NEWS • CLUBS • FEATURES • FUN!
Issue 13 / Michaelmas 2020
EPIC Dobson Run! Picture: Dobson Runners celebrate the epic event with Mr Perrin
Christmas Spirit Alive at Claremont! Claremont and The Arrow are joining forces with Dom’s Food Mission and local care homes to spread Christmas cheer. I had the idea to create a Reverse Advent Calendar, or Festive Food Box, putting foodstuffs into a decorated box each day in December then donating it to the food poverty charity – and now the whole school is joining in. Christmas Jokes by Henry
Years 3 and 4 are making hearts to send to residents at Whitegates and Roselands Care Homes so they know we are thinking of them. Head of Pastoral Care Mrs Ackerley said: “With helping Dom’s Food Mission and the Hearts for Homes initiatives, we are truly remembering the real values of Christmas; kindness and helping people other than ourselves.” #spiritofclaremont
Claremont is an official BBC Young Reporter School!
Leon's Reverse Advent Calendar Printed on Recycled Paper
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INSIDE CLAREMONT SCHOOL
Our New Normal!
“ A Year at Claremont! By Mr Bunker I have certainly had an interesting first year! Prior to the madness of COVID 19, I was able to witness some fabulous annual events at Claremont. I particularly enjoyed the Dobson Cup cross country run and the Race for Life. The camaraderie of the students and staff alike, braving wind and rain to raise money, was outstanding. The Christmas celebrations were also wonderful and seeing all the children perform together was fantastic. I remember very clearly the day that we had to close the school “until further notice”. It was a very sad and strange time. I am not sure I have ever been on so many Google Meets calls! For Claremont to be able to provide a solid learning platform for our students to continue their learning was some mean feat. With the support of our wonderful teachers, parents and, importantly, the children, we made it! I am overjoyed that we are back at school, learning and enjoying time together, though with all the necessary safeguards. This past year has shown me how unique and special the Claremont community is and I feel extremely lucky to be a part of it. Here’s to a more “normal” academic year ahead!
The New Normal : Quizzing Mr Perrin | Varnika puts Mr Perrin on the spot & Cutler and Melanie in action
By Cutler & Melanie We interviewed Mr Perrin, the Claremont Principal, about all the new things we have to do to stay safe at school. Thank you for speaking to Newspaper Club reporters! 1) Please describe the things the school is doing to keep us safe? We’ve looked at procedures for drop off and pick up. The minibuses have enhanced safety measures. We’ve installed a one-way system through the school, and given all classrooms and teachers special facilities for cleaning. The primary measure of safety is being within year group bubbles. 2) How easy was it for the teachers to adopt these new safety measures? It’s been quite challenging for everybody. We’re all getting used to the new ways of doing things. It feels strange walking into a building without a mask on, who’d have thought that a few months ago? 3) Why aren’t we able to touch students in other bubbles or our teachers? The way we control Covid 19 is to make sure we’re distanced from people. More physical contact means a greater chance of the virus transmitting. 4) Will carrying our own sanitiser be mandatory? It won’t be mandatory though it is a good idea! 5) Will school ever be back to the Old Normal? As soon as possible. We’re all desperate to get back to the ‘old normal’. 6) How much have the new measures cost? I don’t know! Providing extra cleaning equipment comes at cost, the larger cost is adding staffing to cope with the extra things going on. 7) How have the changes affected you, Mr Perrin? I don’t see my family as much, or hang around in friends’ houses. I don’t go to restaurants like I used to. In lockdown I rekindled my enjoyment of playing the ukulele but I’m a singer and haven’t been able to sing for months as it’s a super-spreader event. 8) What are the hardest things about lockdown? People feeling isolated and not seeing people they love and care for has been particularly difficult. 9) A Vox Pop in Newspaper Club asked what we thought of the changes to our school. Some liked being in gym kit all day because they don’t have to change clothes. Students said the one-way system was confusing. Can you tell us more about it, will we always have it, can it be improved? I’m only getting to grips with it myself! The big challenge for schools is trying to keep bubbles apart and keep the necessary distance. The one-way system means fewer people passing each other which reduces risk. It’s challenging if there’s an empty corridor but you have to follow the rules. 10) Do you have a message for the students and parents? Keep going! It’s going to end. It’s going to be a long winter but we’re all doing a great job. It’s lovely to see lots of new faces at the school and I’m confident we’ll get through it together. Hopefully by spring we’ll be beginning to breathe a lot more freely – literally!
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SPECIAL NEWSPAPER FEATURE
Interviewing Sports Writer James Corrigan! By Wynnie & Leon
Eager to ask questions! | James Corrigan speaks to Newspaper Club reporters!
Hello and welcome to the Corrigan interview! We asked James Corrigan from the Daily and Sunday Telegraph to speak to us about being a sports journalist! Thank you, Mr Corrigan, we hope you have good luck in your career! All the reporters in Newspaper Club asked questions during our live interview on Zoom from Cardiff to Claremont. Here are some of our questions… Henry: What’s your favourite part about writing? Watching all the sports! I feel so lucky that I get to watch all the games for free and then write about them. Penelope: Do you like your job? Yes, I have the best job in the world! I travel the world (normally) to places like Dubai, Australia, America and China to cover big sporting events like The Masters and Olympics. Leon: Which football players have you interviewed? Lots of them! From David Beckham to Cristiano Ronaldo, Frank Lampard to Kenny Dalglish, Mo Salah and Jurgen Klopp. Melanie: Who are the most famous people you've interviewed? Probably the most famous is Donald Trump – I imagine you’ve heard of him! I had to eat lunch with him as he’d opened golf resorts. He ate a burger and two lots of chips! I’ve also interviewed Tiger Woods and Beyoncé! Lottie: How long have you been a sports writer? That’s a very good question, since 1996 so 24 years! Aven: How did you become a journalist? That’s another fantastic question. I can see you guys are very sharp reporters already! My dad was a sports journalist and I wanted to be like him! He was always
travelling to America and that’s how I got the idea to become a writer. Mollie: What’s the biggest story you’ve ever covered? Probably Tiger Woods’ come-back. He was injured for 12 years. Nobody thought he could win again. He came back and won the 2019 Golf Masters, it was like a fairy tale. I’ve never heard a crowd shout like that. He refused to give up. Cutler: What’s your favourite sport in terms of writing about it? Definitely golf as I know all the players, but in terms of watching a sport it’s definitely football – it’s the best sport in the world. Ollie: How did you get to be a sports journalist? That’s another great question. I worked really hard at school and then went on to university. I did a degree in philosophy but then knew I wanted to train as a journalist so I did a Phd in Journalism. I then joined a local newspaper in Wales and worked my way up, kept pestering news desks asking to be taken on until I got the chance to go to London on the nationals. Leo: What have you written about recently? I’ve just done an article on the Cardiff City versus Nottingham Forest game – it’s always good to watch and write about my team, Cardiff! Varnika: If you weren’t a journalist, what would you be doing instead? I’d probably have been a teacher helping students like you to learn, but it’s a very demanding job so I’m glad I’m a journalist! Thank you for all your excellent questions!
BEHIND THE SCENES OF NEWSPAPER CLUB! by Leo Things are different in our club due to the new measures – but no less fun! We use computers and discuss ideas. What you see in The Arrow newspaper is what we do in the club! We also write stories, research fun jokes and create quizzes, and we even get to interview famous writers and Mr Perrin! The ‘New Normal’ for Newspaper Club is that we have to wear masks, and we have to sit in our year pods.
Leo & Ollie get the scoop on the new measures!
BLACK HISTORY MONTH SPECIAL FEATURE
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My Family History Interview By Ruby for Black History Month I interviewed my great-grandfather Lancelot McFayden, or GG Mac as we call him, who was the only black man in his RAF regiment during the Second World War. Q: What was it like in the RAF? A: I joined because the Ministry of Defence wanted Jamaicans to join up. They sent doctors and inspectors to recruit us. We knew from the papers what was happening. I was 17 years old when I volunteered. It was very exciting because in Jamaica we saw England as the Mother Country so we were thrilled to make a contribution to the war effort. England was very short of RAF personnel so Jamaican men joined and I was brought over in 1944. I remained in the RAF until 1981. A lot of my life was spent in the Armed Forces. I was also a cryptographer who made different cyphers and codes. Q: What was it like being a black man with a white wife? A: I met Molly when I was a secretary on the RAF
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Black History Month By Ruby
What does BHM mean to me? It means a lot as my heritage on my mum’s side is Jamaican. My 95-year-old great-grandad, whom we call GG Mac, has told me many stories about what it was like to be a black man in the 1950s, and then fall in love and marry a white woman. Hearing what his life was like, and what my family had to go through across generations, really opened up my mind to what so many people throughout the world are still suffering. Having a Jamaican heritage is a big part of my identity. It represents the culture and diversity in my everyday life that reflects who I am. At home, my mum cooks with Jamaican spices - Jamaican curries are so good! We usually celebrate at the Notting Hill Carnival but couldn’t go last year so we had a garden carnival. Mum made amazing food and we all dressed up in really colourful Caribbean clothes. It was really special. The person I am comes from my roots, and what happened in the past has impacted my values today. I will stand up and be counted, being proud of my heritage and my family!
Lancelot and Molly on their wedding day | Ruby and GG Mac
Entertainment Committee. We fell in love and got engaged after two years. We lived in Germany, Hong Kong and Singapore. There were problems among my white friends because they didn’t like a white woman being seen with a black man, which was unfair. There are white and black people in Africa and there are white and black people in Europe, and all across the world, so it is unfair that they were treated differently and considered enemies. We shouldn’t be defined by our colour, but sadly me and Molly were. Q: Do you have a message about being anti-racist? No discrimination is ok. Let’s all unite as people, respecting and celebrating our differences.
By Melanie & Cutler Mr Bunker did an assembly about black rugby player Chester Williams for Black History Month. He was the hero of the 1995 Rugby World Cup! We learned that he was the only black player in the team at that time, though there had been before and since. Chester played as a winger for the South Africa National Rugby Union team from 1993 to 2000. He died recently but he is remembered as a great player. He was important because he took white players into the townships to coach young players, which broke down barriers. Mr Bunker said: "Representing the team was a visual demonstration of equality to all." What does the gingerbread man put on his bed? Cookie sheets!
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BLACK HISTORY MONTH SPECIAL FEATURE
A Black Woman Stuck in a Racist World By Ryan & Seb When we found Claudia Jones on Google Doodle, we were intrigued by her extraordinary story, which we looked into during Black History Month. Claudia Jones, founder of the Notting Hill Carnival, was a very influential woman who went all around the globe standing up to racism and encouraging people to express themselves. The Notting Hill Carnival was a very successful festival held through times of racism and discrimination. It allowed people to express their Caribbean roots and not get abused for their skin colour. Claudia migrated from Trinidad and Tobago to the US when she was just nine years old. In 1936, when she was 21, she joined the Young Communist League and worked as a journalist for the Daily Worker newspaper. She used her skills to empower women and fought for civil rights. She moved to London in 1955 and founded the first major
black newspaper in Britain, the West Indian Gazette. She wanted to celebrate Caribbean culture and showcase its vibrancy to the whole of British society, and the way she did this was by starting the Notting Hill Carnival. It started off in 1959 with only a few people attending, and last year it clocked in at over two million! We picked Claudia Jones to do this article for Black History Month because she was an amazing person that many people may not know about, and we feel we should be celebrating influential black people, embracing and emphasising life achievements like Claudia’s. Now you know a little more about an outstanding woman, and maybe you could try and be like her and stand up for what you believe in.
Claremont is ANTI-BULLYING!
Acts of Kindness
By The Arrow News Team
By Molly & Lottie During lockdown we learned that kindness is very important, helping each other through challenging times. And as it is almost Christmas, we are celebrating how we can be kinder to each other at Claremont. Mr Bunker asked (very kindly) for us to do something kind for a friend, family member, teacher, the environment or even a pet! Acts of Kindness we can all do: • Be helpful • Remember to say Please and Thank you! • Plant a tree • Knit something for someone • Start a Fundraiser • Make a phone call or send a nice message
Acts of Kindness we can do at Claremont: • If someone dropped their stuff, help pick it up • Say thank you if someone holds the door open/ say thank you to the staff and cleaners. • Hold the door open for someone • Help your teacher
It was Anti-Bullying Week in November, and we learned the need for us to be Upstanders not Bystanders. This means we stand up to bullying whenever we see it in our school, and, in doing this, we make change happen. Mr Bunker said: “It’s important as a school that we challenge those that may make life difficult. Together we are united against bullying.” Mrs Ackerley said: “We want to emphasise that every week is anti-bullying week at Claremont. Staff provide a safe space where pupils can come and talk about any issues.” * If a student experiences unwanted or challenging behaviour from another, speak to a teacher or member of staff *
Tales from the Senior School
By SS insider JP..
The first lockdown meant we stayed home doing online lessons, connected via Google Meets, Facetime and texts. The New Normal continued when we came back to school with one-way systems, year group pods and locations within the school like the astro pitch having different years every week. Every
morning we go to Miranda (the school nurse) who does temperature checks. We then move around the school wearing masks, going to and from lessons, and when we reach break times each pod is spread around the school's land. We have to keep each other safe in these sometimes scary times.
ECO SPECIAL FEATURE
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By Aven Claremont has been awarded the coveted Eco-Schools Green Flag!
By Newspaper Club reporters It’s been an amazing term – and a challenging one – for the Claremont Eco Warriors. Unable to meet due to Covid 19 precautions, they met on Google Classroom and shared ideas and strategies. This term saw the amazing Green Flag Award made to the school in recognition of the eco standards reached. Mrs Perry who heads up the Eco Warriors said: “We take our award very seriously. Rather than an end, we see this as an acknowledgement that we are committed to strive for a better way of living – in harmony with our fragile earth.” The journey to the Green Flag status from Eco-Schools will be documented in a short film. To mark the Centenary of the First World War as part of National Tree Week, Claremont families received a tree to plant at home, donated by the Woodland Trust!
The Jubilee Garden has been cleared by Year 6,7 and 8 students. They have tidied up plants, flowers and grass and have planted some seeds. They have also made some compost. We are getting better at being kind to this planet!
By Harinee
By Varnika Our WaterAid Posters!
We had an amazing assembly about WaterAid. WaterAid is a charity for countries and villages that don’t have clean water, good hygiene and decent toilets. We learned that only 2.5% of the planet’s water is fresh for us to drink but we can only have 1% of it because the rest is in glaciers and mountains. More than 800 children die per year because they don’t have fresh water so we should all try to make a difference and make WaterAid’s dream come true so everyone can have clean water. We wore green and raised £225 to help them do this. We also had a poster competition to raise awareness of the need for clean water and sanitation for all.
How does a sheep say Merry Christmas? Fleece Navidad!
Where does a snowman keep his money? In a snow bank!
LITERATURE AND LANGUAGES SPECIAL
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Q&A about National Poetry Day! I interviewed our Head of English, Mrs Glendinning about National Poetry Day By Penelope
Claremont’s very own Head of English, Mrs Glendinning, shared her poem A Tale of Distant Lands in the assembly for National Poetry Day. Mrs Glendinning wrote it during the first lockdown.
Penelope interviews Mrs Glendinning
Q: What is National Poetry Day all about? A: It’s a day when we celebrate all the magical things about poetry. Q: Why do we celebrate National Poetry Day? A: Because it lets poetry be in the spotlight for one day. Q: What is the trick to writing good poems? A: To observe life very closely and write what you see. Q: What is the thing/person you have been most inspired by? A: Teaching children at school! Q: Can you name some top poetry writers? A: Ted Hughes, John Keats and W.B Yeats Q: Would you rather keep your job or be a poet? A: I would be both, I think everyone is a poet. Q: Have you written any poems lately? A: The one that I told you in assembly, A Tale of Distant Lands.
By Mrs Glendinning The old bell clangs brightly in the old clock tower and Voices surf on the chilly air, Like gulls mewing on a faraway sea. From behind each mask, Quizzical eyes look out, Like harbour lights flickering from an unknown shore. In the Library, Each book beckons, Like a beacon among rocks on the edge of the land. And though our voyage is uncharted, our compass cold, Hope bubbles boldly, Like a floundering ship buoyed safely home on an incoming tide.
European Day of Languages
Reading Round-Up!
By Cutler & Melanie
Hi! I read lots of books during lockdown and here are some books that you might like too. Which one do you like best? Review of The Land of Roar: The Land of Roar is about a girl and a boy called Arthur and Rose. They made up The Land of Roar when they were kids and it became real BUT when they stopped believing in The Land of Roar, Croaky (Rose created him to scare Arthur but it became her fear too) took over! What can Rose and Arthur do?
We celebrated the European Day of Languages because everyone speaks different languages and it helps us understand the diversity of people. El Dia Europeo de las Lenguas se celebra todos los anos desde su inicio en 2001. Célébrée le 26 Septembre, la Journée Européenne des Langues est un moyen de sensibiliser le grand public à l'importance de l'apprentissage des langues et de la protection du patrimoine linguistique. We had an assembly and different people spoke languages that were not English. Melanie spoke Turkish, Jessica spoke Spanish, Nina spoke Italian and Lilia spoke Arabic. Speaking other languages is fun! Melanie said: “It’s good to speak Turkish because my Grandad is my only grandparent left and I like speaking with him.” Cutler said: “It’s cool to celebrate other cultures.”
By Penelope
SPORTS SPECIAL
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Epic Dobson Run! Against all the odds the weather cleared revealing bright sunshine ready for this year’s epic Dobson Run By Ollie, & Cutler
Mr Bunker congratulates Theo after winning his race!
Nikolas and Elizabeth after the race!
It was very different this year because of Covid-19. Instead of racing against 14 other schools, we participated in our houses, running in year pods. The run was a really tiring course, but Leonardo in Year 6 was the fastest student in the school with an incredible time of 7.43 minutes! Mr Catt said: “After a strange year, getting the school together for this event was fantastic. It went back to its roots as an inter-house competition, and no matter what standard, each student went out and enjoyed it.” Mr Bunker said: “The Dobson Run brings out the best in our students in mud, rain or sunshine. It epitomises the spirit of Claremont”. Leon said: “It was challenging, hard and exciting.” Henry said: “It was muddy but I came first in my year, running through a stitch to the finishing line.” Did you know the Dobson Run was named after Mahri Dobson who was a “formidable and inspiring” games teacher who taught here in the 70s and 80s. Mairi founded the inter-school run but it was not called the Dobson Run until she left.
Soccer Superstars! By Henry, Ollie & Varnika We interviewed amazing Heidi and Philip about their fantastic football achievements! Philip has got his Charlton Athletic shirt and Heidi has signed for Brighton. More signings from our Claremont Football Academy! Heidi said: “It was challenging to get in. I play defence and also right wing and centre mid.” Goalie Philip said: “I was playing for over a year before I was selected.” Well done Superstars!
Dora, Summer, Edith and Nesta do the Year 7s proud!
Run organiser Mr Catt
U14 Champions Bring it Home for Claremont! By Leo & Ollie
Superstars with their club shirts!
The Claremont U14 team was victorious against Repton School and won the English Schools Football Association (ESFA) Small Schools Champions! They scored four goals to win 4-0! They played at Lilleshall National Sports Centre in Shropshire. The squad achieved National Champion status in the U13 age group in 2019 and made The Arrow front page! Well done Claremont!
Champions!
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