The Edonian Autumn 2022

Welcome to Issue 22 of our Autumn/Winter magazine!

It has been an eventful 15 weeks at Eden. We had a surprise Ofsted inspection. The girls Football team brought home a trophy and a Year 8 team qualified for the CyberFirst Girls' Competition.

We also welcome a whole new Edonian team. Our previous team are now busy focussing on their GCSEs. Three of them now represent the school as the Head Girl & Deputy Head Girls. Read more inside this issue.

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All praises to the Almighty, Lords of the Worlds and the Master of our fortunes. Salutations to our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the seal of the Prophets and the guide for all humanity

As we embark upon a new chapter at Eden, I begin with a verse from the first surah that was revealed: “Who taught by the pen - taught humanity what they knew not” Al-Quran (Surah Al-‘Alaq 96:4-5)

I take inspiration from this ayah; that all the knowledge we have sought and are yet to seek is all a blessing from Allaah. It is humbling that the mighty pen is still the main tool of a teacher after many millennia it has evolved from reeds, chalk and quills to the common pen as we know it, to a modern-day keyboard and with technological advancements to a stylus; but the purpose remaining the same to teach, to learn, to further our knowledge.

After eight years of strong and steady leadership since the birth of Eden we welcome a new dawn to continue the legacy but also to take our school to new heights, Insha’Allaah. It is rather poignant, that the start of this academic year has also been marked by the change at the top echelons of our constitutional monarchy with change and change again in Number 10 and the cabinet, coupled with change on the throne

The term began and very shortly we had an Ofsted inspection, the school maintained its “Outstanding” status under a tougher and more robust inspection framework Some of the key judgements that the inspectors made are: ‘Exceptionally high aspirations are the norm here ’

plenty to museums, theatres, places of worship - capitalising on the capital; delivering our Eden Promise in full flair We have also been raising aspirations and breaking the glass ceiling by taking students into the financial heart of the City – Canary Wharf and taking them into prestigious academic institutions like the University of Cambridge

Students have been involved in plenty of workshops and activities this term also from Black History themed activities to the Interfaith Breakfast, where we welcomed the Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis as our guest of honour Students have also participated in competitive events like the Bebras Challenge, and CyberFirst Competition to winning the Waltham Forest Girls Football tournament – Football came home to Eden, even if it didn’t quite happen for England

The compassionate heart of Eden continues to beat, with student involvement in at least six different charity projects just this term ranging from local issues like feeding the most needy and vulnerable in our communities to supporting the victims of the Pakistan Flood Appeals So far, this year we have raised over £7,500!

We have introduced some innovation this term by welcoming parents into school through our Parent Coffee Morning with the Senior Leadership Team. Parents appreciated the direct contact with the school’s SLT and the openness and approachability of the team. We hope to see more parents at the next one!

The end of term has seen Eden transformed into a magical land out of Narnia overnight, with a thick blanket of snow. We seamlessly moved to remote learning for a day and opened again welcoming in students and a few friendly snow people

Please do take a moment to relish our achievements and highlights for this term and celebrate our successes with us.

Ms Aamena Mayet

AUTUMN HIGHLIGHTS

EDONIANTEAM

Our new team is made up of pupils in Year 9 Interested pupils were invited to apply by their English teachers The team meet every Monday and work on articles throughout the term The Edonian team is overseen by Mr Janoff & Mrs Ayub Our newest members are Zainab Imran, Naseeha Abdul-Hye, Juwairia Butt, Inaya Irfan, Maimunah Kola, Naeemah Ayub, Faizah Hussain, Aaila Ahmed, Maliha Afzal, Amina Noman, Zubeda Landi, and Iman Shabbir If you are in Year 9 and would like to join please come and see Mrs Ayub for an application pack

FOOTBALLCAMEHOME

England may have lost the World Cup in Qatar, but our Year 7's brought it home Congratulations to our Year 7 Football team who won the Waltham Forest Plate competition this term

Habibah Bint Sheraz 7T, Hidaya Saghir 7A, Salma Mohamud 7S Behishta Mohammad 7R, Ayah Ali 7T, Lolina Rutkowska 7S Noor Asad 7A, Amira Jeilani 7S, Mirsada Hilaj 7T, Jaysha Siddiqui 7A

CANARYWHARF

On the 14th of October, Computer science students in year 9 were able to attend a HSBC workshop in one of HSBC’s biggest buildings in London. They were able to meet with HSBC personnel and find about future careers in technology and learn about the bank. This was a great experience for all year 9’s who attended as they gained first-hand experience about technology in banking and visited one of the biggest buildings for HSBC in the World! Following on from this event HSBC hosted a whole day careers workshop for pupils in Year 9. HSBC are committed to provIding insights and opportunities from within the community and for girls.

INTERFAITHLINKPROJECT

Interfaith link project continues this year with pupils from Year 8 working on projects with pupils from independent school Forest

The aims of the project are to build community cohesion and learn about each others' faith and diverse backgrounds

The girls will be working together on creative projects at both Eden and Forest

Pupils in Year 7, 8 and 9 have been taking part in a variety of sports at the Olympic Velopark run by British Cycling. They have taken part in BMX, Track Cycling and Road Cycling. Several girls have been talent scouted.

SPANISH TRIP

The Instituto Cervantes is the official Spanish Language and Cultural centre. It's a non-profit organization founded by the Spanish Government in 1991. Its mission is to promote Spanish language teaching throughout the world. Year 11 Spanish pupils visited the institute on the 14th of December to learn more about Spanish culture.

FOODTECHNOLOGY

This term pupils have been studying Food Technology with new teacher Mrs Arslan. They have been cooking up a storm. Pupils have covered a range of topics including food safety & hygiene, healthy menus, knife skills and cooked a variety of dishes. Next term KS3 pupils will move on to Textiles.

Pupils in Year 9 took part in an exciting project with the Museum of London and BBC Sounds.

The project titled 'My London Story' aims to shed a spotlight on identity. Pupils took part in workshops at the Museum of London and then recorded their London story. The stories will be held in the museum archive for visitors. You can listen to the programme here https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0dc9h25

Pupils in Year 10 completed the expedition and practice expedition of the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award in September. Pupils had to complete a 2 day expedition in rural Surrey. Pupils had to hike 6 hours each day and cook outdoors. They learned how to put up tents and carry a large bag. All girls passed the expedition. They are now working on volunteering, sport and skill sections of the award.

BIMA Digital Day Winners

BDD gives insight in to the world of careers in tech.

Oh Yes They Did!

Year 7 visit the theatre to watch pantomime Cinderella

AMBITION thisterm

This November, year 9 and 10 students were taken out of lessons for the day to take part in a workshop run by the Jack Petchey Foundation. Groups of 25 were trained by experts in public speaking; the day was filled with various informative and entertaining activities, encouraging us to step out of our comfort zone These led up to writing and delivering a speech at the end of the experience.

To be able to present our speeches properly, we were taught different skills needed to write and deliver a speech effectively These include the communication triangle, the 5 S’s, and the Point, Explain and Position (PEP) method.

Throughout the day, many tips and pieces of advice were also shared

We also took part in many activities to help practice and implement these skills

For example, when someone was speaking the rest of the group would stand up and when the speaker made eye contact with someone – even if it was for a fraction of a second – they were allowed to sit down.

Year 10 pupil Safiyyah Kazi was chosen to represent Eden in the regional finals Her speech was titled 'Perfection' and was her take on what perfection means to her

Safiyyah was fantastic on stage She delivered her speech with the right amount of passion, presence and conviction Special thank you to our new Drama teacher Ms Adejonwo for working with Safiyyah.

By Inaya Irfan

Jack PetcheyAchievement Award

Sir Jack Petchey set up the Jack Petchey Foundation to inspire young people across London and Essex to work hard and reach their full potential. 'The Jack Petchey Achievement Award winners are young people who have gone above and beyond to achieve –perhaps when others thought they might fail.

The Achievement Awards are primarily about recognising those who put in the effort and do their best.’ Sir Jack Petchey CBE. Congratulations to this year's winner Zubeda Landi who was nominated by her teachers. Zubeda always does the right thing, is a good friend and willing to help. She is also a member of The Edonian

SERVICE thisterm

This term we have raised a phenomenal £7500 and counting for charitable causes for this term alone. We kick started September with Macmillan Coffee Morning for parents We continued our tradition of annual auction and despite Ms Mayet now being our new Principal, we insisted that she was still the best auctioneer in school We sold poppies and merchandise for Armistice Day, sold hundreds of Pudsey ears and pin badges for Children in Need, raising over £1160. We raised over £4000 alone for the Pakistan Flood appeal We collected food parcels for Harvest and sold merchandise to raise awareness for Mental Health In December as part of our Festive Winter Gift campaign we delivered 500 food parcels to YMCA, Christian Kitchen E17, Salvation Army and First View Care Home We bought a roomful of toys for sick children at Great Ormond Street Hospital and made 50 plus gift baskets to hand out to those less fortunate in our community With energy bills and the cost-of-living skyrocketing we continue to serve our local community through our pupil run food bank

Yr 11 Pupil Rumeysa Yalcin BBC CHILDREN

MACMILLAN COFFEE MORNING

A R O U N D T H E world

Known for its economic and military power, the US contributes about 37% of the total global tech industry. American research contributes enormously to the medical and biological fields. The U.S tech industry employs more than 13 million workers and is expected to grow by 10% to 2030. The US is home to many of the world’s biggest tech firms like Google, Facebook, Apple, Intel, IBM, and Microsoft.

The UK has exerted economic, political, scientific, and cultural influence around the world. Britain has invented things like jet engines, steam engines, light bulbs, and many more. Innovation in science as well as the banking and financial services has fuelled much economic growth in the past. And many of its universities are world-class in science and technology innovation.

Over recent years, Latin America has established itself as one of the world’s most promising regions for startup activity and growing tech talent. Many of Latin America’s thriving start-up communities have shown remarkable adaptability and resilience in the face of the numerous challenges of the past year. The countries leading the way are Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Argentina and Columbia.

Germany is known for its nanotechnology, space science and automobile industry. It is known for having a highly skilled and affluent workforce. Germany contributes a huge portion of the world economy.

Switzerland has low unemployment, a skilled labour force, also has one of the highest GDP per capita in the world. The secrets behind a strong economy may include a low corporate tax rate, a highly developed service sector and an advanced manufacturing industry.

International investors have continued to support the African continent’s start-up scene, but a whopping 92% of Africa’s investment in tech is won by just 4 countries: Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya and South Africa. Their big populations and large GDPs make them attractive destinations for investment. Many other African nations still record a low level of start-up investment due to the availability of economic resources, political and socio-economic constraints and poor financial systems.

Sweden has experienced high economic growth due to the success of its technological firms. Currently, Swedish researchers are exploring a safer internet for children The government has already created an office to bring discoveries from science to everyday life. This approach aims to develop a national strategy that will have global impact.

Despite domestic challenges like pollution and slowing growth, there are three factors that contribute to Chinese global technology advancement: China offers innovators huge markets, they have government authority to shape policy and the state provides infrastructure. Did you know that China has their own version of Google, YouTube and social apps and its own Satellite communication system?

Estonia has invested heavily in its digital infrastructure since its independence in 1991. The government has introduced e-voting, e-health and e-banking programmes, and even e-residency - a virtual-residency programme - to attract digital nomads and foreign businesspeople looking to start an EU-based company, which in turn brings new opportunities for the Estonian economy.

Japan is committed to being the very first country to prove that it is possible to grow through innovation even when its population decreases. The country aims to dramatically improve the quality of life through integrated technology. Japan’s students rank second in mathematics and first for science among 34 countries, so no surprise it is one of the most technically advanced countries in the world.

Singapore is one of Asia’s four 'Tiger Economies’; it has shown impressive growth for many years in manufacturing and high productivity rates have built the path of free-market innovation in the booming electronics and pharmaceutical industries. Did you know that Singapore is the first country to bring the self-driving car into reality?

Written by Juwairia & Faizah

COMPUTER SCIENCE

In November our Year 10’s went on a visit to Bletchley Park. As part of the computer science curriculum, the Year 10’s were learning about Alan Turing and the genius behind the Enigma Machine following on from their studies around cyber security and cryptography. A tour guide showed them around the park and talked about the significance of computers during World War II. Following the tour there was a cryptography workshop involving a series of instructions to decode a hidden message. The students then had the opportunity of a self-guided tour, where they further delved into the history of the first computers and learned about developing computing mechanisms. The majority of our Year 10’s interviewed mentioned that the most favourable part of the day was learning about Alan Turing’s life, and how he saved the Allies in World War II. At the end of the day, our Year 10’s enjoyed a small encounter with a friendly cat along the journey back home: “I really enjoyed the decryption workshop because it encouraged me to challenge my abilities and have some fun. Not to mention the cat. Nothing can top the cat.” - a Year 10 student.

The

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November. The competition is open to all girls in year 8 and aims to foster a love of cybersecurity. Girls in year 8 battled it out in teams of 4 to score points. The team with the most points is put forward to see if it makes the competition finals. We are pleased to announce that Team Digital Leaders qualified for the finals. This is our fourth time qualifying for the finals of the competition. Well done to the final team who will represent Eden in the finals in February: Janna Saliman, Khadija Dada, Ruhm Ali and Aamina Hassan.

Over 500 students from year 7 -10 took part in the UK Bebras Challenge. The challenge tests pupil's natural aptitude for computer science and problem solving. 11 students secured a Gold certificate. This puts them in the top 1% of students in the competition. This year 337,935 students participated in the competition. Congratulations to Jaysha Siddiqui (best in school), Sumaiya Khan, Safiyah Daya, Zaara Hussain, Hafsah Samee, Inaya Irfan, Naeemah Ayub, Aaila Ahmed, Zainab Rahmatullah, Zainab Imran & Sana Sana.

CyberFirst Girls' competition qualifiers

place this

CAMBRIDGE

Y10 pupils visited the Centre of Islamic Studies at University of Cambridge and were given a taster postgraduate seminar on Environment & Sustainability

In November, as part of our Faith and Careers programme, our Year 10 pupils visited the Cambridge Central Mosque. Pupils also visited Pembroke College (part of University of Cambridge) as part of our Careers programme and some Year 10 pupils were given a taster post-16 University seminar on Environment and Sustainability in Islam at the Centre of Islamic Studies at University of Cambridge Pupils thoroughly enjoyed the experience and appreciated the opportunity to explore Cambridge!

PAKISTAN FLOOD APPEAL

In September 2022, Star Academies launched an emergency Pakistan Floods Appeal which aimed to raise funds to help children and families affected by this terrible crisis. Our giving was coordinated by Shine, our sister charity, who ensured that donations were used directly to benefit people in need According to authorities and charities in Pakistan:

2,000+ people had lost their lives, including more than 300 children. 1 million+ houses had been washed away. 50 million+ people are homeless 90% of their crops have been damaged 900,000 livestock are dead

Up to a quarter of the country was underwater.

Our school community responded so swiftly and generously In total, we raised a phenomenal £4,101 65 for the Pakistan Floods Appeal Thank you to our parents, students and staff members who had contributed towards this cause

Students outside Cambridge mosque.. Centre of Islamic Studies - Dr Yomna Helmy

Here in Eden, we celebrated Black History Month in October with many spectacular events to mark the occasion. It is a time to remember people who were forgotten by history because of discrimination due to the colour of their skin. It is a time to celebrate diversity, specifically African history, and culture

We had the amazing experience of playing some African drums called “djembes” under the guidance of a professional player who visited our school. During the lesson, we learnt about the traditional African instrument, which was hand crafted in its home country using a single log of wood and stretched goat skin.

We played traditional African songs on the instrument as well as learning the proper way of handling the drums, a basic beat and rhythm Afterwards, we had the opportunity to ask questions about African culture, or to learn more about the djembes. It was an enjoyable and educational experience, in which we expanded our cultural knowledge of Africa

Another Black History Month event was the Black History art competition, hosted by Ms Aswat The challenge was to create an innovative art piece focused on one or more great black Britons, celebrating their contributions to the world After judging, the winners were announced to be, in third place, Zainab Nasiri in second place Zuhra Malang and finally, Fatima Noman in first place Congratulations to all the winners, especially the grand prize winneras well as everyone who participated.

We also had the opportunity to watch the recently released film Harriet about the life of Harriet Tubman and learn about a key figure in Black History who battled against racism, inequality, and slavery in America. A review of the film Harriet is included in this magazine’s review section

We are lucky at Eden to be able to celebrate all cultures, races, and religions - including the ones mainstream history had previously chosen to unjustly ignore. We ended Black History Month, after many fun activities, remembering and appreciating people of all origins Moreover, here at Eden, throughout the entire year – not exclusively this one month - we should apply our Star Values and show kindness and respect to everyone

Zainab Imran

SPIRITUALITY

Muhammad Dalvi

Technology has come so far that it is embedded in our lifestyle; when was the last time you didn’t use your phone? When did you last not use the internet? The reality is that technology has a variety of uses that makes our life easier What if we could also use technology to gain reward from Allah, the Exalted, and stay away from wrongdoing? The following are three tips that we could potentially use:

1

Keep forwarding good information – the Prophet (may peace and blessings be upon him said), “Whoever guides someone to goodness will have a reward like the one who did it ” (Muslim) This hadith highlights that if we encourage others to good, we will also be rewarded if they were to act upon our guidance. So, don’t think that it is something small when you’re forwarding Qur’an recitals, Islamic lectures or nice quotes etc. If somebody sees it and acts upon it, you will be rewarded!

2 Using Islamic apps for worship – use the Qur’an app to cram in a page or two of recital before you go to sleep We spend so much time on our phones, swiping through videos and images that we often forget how much time we’ve wasted Try using your time productively by designating a time in the evening to recite the Qur’an

3 Learning – there are many apps available that will help you understand your faith more The very first command of the Qur’an was to ‘read!’ and by implementing this instruction, we can better our understanding of Islam Why not download a book on the life of the Prophet (may peace and blessings be upon him) and then read a few pages here and there? You will notice that you have increased your knowledge after reading a few pages –this is progress and puts you in a better position than you were in before.

May Allah, the Exalted, give us the ability to use technology effectively. Āmīn.

Maualana

Curriculum Year 10 - User Interface Design

Senior Leadership Team Meet Leaders From Other Star Schools

Interfaith Breakfast

On Friday 18th November, we hosted our annual Eden Interfaith Breakfast event which was attended by over sixty guests Pupils and guests took part in roundtable dialogue discussions on interfaith as well as listening to speeches and presentations from keynote speakers Teachers and pupils from Walthamstow Academy, Forest School and Azhar Academy Girls school were also in attendance The overarching theme for this year ’ s event was: Strengthening Interfaith Relations The guests of honour were:

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mervis – He is an Orthodox rabbi who serves as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth – one of the most senior Jewish leaders in the UK Cllr Grace Williams (Leader of Waltham Forest Council) – She directly oversees borough visits by members of the Royal Family, International dignitaries and works closely with Deputy Lieutenant and team Major Jeremy Fern (Deputy Lieutenant of Waltham Forest) Ruth Kaufman OBE (Vice-Chair of The Waltham Forest Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE)

“ ... a most wonderful gathering of unity and harmony!” - The Chief Rabbi

“ a perfect opportunity to come together to celebrate each other’s beliefs, support one another’s faith and stand shoulder to shoulder against bigotry and hate ” - Jas Atwal, Leader of Redbridge Council

PEN EVENING

The Eden Girls' School open evening took place this October The purpose of the event is to welcome potential pupils and their parents and give them an exciting introduction to what our school is all about

A few students were assigned the job of being tour guides and answering any queries the parents or future students had about the school. The guests were split into groups, and the tour guides lead their visitors around the school and showed them to the classrooms

Each Eden subject had various activities, challenges and displays for the parents to see or take part in There were spectacular art displays, crazy science experiments, exciting activities from the humanities department, tasty dishes on offer from food technology, and so much more!

The sensational evening concluded with an assembly Our headteacher Ms Mayet presented a speech on the many benefits of our school and what it has to offer young people

Other heartfelt speeches were delivered by: Year 11 student Nasrin Hassan Ali, Year 9 student Naseeha AbdulHye and Year 7 student Mirsada Hilaj, each describing their positive individual experiences at our school

By Amina Noman

World Mental Health Day - first taking place back in 1992 - is commemorated every year on the 10th of October Its aim is to raise awareness of the importance of mental health issues and make aiding and mending these conditions more widely available. It also serves as a chance to discuss mental health in general, in the hope that more people will find the courage to speak up about their mental wellbeing

This year World Mental Health Day highlighted the lack of mental health services in lower-income countries and how this is an issue that must be mended; help should be available to all The message in the UK is that mental health problems are everywhere, affecting anyone and we should do as much as we possibly can to prevent more suffering; prevention is better than cure

At Eden, assemblies were presented to all year groups discussing World Mental Health Day and how to reach out for help in and outside of school It is important to remember that our HOY’s and safeguarding team are always available to help students who are facing struggles and are unsure about what to do and who to talk to. Additionally, weekly lessons about various aspects of mental wellbeing, like anxiety, are regularly brought up in Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education (PSHCE) In these lessons, discussions take place, and many ideas are discussed, with the aim to educate students about mental struggles and how to deal with them before they deteriorate any further

Inaya Irfan

LITERACY AT EDEN

By Iman Shabbir

This year’s National Poetry Competition was launched on Thursday 6th October 2022 National Poetry collaborated with Green Peace to come up with the topical theme of 'The Environment’ At Eden we received many amazing poems from many talented students across the school, however, there had to be a winner.

The 1st place for KS3 was awarded to Aaila Ahmed, in Year 9 The 1st place for KS4 was awarded to Mishaal Shazad, in Year 10.

1st 2nd, and 3rd places were awarded to both KS3 and KS4 Prizes included books, pens and much more Congratulations to our winning poets!

This year, students are encouraged to use ReadingWise as a means of improving their English ReadingWise is an innovative online platform, the aims to support young people in the development of their reading skills Research shows that ReadingWise can boost reading ages by over nine months in just 1 term! Students have been instructed to work on ReadingWise three times a week, for a minimum of 10 minutes each session The more the better! In the past, it was Bedrock Vocabulary, now its ReadingWise

This autumn our school, as always, partnered up with BookBuzz, the UK’s largest children’s reading charity, to give students from Years 7 and 8 the opportunity to select a book of their choice for free The books arrived just in time for the Christmas holidays. Pupils in Year 7 & 8 had a mini party celebrating their books.

STAR SUBJECT READERS & STAR READER

This year, our English teacher, Ms Nasser-Shah, created some amazing bookmarks for our STAR Reading lessons at the end of the day – also known as Drop Everything And Read (DEAR)

Speaking of STAR Reader, Javeria Ali, in Year 8, is the first student in the school to have completed the STAR Reader challenge! She read at least 10 books from the recommended reading list Well done Javeria!

EVENING OF REFLECTION

By Iman Shabbir

This year ’ s Evening of Reflection took place on Friday 21 October to mark the end of Rabi AlAwwal and to honour the life of our Beloved Prophet (may peace and blessings be upon him) Students, staff and their families were invited to Eden Girls to be part of this annual event For many of our guests, these few hours were very memorable The evening commenced with a variety of well-conceived and beautifully presented performances given by students. Maulana Muhammad gave a speech describing our Prophet (SAWS) This year, the school invited Abdessalam Bassou as the chief guest and he performed a variety of Arabic based Nasheeds praising our Prophet (SAWS) A delicious threecourse meal then followed

Thank you to Ms Adejonwo and Mr John who supported the acts Serine Aichkedra & Zaynah Bint Sheraz recited Surah Fatiha and it's translation. Sisters Saarah & Samira Khan and Vania Irshad sang nasheeds. The event was hosted by Maulana Muhammad and our year 10 performers performed a mix of spoken word poetry and short stories on the life of our beloved Prophet Our artists were Maimunah Ali Mohammed, Zaynab Sedoo, Hafsa Saddique, Aliza Araf, Faatima Patel, Zehra Kepil and Wafa Afzali

LEADERSHIP & LEARNING

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On Thursday 24th November Eden held it's first Leadership Day of the academic year. Pupils in all year group abandoned the academic curriculum and took part in a range of experiences designed to build on cultural capital.

Year 8 spent the day exploring London This was a great opportunity to explore the architecture of London. The Southbank had opened its Christmas Markets and was a lot of fun

Year 9 had a varied experience. 9S spent the day at Linklaters learning about careers in Law 9T, 9A & 9R worked with ELBA on a sustainability project In the afternoon they worked with the forensic science team from the MET police

Year 10 took this time to focus on curriculum catch up on in DIT, CS and RE

Year 7 took worked on a sustainability project run by Accenture

The photos on the right are a snapshot of just some of the fantastic opportunities we have taken part in this term during Leadership Day & enrichment opportunities

STUDENT LEADERSHIP TEAM ANNOUNCED

Congratulations to former Edonian Magazine team members who will represent the school as Head Girl and Deputy Head Girls. Hiba Qtifan is Head Girl. She is supported by Deputy Head Girls Nasrin Hassan Ali and Mamdudah Said. We are excited to see what changes you bring this year.

By

JASPREET KAUR BEHIND THE NETRA

Jaspreet Kaur is an award-winning spoken word artist. By day, she is a secondary school history teacher with an academic background in history and gender studies

Jaspreet, also known by her online handle ‘Behind the Netra’ - ‘netra’ being the Sanskrit word for ‘eyes’ - has written many poems, including those tackling the stigma of mental health.

At the 2018 Commonwealth Service, Jaspreet performed in front of Her Majesty the Queen, an event broadcast live to 2.4 billion viewers around the world!

What is she doing here at Eden?

Year 9 students were the lucky group who welcomed Jaspreet into our school in celebration of National Poetry Day.

She delivered a truly inspirational speech about her life and the struggles she overcame to be where she is today

Her story is one that is worth hearing. During her time in secondary school, she struggled with her mental health and turned to writing as an escape

She held a workshop for a handful of year 9 students. They explored some of her poems and even had the chance to write their own poems inspired by her poem called ‘That’s Not My Name.’

One Eden student – Naseeha Abdul-Hye –impressed Jaspreet enough with her poetry skills to win a copy of her book ‘Brown Girl Like Me.’ It was a magical day, and we wish Jaspreet all the best.

Maliha Afzal and Naseeha Abdul-Hye

New Technology New Technology Panacea or Problem?

In today’s world it is hard to imagine life without technology. We interact with it all the time, ranging from communication and work to entertainment and everyday tasks. Communication technology and artificial intelligence (AI) are developing at an unprecedented rate, and while it has, no doubt, revolutionized our lives, there are also potential dangers we expose ourselves to as we become increasingly reliant on technology. Here are a few threats which we should all be aware of.

I am sure that the term ‘cyberbullying’ is not something new to you. It can happen to anyone at any age and is often difficult to detect. Cyberbullying can have profound consequences for victims including anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and low self-esteem. It is difficult to defend against cyberbullying, so we need to educate people that it is unacceptable behaviour and demand that social media platforms should do more to eliminate it.

Technology has made it easier for these dangers to exist, but it has also developed solutions to protect yourself from them. There are many things you can do to keep yourself safe online, including keeping your software up to date, using a secure browser extension, and being careful and cautious about the websites you visit and the emails you open.

A discussion of e-security leads onto a newer threat called ‘deepfake’. It is a term used to describe synthetic media in which a person’s likeness is convincingly generated by artificial intelligence. Deepfakes are becoming an increasingly major problem because it can be deployed for malicious purposes, such as to create fake news stories or to spread disinformation as mentioned earlier. On the one hand, advances in AI have made it possible to generate more realistic deepfakes than ever before. This wouldn’t necessarily be a big issue if it remained on someone’s private computer. However, social media platforms like YouTube and Twitter supply an open method of disseminating potentially harmful deepfakes widely and quickly.

Let me move on to talk about fake news, a term used to describe false information or propaganda that is spread using dubious news media outlets, often created by people who have a political or financial agenda. It can be difficult to distinguish fake news from real news, but there are some key things to look for, such as: sources that cannot be verified, headlines that are sensationalized or misleading, and stories that lack supporting evidence. Fake news is harmful because it can mislead the public and create division in society, and at its worst, it can also lead to violence. Internet technology has played a role in both the proliferation of fake news and the fight against it. Social media platforms (e.g., Facebook and Twitter) have been accused of amplifying false stories and failing to adequately fact-check content shared on their sites.

Another concern that has come to the foreground in our age of digital communication is E-security, or electronic security: the process of protecting your electronic information and data from unauthorized access or theft. A downside of communication technology is that it can lead to fraud and other crimes. These come in many forms, from viruses and malware to phishing and identity theft and this can cause severe damage to your computer and personal information. It sometimes feels like a constant battle to prevent criminals accessing our personal information and committing crimes.

If these threats are not enough on their own, there is another human cost worth considering. Technology has continuously been linked to mental health problems, laziness, and obesity worldwide. For example, it is known that too much screen time can lead to isolation and loneliness, which can trigger or exacerbate mental health problems. Additionally, anxiety is also known as a repercussion of excessive screen time. Sitting in front of a screen all day can make people lazy and obese due to impacts on our health, such as higher risks of diabetes, increased blood pressure or cholesterol - this can lead to a shortening attention span, random outbursts, and other unnatural behaviours. Awareness of this issue needs to be raised in schools and by concerned health professionals.

In conclusion, I don’t want you to go away completely paralyzed in fright about many of these modern technologies, and their potential dangers. Instead I want you to become more alert to some of these threats. An educated technology user is a safer and happier user. I’m not saying that every ad you see could lead to a malicious virus installation, but maybe that slightly suspicious looking website just isn’t worth the risk.

By Aaila Ahmed

Source: Psychology Today

Ofsted visited Eden on the 27th and 28th of September The call was a surprise and the school was not expecting of Ofsted to visit for at least another year

The Ofsted process has changed since the last time the school was inspected in 2017 There were two Ofsted inspectors who spent two days in school

On the first day the inspectors looked at

English, Art and MFL They went into lessons, spoke to pupils, looked at the learning in books and spoke to the Directors of Learning

On the second day the inspectors looked at a range of different lessons They spoke to pupils from all year groups and were interested to hear from staff, pupils and parents

We are incredibly proud to say we retained our Outstanding grading with no areas for improvement

Pride of Waltham Forest Ishaaq Jasat

This term Mr Jasat was recognised for his commitment to the community We want to say a personal thank you to Mr Jasat for all his hard work to make the community a more equal place for all This term alone Mr Jasat has worked on the Macmillan Coffee Morning, Interfaith Faith breakfast and link projects with Forest School. He has arranged Faith inspired visits to the Cambridge Central Mosque and faith trails around London for KS3, and he has been busy with organising Eden's Festive Winter Gift Campaign This year we have distributed over 500 hot meals and made Hampers for the most needy in our community

'Exceptional high aspirations are the norm here.'

'Leaders provide an exceptionally high-quality provision at this school.'

'Pupils are highly positive about their learning and wider school life.'

Ofsted 2022

Following Black History Month and the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, what better film to review than Black Panther? Released in 2018 and starring the late black actor, Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther is a film set in the fictional present day, which blends culture and science, while also exploring topics such as racism and power The movie follows the cutting-edge land of Wakanda, a fictional country in East Africa built on top of a mound of the most precious metal on Earth, vibranium As the world fell into chaos, experiencing wars and partition, Wakanda hid in plain sight, disguised as a low-income country, refusing to intervene and risk their safety - and their vibranium Now, Prince T’Challa’s time has come to take his place as king following his father’s assassination He plans for Wakanda to stay peaceful and maintain its secret, but things take a turn for the worse when an event from past threatens not only T’Challa’s reign, but also Wakanda’s secrecy

One of my favourite things about this movie is its diversity It has an unprecedented number of black actors and has managed to modernise the country of Wakanda while not losing the African culture

Another favourite feature of this film is its revolutionary technology Transformational technology has appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before of course, such as Iron Man’s suit, the Regeneration Cradle and even Ultron himself, but Wakanda’s technology is the most innovative by far One of the most impressive pieces of technology is the Black Panther suit It is stored entirely within a necklace using nano tech and can absorb, store and then re-emit kinetic energy

By Maimunah Kola

Personally, the most striking characters are Shuri, sister of T’Challa, and Killmonger, the antagonist and contender to the Wakandan Throne Apart from being extremely smart and the main developer of Wakanda’s technology, Princess Shuri is a great sibling who is not bitter about not being Ruler of Wakanda As for Killmonger, he may have been violent and believed in Black Supremacy, but it all started with genuine hope for freedom and equality that deteriorated to dangerous extremism In conclusion Black Panther is culturally significant film and is an incredibly entertaining science fiction film to watch 4 9 Stars

Enola Holmes is a 2-hour film based on the story of Sherlock Holmes' sister, Enola. Enola Holmes keeps you entertained and is a movie you will not regret watching. It is set in 1884 and therefore you can also learn about what life was like for girls at the time. It is also the kind of movie that many people would surely delight in and watch over and over.

Enola Holmes has a series of twists and turns beginning when she finds out on her birthday that her mother has gone missing. This makes her wonder what she can do to help find her mother - with or without her brothers.

It is a film shot through with many mysteries and throughout the series of obstacles Enola faces you wonder, ‘What's going to happen next?’. Who is lying? Where is she? What can she do? The film offers adventure, comedy, and mystery.

Enola Holmes is a thrilling adventure, and recently a sequel has been made that charts another difficult investigation Enola must solve.

In the world of cinema, where female-led protagonists are lacking, Enola Holmes is ready to fill that void.

By Juwairia Butt

Harriet is a PG-13 rated film about an American social activist called Minty who later changed her name to Harriet Tubman. She was born into slavery in the State of Maryland in around 1820 and when she was only 6 years old, Tubman started serving as a house servant on the planation. At around 12 years of age, she showed defiance by refusing to help an overseer on the farm harm a fugitive. Tubman bravely stepped between the enslaved person and the overseer, causing herself to take a blow to her head which resulted in a severe head injury. Her strong spiritual belief and abhorrence of slavery led her to escape to freedom in Pennsylvania and go on missions rescuing those who were still enslaved. In her lifetime she made 13 missions and saved around 70 slaves including friends and family.

Harriet is quite inspirational but upsetting as we get to see how black people were treated in the American south at that time. It is a suspenseful film and creates a strong feeling of excitement to know that Harriet was able to rescue those who were enslaved and harmed.

I can conclude by saying that the film Harriet has portrayed the life of Harriet Tubman quite vividly and gives us a clear understanding of how life was like for people of colour in those times. It also shows how Tubman was someone whom people still look up to today, for her bravery and outstanding determination to save those who were being enslaved.

By Maimunah Kola

R E V I E W S

Die at the End is a young adult novel written by American author Adam Silvera. It’s a tragic story which reminds us there's no love without loss. This heartwarming yet sorrowful book is based on two young adults who live their lives to the fullest on the day that they are destined to die.

They Both

The author, Adam Silvera, was born and raised in New York. He began writing at the young age of 10, initially working on fan fiction. Before becoming an established author, Silver worked as a barista, bookseller, and a reviewer for the publishing newsletter Shelf Awareness.

A little after midnight, on September 5th, Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio receive devastating news: they will die this same day. Both Mateo and Rufus desperately want to find someone to spend their last hours with. Luckily for them, they aren't the only ones. Through an app called The Last Friend, Mateo and Rufus meet up to live a whole lifetime within a day.

From the moment I read the blurb, I knew this book would be a roller coaster of emotions. Mateo and Rufus live in the moment, demonstrating that there is beauty in the unplanned and that it’s the unexpected that sometimes makes life worth living. Throughout the novel you experience a heart wrenching pull. It’s full of sentimental moments, knowing that, sooner or later, destiny will catch up with them.

This is definitely a book for those who need a reminder to make everyday count.

By Naeemah Ayub

W E D N E S D A Y

By Maliha Afzal

Candy Floss Creperie is a new independent café in Chingford. It has branches in Forest Gate, Leytonstone and Chingford. The café has a range of different sweet treats and savoury dishes that are all as delicious as each other.

The café had its origins in Camden in London when back in 2014 a successful stall by the name of ‘Sweet Kitty’ was established – its name a homage to one of the founders. Kittiya and her husband Saif worked side-by-side on the stall for four years.

Candy Floss Creperie is uniquely different from other dessert parlours in East London. All the ingredients are top quality and tested repeatedly to create top-standard delicious dishes for customers. With an astonishing menu of interesting dishes, and with flavours centred around candy floss, Candy Floss Creperie can offer you a unique experience that will make you feel welcomed and part of their family.

My favourite dessert from Candy Floss is probably the Oreo and cream waffle which is a thick sweet waffle with crushed Oreos, whipped cream and melted white and milk chocolate drizzled on top. I love Oreos and chocolate and maybe it’s also the perfect dessert to celebrate your week? So, if you are anything like me and have a sweet tooth, then you should definitely visit Candy Floss Creperie

Wednesday is a new Netflix series – a spin off from the Addams Family movies - that has practically broken the internet because of its popularity. It’s about a girl, called Wednesday, who is being forced to follow in her mother's footsteps, so she can become a replica of her. However, this is definitely not what she wants.

We soon learn there is more to her parents' story than she thought. Many twists and turns happen in this series with a long back story. Those of you who have watched it should already know that the cast are spot on.

Wednesday is a series that I strongly recommend watching. Who wouldn’t enjoy a great new series to binge watch - one that is full of secrets and twists and turns? I'll leave you with Wednesday’s quirky motto: “Every day is about me.”

By Juwairia Butt