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Black History Month

Picture News - 15/10/24 ‘Black History Month - Primary Assembly’

At Grace Mary we are constantly thinking about how we deliver our curriculum to our children. We feel that Black History should not be confined to one month but should be appreciated throughout all our topics covered in school. Our curriculum explores 'Black History' through a variety of lenses. For example, we have core texts set in a variety of cultures and written by a selection of ethnically diverse authors. The Arts curriculum explores sports figures, artists and musicians from a range of backgrounds and a range  of styles of music. The Humanities curriculum explores a variety of themes from around the world including historic figures and events, religions, beliefs and cultures.

 

October is a starting point so our pupils can begin to think about mutual respect between nations and races and is explored through our 'Relationships & Health Education' Curriculum. Alongside this we will be celebrating the work of many inspirational people. Our Theme for the month of October is:-

 

Female Musicial Inspirational Artist

 

This year, we have decided to focus on Aspirations (one of our core values), looking at the contributions to Britain through the medium of music. 

Through the curriculum pupils will have explored a number of inspirational people from around the world. 

Humanities lessons - journey from birth to present 

Music lessons - listen to and appreciate different types of music. Instrumental tuition to play known songs.

English lesson - Poetry 

RE - Celebrating their lives and exploring the different cultures, beliefs and faiths of individual artists.

Assemblies - thought provoking assemblies on historical figures highlighting how they believed in themselves and how they were inspired by others. Picture News topics; 

 

The following link will take you to some great BBC clips talking about inspirational people to celebrate Black History Month - BBC Inspirational people videos

 

 

 

Mr Hayward, celebrating the accomplishments and contribution to music of the Black community in Wednesday's singing assembly

October is Black History Month in the UK. It is an annual event honouring the contributions and accomplishments of the Black British community. It celebrates both current and historical individuals and the positive impact they have made to our society.

 

This week at Grace Mary, National Poetry Day provides us all with great opportunities to highlight key moments in Black British history, through the medium of poetry. We believe it is important to celebrate the contributions of everyone to our society and support the multi-culturalism and diversity that helps shape our communities…and we are doing this via ‘Performance Poetry’.

 

Reception – ‘Colours’ by Sheldon Silverstein

Reception performed a poem that celebrates the diversity of colour in our world…each as special and wonderful as the last.

Year 1 – ‘Mother to Son’ by Langston Hughes

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Year 1 learnt about the special bond between Mother and Son, in their poem by Langston Hughes, famous for his elucidations of black American life in his poems.

Year 2 - ‘Talking Turkeys’ by Benjamin Zephaniah

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In Year 2, they chose to perform a poem by local black poet, Benjamin Zephaniah (from Birmingham) as he advises use not to eat turkeys, but befriend them this Christmas.

Year 3 – ‘The Bronze Legacy’ by Effie Lee Newsome

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Year 3’s performance of ‘The Bronze Legacy’ used Effie Lee Newsome’s words in a creative tale about being young and black in the 1920s.

Year 4 – ‘His Dream Lives on’

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Today for Year 4, was a day they all sang in honour of Martin Luther King. Wherever people fight to be free. His name is remembered with dignity.

Year 5 – ‘Go to the back, Rosa Parks’

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'Rosa Parks' is a poem about civil rights activism and African American History, that Year 5 really enjoyed learning and performing.

To celebrate Black History Month, the kitchen will be doing a Caribbean theme day lunch on Tuesday 24th October. There will be some wonderful dishes from the Caribbean to tempt the children to try something new. We hope they enjoy it.

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