearly, as I turned around, only to come face to face with a grey tip shark. I was a little bit shocked to say the least, but that wasn’t the only part of the amazing wildlife that I encountered. I swam past a few stingrays, a group of Moray eels, and even a family of dolphins. The rainbow of corral meant that you couldn’t really get bored either, the sea conjuring up a new array of amazing sights every time your head disappeared under the surface.

If you ever get the chance to go scuba diving, even if it’s only a taster, take it. Trust me, you wont regret it. I know that I’m hooked

By Abigail

Today I was tired!

Today I was tired.

As humans we have all had one day when we are so tired we can’t think straight.

What adults don’t seem to realise is that how hard it is to survive a day of school when your brain is begging for sleep and refuses to work properly. What we don’t consider when we have had a sleepless night is how a good night sleep can save your life. It has been proven by science that lack of sleep can be as harmful whilst driving

As alcohol.

School is hard enough as it is with angry teachers who take out their anger with you and think that they own everyone, exams, and homework. And it’s not like teachers go any easier on you when you haven’t any sleep. What’s annoying is they don’t think twice about why you haven’t had any sleep. They all assume that you’ve stayed up all night watching TV. That’s not always the case. What if you was looking after a sick relative or doing the masses of homework to see if you can cope. Putting themselves   in a “win win” situation. Because if you can cope then they have won because they have put you through living hell. Where as if you can’t cope and don’t complete the homework they get the joy giving hours of detentions out like they are going out of fashion.

Do they do this to get some sought of petty revenge? Did a teacher be hard on them when they were young and doing it to the teachers of the future so the vicious cycle continues? Whatever it is sometimes teachers want to push you to breaking point in or out of the classroom.  This can mean saying something that you find hurtful or unnecessary. This has happened to me countless times throughout my secondary school life and I have only been there for two school years. Some teachers think they are untouchable and believe they can say whatever we want because we are only kids and can’t argue back without being threatened with such punishments as detentions, calls or letters home or exclusions.

I don’t know why they think this or why they think they are in apposition to publicly humiliate students. Just because they are given the responsibility to look after us they think they can treat us like dirt. For example this year. I was in a lesson and we had to go up to the teacher at the end of the lesson to make appointments for parents evening. And after a student had a slight disagreement with the teacher the teacher swore him at. And I found it inappropriate to swear directly at a thirteen-year-old student no matter what the circumstances were. 

The real stars..

The real stars of modern-day music

There are so many singers out there today, each one trying to be a star or make their mark on the charts. But there are a lot less that actually write their own songs. 

There are so many singers that are out there today, getting recognised as well-known celebrities and getting a lot of praise for their newest song. But the truth is many of them don’t deserve that praise. The praise should go to the songwriters, the real talent. They spend so much time working away, trying to write the next big hit, whilst the person they are writing it for is off somewhere partying or relaxing or advertising some other product. The “megastars” singing the songs get tons of money for them, yet the songwriters only get a small fraction of the profits. How unfair is that? Its like a person in a house fire getting more money to be rescued than the fire fighter is getting paid!

So I congratulate the singers that write their own songs and/or play their own music. They are the ones that are original and creative. They are the ones that choose to express their own opinions through their music rather than just sing about someone else’s love and hate. They are a lot more talented and are the people who actually deserve to be ruling the charts.

Being a singer should be about the music, not about how you look on stage or if you can make others feel jealous of you. The music should be the most important thing.

By Megan

Sweet and Savoury

Sweet and savoury – a scaring combination.

Ever since I was dared to eat an onion ring dipped in jam at a sleepover in primary school, I have never been able to dishes that contain sweet and savoury components. Some may think I’m being over dramatic for attention, but the thought of eating ham and pineapple pizza, for example, makes my skin crawl. I would never have thought a childish game that was supposed to be entertaining would have changed my opinion of certain foods forever.

I realise it was a long time ago, but I can still recall every sound, smell and taste of that moment when I decided to surrender to peer pressure, and proceed to put an entire onion ring smothered in strawberry jam into my unwilling mouth.

Even before I had taken a bite, I knew I would live to regret the moment. The background chanting and high pitched squeals of my friends as I encountered the vile combination of sickly sweet jam and salty, pungent onion forced me to swallow. It felt like I was being force-fed.

I’m not sure why I felt it necessary to go through with this dare. Maybe it was the immature desire to fit in and be the centre of attention, or perhaps a subconscious urge to be portrayed as a daredevil. Whatever the reason, I know if I could go back and relive this primary school sleepover; I would have refused the dare.

Although it isn’t a life-threatening situation, I would love to be able to order classic combinations in a restaurant, such as cheese and grapes. However I have come to accept I will never give a second thought to ordering a sweet and savoury dish.

Georgia

Some People Don't Listen!

Some people just don’t listen.

I did tell my teacher that I didn’t have a question. He obviously didn’t listen though, as he was still pestering me ten minutes after the bell had rung. He wouldn’t pay attention, and that really got on my nerves. If he’s going to ask a question, why won’t he listen for the answer?

            People like that really get on my nerves. They act like they’re paying attention, but they then repeat the question again and again. I understand if they didn’t hear, but not paying attention is downright rude. If someone has listened to you, the least you can do is listen for the answer.

            Last Monday, I was copying some work off of the board, when my teacher came up to me. He told me I looked like I had a question. I replied no. Conversation over, right? Obviously not though, as after five minutes of repeating the same answer I got a bit bored. He just didn’t seem to get the message, and that’s what really bugged me.

            Maybe I should buy a microphone.

By Abigail

Fashion v People

Is our need to be fashionable disrupting the human rights of others in developing countries?

Fashionable clothes at affordable prices seems idyllic to the majority; however have you ever given a second thought as to why the prices are so reasonable? It has become evident that large, global companies such as Primark are guilty of using child labour and sweat shops within developing countries to manufacture their products. This benefits the company as paying their workers pennies in return for their tireless, well executed labour, allows them to gain great profit whilst customers around the world rejoice over fashionable, cheap clothes. Isn’t a pretty top for £3.00 too good to be true?

The modern world has become materialistic. It is natural during this economic crisis for the public to search for high quality clothes at reduced prices; however if the truth as to where these items came from were widespread, would you still buy that £5.00 bag? The moral balance of a desire for a new bag, over the discrimination of a workers human rights seems like a no-brainer; so why is it that when we see a pretty, fashionable yet cheap bag in the shops, we forget this? It is because human nature causes us to put ourselves before others.

So the next time you pick up a cheap, fashionable item of clothing in a shop; take a minute to think about where it has come from.

Georgia

Derren Brown

Derren Brown: The Gameshow

I watched a T.V programme with my mum about a fake game show that involved the audience on the game show to decide a young man’s fate. Derren Brown is most famous for his amazing illusions, mind games and experiments towards the general public. Derren Brown used a young man called Kirk (27) the victim of the game show called “remote control” the audience had to decide Kirk’s fate on weather a good or bad thing happened to him, for example during the course of his night out he was arrested by police and fired from his job, obviously this was all not true but the only person who didn’t know that was Kirk himself. The maturity of the audience every time chose to make Kirk’s life more hell than heaven, with at least 60% of the audience choosing to laugh at young man’s misfortune, after the fake game show realising how twisted the idea really is. “The Gameshow” concerned the social psychological concept of deinviduation (the idea that normal people can make monstrous decisions while anonymous in a large group).

Derren Brown uses mostly the power of suggestion to manipulate members of the public to do reveal their thought or do particular actions. For example Derren brown a few years back played Russian Roulette but chose a man who he believed was brave enough to decide Derren Brown’s bullet of fate but also shaky enough to just about reveal the true bullet that was supposed to shot at Derren but didn’t.   

Derren Brown’s work is amazing but is it too far?

Cosmetic Surgery

Cosmetic Surgery

Do you ever find yourself with so much time to kill that you end up doing something utterly pointless? Well yesterday whilst I was waiting for a check up at the doctors, I did exactly that. The doctor was running so late with his appointments, that I found myself wedged in to the corner of the stuffy waiting room reading a magazine. Now to most of you this exercise will not seem completely pointless, because everybody likes magazines-don’t they?

Well, I for one have never liked them. Perhaps it’s the perfect and glossy covers and size zero models that are displayed throughout or the gruesome gossip from the lives of celebrities that we really DON’T care about. But no actually, it’s the articles inside. Its not that they are badly written or too lengthy or even too condensed (and there is such a thing as not saying enough), its not even the ‘get in your face’ headlines that carry the worst puns ever invented but it’s the actual storyline of the pieces that irritate me. The fashion articles and the beauty tips, telling me how I can look exactly like Katie Price within a maximum of three days, it’s the stories that have no substance and focus completely on looks that get to me most. If you were to flick through a magazine- go on I dare you- I could guarantee that 90% of all articles have some focus on looks. As a society we are image obsessed.

As I sat in this crowded waiting room, flicking through a month old copy of the magazine in question, I found a prime example of this. About three pages in to the magazine (usually the place for headline stories) I was presented with a huge image of what at first glance I believed to be a Barbie doll. The ‘doll’ in fact proved to be a 30-year-old woman who had just had surgery to look exactly like her childhood hero ‘Barbie’. Extreme or what? Granted, this woman looked exactly like her idol, but the fact that she went so far as to have surgery to do so really baffles me.

Doing a little research of my own, I came to discover that Barbie herself (Barbara Millicent Richards-if you please) if she were an actual person would have 6-7ft frame and a weight that would register her as dangerously anorexic. Now who would want to look like that? Obviously somebody who is not comfortable with their own body! And I believe this is a common issue, besides the little gripes we might have about eating too much or our noses being a little crooked, how many of us would go the extreme of having surgery to fix these things? Not me.

Birthdays

Birthdays by Sarah K

Everybody is always excited about their birthday especially from a very young age. Getting presents, having a party and just making everything in that day all about you.

People spending their time and money fussing over you. Everybody likes presents, money and all the attention but really do they need to spend and do as much as they do. However should birthdays be thought and celebrated about in this way?

   We should think about this day in the best way we could. Looking over years thinking about the laughs and cries and your family and friends; going and taking every step through life with you and never leaving you behind. Think about the great times you have had, the adventures you have been on and what you have done. Think about how you can improve the next year in a better way, making changes to the world and your surroundings. Making an impact and perspective on the way you think of yourself and that others think about you. Don’t always make everything about you and take it for grant age.

Obsessive looks

Do you find it so annoying when people spend too much time focussing on the way they look? Well I do. It is just so frustrating when people should I have my hair like this, this, or this. The same person over and over asks me this everyday. ‘Very irritating’. People spend too much time on their makeup or deciding what clothes to wear. Who cares!

   This isn’t something that has just occurred but has been going on for a long time. People spend too much time and money fussing over themselves.  They are becoming insecure or envious to the way they look. They just have the need to do it. I don’t understand: what is the point. You can never truly change who you are. You can do exercise to become finer, put on fake tan to look like you have been on a really expensive holiday but you can never change you innersole. Who are you putting the act on for? People don’t judge you by your looks. It is just annoying.

The media and the ignorance of Celebes do not prevent people being obsessed with them self. The technologies that we have today can litary do anything. It can change a person’s look completely. Celebes looking like they are anorexic. What can we believe in society today?

    It doesn’t matter the way that somebody looks it matters who they are in their personality. Also if someone bullies you because of the way you look just try and ignore they have probably experienced the same problem as you before and need to take it out on somebodyelse. They may also be doing it for attention, never change who you are just to become popular. Everybody has their own special thing inside them that makes them who they are. Never change it unless it is for the better. People will like you if you just be yourself.

Sarah

High Flying Hooligans

One thing I cant stand is them pesky Pimped out boy racers.  They really get on my wick! They drive dangerously around our  streets with their music played for the whole street to hear, with noisy exhaust defining everyone in its path. Who do they think they are?

Whats even more annoying about it is they pimp the worst cars. They drive around in small, cheap cars yet  drive them around like there Ferraris. They crave attention, but im not sure they realise how stupid it looks. They put their own and other peoples lives at risk by driving around like maniacs. For example last week as I left school I saw two young hooligans drifting round corners nearly hitting two students. What has the world come too?

Do you believe spoilt children become spoilt brats?”

Many of my friends enjoy looking more expensive to impress the people around them. Typical teenager. My friend always has to wear the designer clothing as it “shows that your wealthy” and “makes you stand out from others”, but I question these statements How do you stand out from the others if everyone prefers to buy the latest fashion, and maybe it does show that your more wealthy but it could possibly suggest that you prefer to spend your parents money on looking a certain image that everyone else copies as a reflection. I believe that the maturity of spoilt children turn out to be incapable adults, less aware of how the outside world works compared to teenagers luxurious and lavish lifestyles that they prefer to keep tight-knit to feel more protected. I can’t say that its completely the parents fault, I mean teenagers are always copying “celebrity idols” and their friends as teenagers believe that they are the beacon of hope to a more glamorous and brighter future. The more and more teenagers that pursue this lifestyle the more determined they are going to be to get what they want, the young men and women that I have encountered that have a more rich and wealthy lifestyles have come across the more aggressive and ill mannered to other people. What do you think?

 How much do you get spoilt? Lots of teenagers nowadays feel the need to indulge themselves in bling, designer clothing and the latest technology. Does it ever get to a point were parents spend too much on their teenagers? Do you believe that spoilt children become spoilt brats?

Eloise

Breathing

Today I took a breath. Some people would think it is just the normal process of breathing in oxygen, having it rush through your lungs and then expelling carbon dioxide in to the atmosphere. But really breathing is something else. Breathing is a very simple sign that you are alive. Some people go to sleep one night and find out they are no longer breathing. However, we get the chance to carry on breathing every… single...day. We should be using the time we have on this Earth to do something with our lives. To make a difference. We shouldn’t go around smoking, doing drugs or taking up alcoholism like modern society pressures us to. We should be using it to do big and small things. We can donate to charity, give blood, help build a house, help at shelters for people and animals.

And remember, the next time you take a breath think about all the good things you have been given. A family, a home, food, drink , education and LIFE.

BY ANITA

AWKWARD MOMENTS

Nobody is perfect. We all make mistakes every once in a while, from tripping on your shoelace, to dropping your phone. Many people look over simple mistakes, or an awkward moment. Except for people in school. A simple mistake, whether due to an accident or ignorance, can stay with you for years.

I know people who join and screw up their first impression, who wear embarrassing clothes on non-uniform day, who have awkward mannerisms or just try to be funny and fall flat on their face. It seems even an awkward moment can ruin a relationship with a friend, or a crush.

I know of a “friend” who did it all wrong. He had a bad first impression, being awkward and solitary. When he snapped out of the solitary part, the awkwardness still carried on. When he made a stupid error, he never heard the end of it. I feel sorry for him in a way.

Awkward moments linger. Having an awkward moment, say, a year ago, ruins your day, and anything closely resembling it a year later just triggers a horrible feeling. Just writing this I get reminded of 2 or 3.

To deal with them, I try not to make them happen, and if it does, say, I laugh it off, as having a negative reaction lingers, but being positive about your mistakes turn it into a funny memory. Having a positive thing to look back on will make you feel good, instead of being embarrassed.

A Compliment Paid

Tugging at a straw with her teeth, she consumed the liquid, emerging for a second to smile at how little of the liquidised food she had actually eaten. “What’s that?” I venture to ask only to be met with a cascade of information about the latest ‘diet’ on which she has embarked, her size zero jeans hanging off of her waist as she tells me how she has lost 10 pounds in just one week. 10 pounds in a week. I’m left to question “is that even healthy?” But perhaps my mouth would not have dropped open with such vigour if she had needed to loose any weight at all.

You see, it really grates on me when people can’t see things how they really are. Its like they are blind to any compliments that they receive always proclaiming that they’re ‘ugly’ when somebody else compliments their new haircut or in this case that they are ‘fat’ when they’re clearly not.

A compliment is not something to be thrown around and when someone compliments you it may just be easy to brush it off with a simple shake of the head, or a remark about how they are wrong. But in essence, if somebody compliments you, they really mean what they say. And instead of disagreeing with them maybe you should listen, because they may just be right.

Megan W

Britain's Got Talent - kids v adults?

Should children be allowed on Britain got talent?

Earlier this week Bruce Forsyth went on radio  and said that he likes Britains Got Talent, but he does not think that it should be for children because it would be too much of an ordeal for them and its not a good idea to put kids of that age through it. He said that instead Simon Cowell should make another Britains Got Talent for children called "Britains Children's Got Talent". During the week both sides of the argument have been stated, on episodes of Britains Got Talent,  but mainly by judges and acts, but the question remains should there be another show?

We believe that children on tv shows such as BGT tend to get the sympathy vote or the "aww factor", when other deserving acts tend to get the boot.

On the other hand though if you have got talent nothing should stop you! And also many famous singers were recognised from a young age - what's wrong with that? Giving children opportunities and broadening their horizon gives them more options in the future.

In the end we believe  children  should be able to show their talents but on a different show.  We think it would be less pressure because they are not going against experienced adults, they are going against people their same age and roughly the same experience.

Written by Suen, Tyler and Megan 

Some people just hate everything

Now, I know that everyone hates something or has something that annoys them. But there are some people that hate absolutely everything. It really frustrates me because they are the ones that don’t know how lucky they are to be alive.

There are plenty of examples of this in modern day life. Like when Margret Thatcher died. There were lots of people talking about how she was a horrid person and throwing parties because she has died. Even though she wasn’t perfect, it’s still horrible to treat someone with that much disrespect. 

There are lots of examples of this on the internet. There are people that will put comments on every YouTube video saying that its rubbish. And that can really hurt people’s feelings. People could do it because they are jealous or just because they are grumpy and mean.

I thank God for every day that I’m alive and that I live in a place that is quite well off. Why can’t they just realise how amazing that their life could be if they just stop putting others down.

Reported by Megan

Drama Dramas!

The last two weeks, the teens have been working with a journalist, Jacky, from Brighton.  Jacky has challenged the young people and encouraged them to really push themselves to produce final pieces.  Over the next few days we will see some of their results....

A couple of weeks ago, I had to perform my Ks3 final piece for drama. My group was doing Pinocchio (I was Jiminy Cricket) and I was in a group with my friends Agnes and Aderiike. We had practised a lot (we were given 10 weeks to prepare) we had learnt our lines and I had put a lot of effort into our set and props. The only problem was- we are the quiet ones of the group and to be honest, compared to other people, we weren’t exactly comfortable on stage. And then it came to the day of the performance. My heart was pounding as I walked onto the stage.

To me, the performance was just 7 minutes of pain. So much went wrong during it! We had missed out parts, our props got muddled up and our set fell down during the final scene. After that, I just felt embarrassed. 

Then, last Friday, our teacher was giving us our results. I was sure I had a low level. And then when I was about to receive my results, she told me that I had the highest mark in the class. I couldn’t believe it! Our group got 20 out of 20 marks for our group work and I got 28 out of 30 marks for my performance. I got a 7a! Maybe the performance was better than I thought, maybe she liked my art skills on the set, or maybe she just felt sorry for us. Either way, I know that there were definitely better actors in my year. There are girls in that class that are talented and confident and long to be on stage. There are boys who, even though they might be annoying in class, are funny and entertaining in each and every performance they do. Yet, it was me who got the highest mark. The girl who once, had to play the donkey in the nativity play in primary school (whilst all my friends were playing angels). And even though that confuses me, it also makes me feel really happy.

Reported by Megan.

A discussion on present and future libraries:

There is a wide debate over the positives and negatives of libraries in the UK; are libraries a dying tradition, or can they be modernised to appeal to upcoming generations?

Research into the young generation’s opinion shows that due to the digital world’s dominance and accessibility, libraries have lost their purpose and significance. The birth of kindles, iPads and eBooks has allowed the world to have easy access to any form of literature they choose with less responsibility of returning it on time or keeping it in pristine condition. The absence of time limits, fines and possibilities of the desired books unavailability have seen a dramatic drop in UK libraries’ popularity. To add to this, the stereotypical view of librarians amongst the younger generations is that they are strict, unwelcoming and petty. With better things to be doing in their free time, visiting a library which has a reputation of being ‘un-cool’ is not common choice.

However, libraries do have their positives for teenagers who are faced with examinations. They offer quiet study areas outside of the house and away from any distractions where resources are easy to find and mainly free. There is also specialised help on offer and access to computers for research on specialised projects. In addition, libraries offer placements for voluntary work which enhances many young people’s personal statements for university. Computer access also allows older generations to attend courses that familiarises them with the internet and general use of a computer; this service encourages them to accept the digital age and move with the times. 

In an informal interview, some young people were questioned on where they see libraries in five years time. The widespread agreement was that they would be digital based providing free access to kindles, iPads and eBooks for the public that could not be removed from the premises. Also it was discussed that libraries would become more popular if treated like a community centre; where workshops, projects and clubs would bring the local community together.

Libraries may not appeal to everyone in the community, but their presence and resources will always have a purpose to generations to come. Perhaps the stereotypical reputation will never be removed, but as the young generation mature, they will realise the importance of libraries in the local community. 

Written by Georgia

What needs to change?

The topic last week was to interview someone about "what needs to change".  Havering Libraries' Lead Member, Cllr Andrew Curtin, kindly came to be interviewed by the young people.  The person in the background was David from the Reading Agency who popped down to meet the young people and stimulate some of the conversations. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Really hope you enjoyed watching the videos!

More videos of the Mayoral interviews

Its taken a while to get these converted, but finally they are done....

 

 

 

 

Hope you enjoy watching them

 

Video of Interview with Mayor

I am going to post these videos up as they are ready - so they will be appearing over the next few days - here is the first one of some of our Social Reporters interviewing the Mayor of Havering, Cllr Lynden Thorpe, about her best day!

 Well done to our reporters!  Look out for more videos....

Best Day!

Lyndan Thorpe, Mayor of Havering, was asked in an informal interview to describe her best day; interestingly, she chose to describe both a teenage and more recent memory.

From a casual Stevie Wonder gig with a group of close friends, to a truly humbling meeting and greeting of 250 Royal Anglian Troops; Lyndan perfectly reveals the transition from adolescence to adulthood, and how amazing experiences can affect you for the rest of your life. The soldiers represented the young generation and what our boys are doing for our country.

It came as a great surprise to me that Lyndan Thorpe did not choose meeting Her Majesty the Queen as her best day. The official opening of Drapers Academy was the cause of the Queen’s presence in Havering; as the Mayor, it was Lyndan Thorpe’s duty to meet and greet her.

When questioned as to why this was not the day the Mayor chose to isolate as her best, she replied ‘the nerves of having the event run smoothly caused my first glance of the Queen to be a surreal blur’. She then added ‘However, when the official ceremony was over and I got the chance to speak with Her Majesty, the softly spoken, gently woman proved that her presence was not one to be intimidated by’.

Interviewing the Mayor of Havering made me wonder, does age affect your views on best days in your life? I have realised that it is not necessarily meeting people with status that creates best days in our lifetime; it’s those who you can relate and connect too that leave a lasting impact.

Georgia

Meeting the Mayor

Over the years, a lot of things have changed and our likes are one of them. This week at the Dickens Social Reporters, we interviewed the Mayor of Havering, Councillor Lynden Thorpe about her best day. After having a chat, we got some rather unexpected answers. Surely you would guess that meeting the Queen would be number one on her list, wouldn’t you? Well apparently not…

We started off by asking her about her best day as a teenager. She told us all about the Stevie Wonder concert she saw with her friends at the Ilford Palais. It was one of his first concerts, and he played the harmonica. She described it as an amazing and spectacular experience.

Then we got on to the topic of her best day as mayor. She started off by telling us that meeting the Queen was a close second, but her favourite memory just topped that. The Military parade made her see that our community is very close and caring. Soldiers who had just come back from Afghanistan marched through the streets of Romford. It was made even better by the crowds of people out on the streets, supporting the people who fight for our country. Councillor Thorpe talked to the soldiers and their families, and they were all very optimistic. The whole community supported them, and it really was something that would put a smile upon your face.

Overall, it was a lovely experience meeting the Mayor, and we would like to thank her for coming to talk to us.

By Abigail

My World

Our new group of Dickens Social reporters started and their first challenge was to post up photos of things that typified their world.....

Here are the images and words which Abigail produced.....

"Nearly all teenagers are connected to at least one social networking website, be it Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr. We all like to keep in touch with our friends, and the fact that you can access these sites on mobile phones makes them even more popular and well used. It is quite unlikely that you will find a teenager without Facebook, or even Internet access."

"Music is a huge part in our lives nowadays, so much that the genres we listen to are associated with our status groups: Arty people are likely to listen to indie rock or metal, popular people are likely to be associated with pop music e.t.c. A lot of people are now interested in playing musical instruments, such as the guitar, as well."

"School also plays a big part in our teenage lives. With homework every day and over 6 hours in school, we constantly have thoughts in the backs of our minds. With exams to be thought about, and detentions to avoid, we're always thinking about it. "

 Thanks so much Abigail, for your insight into your world! 

Education!

To follow on from our education piece by Joy - here is a great video that makes us consider whether exams are worth it!

Hope it has the same impact on you as it did on me!

Latest News

We are going to be starting a new group of Reporters on 22nd April.  If you are aged 11-19 and interested in coming along and joining in the fun, then just drop me an email ruth.gedalovitch@havering.gov.uk  Or turn up at Romford Library at 5pm.  We look forward to seeing you then.

School vs State - The Big Debate

Dickens Social Reporters

Now unto the topic of education; more specifically, the grave Grammar debate. Before you all groan with boredom at the thought of the topic, I first ask, in all seriousness, how many of us have fallen victim to stereotypical views of various education systems?

Thoughts such as private schools being filled with spoilt posh brats, only super smart sensible students attend grammar schools (a.k.a nerds), boy's schools are better than girl’s and most billionaires are college drop outs etc. etc. the list goes on. How far do these cliché views stem from the truth? The conflicting opinions leave one asking, is the education system of selective schools fair or not???

The Facts

Havering fortunately boasts a range of secondary schools, with twenty-one institutes scattered all over the borough. From specific gender to mixed, from parochial schools to independent academies, Havering has it all...all but a grammar school. Parents that wish for their children to go to grammar selective schools therefore apply for schools outside the borough, but with various travel issues, changes with catchment areas, costs for 11+ preparation and changes in exam/registration date, some ask is it truly worth it?

Research shows that 57% of all Havering secondary schools had results of 65% of their pupils achieving five GCSES A*-C. 19.05% secondary schools however, had over 80% of their pupil's achieve a minimum five GCSEs A-C, defying the stereotype that comprehensive schools are vary poor compared to grammar. However in the top 20 secondary schools in England, (for best GCSE results), approximately 85% are selective schools.

The views

An argument can be made that selective schools provide an equal opportunity for all children, regardless of their social status, to have access to specialised education.

However grammar schools are not evenly dispersed around the United Kingdom, giving some children an unfair advantage in gaining entry to a specific school.

It can also be argued that the environment and resources of grammar schools help boost the individual performance of students.

On the other hand the system of the 11+ has been criticised due to the fact that children are pressured from a young age and failure results in a psychological effects. Also late bloomers with future potential are not considered with the exam.

Good or Bad

Within the story hard times, Dickens portrays the educative system of his times as being an imagination-less, creativity droning process. The character Mr. Gradgrind the head of education in Coketown, is portrayed as an antagonist with a strict view of education. His children, who are raised victim to his fact-only ideology, live a happiness derived life whilst the character Sissy and her children, ''fancy'' people that do not fall in line with Mr. Gradgrinds desired education are the novels ultimate heroes. SO, what does this say about the English education in general? Has the system evolved accepting all people regardless of their social/financial status? Will it ever?

Conclusion

Overall it cannot be disputed that the rate of success of each school throughout all time depends on the talents and potential of the individual. The drive to succeed trumps all therefore regardless of school one should always strive to achieve the best.

Food Banks in Havering

The Foodbank at Harold Hill was set up in January 2012.  Since then it has helped out more than 1000 people.

It was set up as a new charity by volunteers from the local community who saw that there was a need for it in their area.

All sorts of people are using the Foodbank, including single people, families, the elderly, working people and people on benefits.

People can need the support of the Foodbank for a variety of reasons, such as their benefit has been delayed, their income is very low, they have just received a big bill or even because of situations such as domestic violence.

  

40 organisations around the borough hold vouchers that they can give to people who they think are in need of the services of the Foodbank.  They would then take this voucher along and exchange it for a supply of emergency food for them and their family for 3 days.

Organisations involved include churches, schools, Job Centres, Citizens Advice Bureau and Social Services.

People can use the services of the Foodbank up to 3 times.  All clients are welcomed with a cup of tea while they fill out paperwork etc and they are made to feel at ease and comfortable.  Obviously for many it is a very stressful and upsetting time.  Everyone will be offered help to try and find a way through their current situation.  Help such as debt counselling or budgeting skills.

The food is donated from 80 local organisations and individual people, including supermarkets, churches and schools.

The Foodbank is run by a large group of volunteers.  They are from local churches, retired local people or even former clients of the foodbank.  

The website is http://haroldhill.foodbank.org.uk  if you would like to find out more or make a donation.  The list of items currently on the shopping list on the website is quite small, due to a surplus of some items already in stock.  At the moment they have an endless supply of baked beans!

The worrying thing is that the demand for the services of the Foodbank is continuing to grow.  And it is likely to continue growing with the changes in benefit entitlement about to come in to force.

Other worries include how the Foodbank continues to meet its operating costs and its overheads.  And to cap it all, the lease is about to run out on their current premises and at the moment they don’t know where they will go next.

It feels wrong that in the 21^st century people are going hungry in our local communities and that the services of charities such as the Harold Hill Foodbank is needed.  But admiration should go to the volunteers who are running this service and are trying to do something about it.

Foodbanks are also operating in the Collier Row and Rainham areas of Havering.

Money Money Money

How our spending habits have changed

based on the answers given by the focus group

We spoke to a group of people to find out what they spend their money on now, as opposed to what they used to spend their money on when they were younger.

The general gist of it tended to be that we are actually more careful with our money than we were in the past. All of the group agreed that they think more before buying things that, 30 years ago they would have bought automatically. Also with supermarkets containing everything you could need as opposed to going to the butchers for your meat, bakers for your bread etc we now look for the best price; whereas, before supermarkets, there was only one shop that sold what you needed and as such only one price.  Things like chocolate are actually cheaper then previously due to huge amounts being produced and  shipped over inexpensively.

As for the type of thing that we spend our money on, some feel that we treat ourselves more due to everything being right there in front of you, without the need to go and find it in another shop.

Reporter:Fred!