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

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!

Merry Christmas!

A Tale of Two Cities

We were unbelievably fortunate to get the opportunity to meet the Lord Mayor of London, David Wooton, at Mansion House recently. We traveled all the way to London to get to see the way the other half lived; rooms architecturally beautiful with chandeliers bigger than I have ever seen before. It was an amazing experience – all in aid of this new project about the famous author, Charles Dickens.

Charles Dickens grew up in a family that struggled to make ends meet. In his stories he wrote about the lower class in such a way that you fell in love with them, as in stories such as ‘A Christmas Carol’ where you hear about The Cratchit Family and Tiny Tim. He portrays them as humble and angelic in contrast to the rich Scrooge who is cold hearted and selfish. From his stories he always had the opinion that these characters of rich society had the ability to change.  Living in Victorian England, Dickens experienced first-hand the effects of the industrial revolution. When he himself achieved a more comfortable lifestyle he wrote a story where his opinion seemed to change, the roles were reversed with the character Charles Darnay – which is similar to his name – in the story of ‘A Tale of Two Cities’. This character always tried to help.

David has worked hard all his life and climbed the social standings until the point that he gets the opportunity to live in the spectacular mansion house. After visiting this amazing historical building and meeting the Mayor, I can comfortably say that the Mayor of London is more like Charles Darnay, an aristocrat with a conscience. 

Words: Jessie.  Photo: Kathryn