St Martin-in-the-Fields High School For Girls - a Church of England School in South London

At St Martin's, October is synonymous with Black History Month and there are many activities taking place in school. As always events take place across all the local authorities and further afield, many of which are free. We have put together a list of a few free events that your daughter might want to take part in during the half term break.

Windrush Exhibition: Portrait of a Generation takes place at St. John's Angell Town. Monday to Saturday 2.00pm to 6.00pm Thursday 1 to Thursday 15 November 2018.
Exhibitions at the Black Cultural Archives in Brixton.
Africa on the Square takes place in Trafalgar Square on Saturday 27 October 2018. A free event from 12.00 midday until 6.00pm. This is a popular event that continues to grow, it will be the fourth time it is hosted. Over 25,000 people attended last year. It celebrates African arts and culture. There will be a stage with live entertainment, an African market, food and stalls, showcasing communities from across the continent.
Exhibition at the British Library until 21 October called Windrush Songs in a Strange Land. It is 70 years since the Empire Windrush carried hundreds of migrants to London. You can learn about the Jamaican feminist poet Una Marson, who became the first black woman employed by the BBC.
National Portrait Gallery to see Black is the New Black portraits by Simon Frederick. We have been fortunate to get tickets for an exclusive offer to meet the artist Simon Frederick for Year 10 and 11 Art students.

EVENTS AT ST MARTIN'S DURING BHM 2018

DATE	EVENT
8	Whole school Collective Worship Black History Month focus and the theme of Justice – The Greensboro 4
9	Year 8 Assembly on Claudette Colvin, the first black woman who refused to give up her seat when she was aged 15
16	Tutor Time Black History Month Focus - All years
17	Tutor Time Black History Month Focus - All years Black History lesson and homework Poster Project with Year 8 classes
18	Tutor Time Black History Month Focus - All years Black History lesson and homework Poster Project with Year 8 classes Voice Newspaper, Black History Month Competition, last date for submitting entries
19	Organisation coming to discuss Windrush and personal family experiences with Post 16 students Black Leaders half term project Year 8 RE
1 Nov	Storytelling from Sierra Leone - whole school lunchtime presentation plus P5 & P6 workshops for Year 7

In addition, the Year 10 and 11 Art groups are visiting the National Portrait Gallery on 8 November to see the 'Black is the new Black - portraits by Simon Frederick'. This is a special schools workshop, when the students will also have the opportunity to meet Simon Frederick as well. We are also looking forward to welcoming a Black female commercial airline pilot for a whole school lunchtime presentation with Q&A and an afternoon workshop for post-16. Date to be confirmed due to flying commitments. November will end with a display of work from the Poster Project to be shown across the school.

MEANWHILE, IN THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ...

Year 11 groups watched and discussed two of Maya Angelou’s poems (Phenomenal Woman and Still I Rise). They also watched her lecture on ‘Love Liberates’ and discussed the key points of her message. Students were encouraged to watch her other videos. Students will also be given her poems as unseen poetry over the break. Year 10 students will be loaned ‘Purple Hibiscus’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie to read over the half term break. There will be a lunchtime review (celebrating all things Nigerian) after half term.

THE VOICE NEWSPAPER BHM COMPETITION

The Voice newspaper invited our students to take part in their Black History Month competition. The theme of the competition was the Windrush Generation. Students had three options: to create a poem about Windrush, to interview a member of the Windrush generations and report on this or to give their own personal view on what they believe members of the Windrush generation have contributed to UK society.

The winning entry will be selected by an independent panel and will be published in The Voice newspaper. The prize is £50. A presentation event will be hosted to acknowledge the shortlisted student and announce the winner. All participants will be awarded a certificate. For the last two years, this event has been hosted at the House of Commons and in 2015 at the Imperial War Museum.

Below are the entries from St Martin's.

	Windrush poem by Aya Year 8
	Windrush poem by Nurell Year 7
	Windrush poem by Zada Year 9
	Windrush story by Sharday Year 7
	Windrush poem by Fantasia Year 8