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Welcome to the 2nd issue of the CFS Times! This week we have articles on archery, environmental issues, animals, ChatGPT, the new Lower School area and a Bible verse of the week.
The feedback form is still available.
Issue 2 Riddle: What has many keys but can’t open a single lock?
The answer to the riddle will be revealed in the next issue.
Pros and Cons of ChatGPT on learning:
ChatGPT is an AI chatbot. (AI) has made a significant impact on education, offering several benefits and challenges. Here are some pros and cons of AI for learning:
Pros of AI in Learning:
AI can make research easier
AI can help educate a large number of students simultaneously, making quality education accessible to more people
AI can help teachers to create lesson plans
AI can provide students with assistance and resources around 24/7, helping people to learn outside traditional hours.
Cons of AI in Learning:
People could become over-reliant on ChatGPT, leading to students not doing as well on exams.
It can also lead to students cheating.
Many students just copy and paste the work and are not actively using it to learn.
In conclusion, AI can help education by making it more personalised and efficient. However, it also comes with the risks that students can use it as a shortcut, instead of doing their work. It’s important to use ChatGPT for learning.
By: Lucy
Archery
For this week’s issue, I’d like to recommend another sport, deeply rooted in world history - archery!
Introduction to Archery
The word archery is derived from the Latin word arcus, meaning ‘bow’. The roots of archery can be traced back to the Paleolithic or early Mesolithic periods. The oldest signs of archery in Europe date back to around 10,000 BC, while evidence in Asia dates even further back.
In modern times, archery has become a competitive sport and a form of recreation. It is featured on the Olympic games, and is one of the few sports that can be practised by able-bodied and impaired athletes at a level playing field.
Types of Archery
Recurve is the only type of archery used in the Olympic games. Its name hails from the limbs of the bow curving back away from the archer at each tip. Even the slightest deviation of 1 mm can cause a 20 cm deviation from the target, which is 70 metres away.
Compound is played in the World Games and Paralympic Games, and requires immense physical strength to use, as drawing the bow can take up to 28 kgs of force. Archers aim through a magnified scope and shoot over a distance of 50 metres.
Weekly Bible Verse
Our Bible verse this week was Psalm 94:19
‘When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer’
I think this is a very encouraging verse. Although it is quite short it holds the truth. It shows that God gives us hope: comfort and joy; he cheers us up when we are worried; he consoles us when we are upset.
This can be applied to many situations in life, inside school and outside school. For example, if you are feeling overwhelmed with work or home issues, God is there. If you had an argument with your friends - or family - God is there. If you lost a loved one, God is there. His comfort will give you renewed hope and cheer.
Barebow is arguably the most ‘primitive’ of the three, as although the bows are made of the same modern materials such as carbon fibre and aluminium, accessories that assist in aiming and stabilisation are not permitted.
Locations for Archery
https://linktr.ee/Phoenixcommunityarcheryclub
https://blundellsandsarchers.co.uk/crosby-outdoor-venue/
Fun Facts
It is believed that archery has been practised for at least 25,000 years.
The first compound bow was made 500 years ago.
Splitting the arrow of a competitor is called a ‘Robin Hood’, in reference to the folklore character Robin Hood, who won a competition by splitting the arrow of a competitor.
In 1457, King James II of Scotland banned golf because he believed men were wasting time playing it instead of improving their archery skills.
Some recent additions in the CFS building are the new classrooms for Lower School. This includes Year 1 and Reception classrooms, and a new assembly/lunchroom area. They were built over the summer holidays and have some attractive floor to ceiling windows and clean white and grey walls.
Some of the children's favourite things about the new classrooms are:
The decorations, which are new and pretty.
The reading corner.
The coat and bags area.
One of the teachers in Lower School was interviewed and this is what they said:
‘The new classrooms are lovely, the windows let in lots of natural light and you can look out the clear glass windows and see the beautiful grass and trees at the front of the school. It’s a lovely learning environment for the children. My favourite part is all of the natural light.’
Overall we are very thankful for these new rooms, and think they look great.
Animal of the week….
Axolotls!
Axolotls are critically endangered animals. The axolotl is a paedomorphosis salamander, which means that adults keep larval traits. It is closely related to the tiger salamander. They are endangered because of urbanisation in Mexico city, as well as water pollution. In 2020 the axolotl was near extinction with there only being 50 - 1000 adult individuals. Their heads are wide, and their eyes are lidless. Axolotls have 4 pigmentation genes that when mutated create different colour variants and they are: brown or pale pink with red, gold, grey, or black eyes. Axolotls are amphibians, they begin life in the water and when they are older they can go on land and water.
Viral Crime.
The six legged attacker
On Thursday there was an incident in Southwestern Classical Academy in Flint, Michigan, where a female student threw a chair at a teacher. The teacher was knocked unconscious, and ended up in hospital. The student was arrested. Luckily the teacher was discharged from the hospital the same day, and plans to keep teaching, although we are not sure whether she has returned yet or not.
What would I do?
Personally, if I was the teacher, I would not return to teaching. If I was a witness, I would probably keep my mouth shut because I'm not a snitch.
What should you actually do?
If you do witness this, call the police and an ambulance. Make sure the teacher is ok. Or if you’re afraid of phone calls like me, get someone else to do it. Maybe another teacher or just someone with a phone who is able to. It’s important to regulate your emotions, because even though you probably won’t throw a chair you could hurt someone or yourself. You can find out more on the NHS website.
Environmental Problems
One of the problems we have is deforestation, it's a major cause of climate change and increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Climate change is now seen as the biggest threat to humanity because it causes extreme weather which pushes ecosystems towards collapse as ocean heat waves endanger coral reefs. Trees take in carbon dioxide but if they are cut down the carbon dioxide will go into the atmosphere. When there is a lot of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, it traps the heat from the Sun, making earth hotter. We need the trees to get rid of the carbon dioxide, and deforestation makes this much worse. We should do what we can to help the environment as it is part of God's creation.
There are a couple of ways to help the environment like making sure to recycle your plastics because it hurts the animals in the sea like turtles, and turning off lights when you leave the room to save energy. And you could have an axolotl as a pet but they are quite hard to take care of. Another reason why we should help the environment is because in Genesis 3:15 it says,”The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
The ‘Advanced British Standard’ - What Is It?
Recently, Rishi Sunak announced his goal to merge A levels and T levels into the ‘Advanced British Standard’ qualification, aspiring to create ‘the best education system in the western world’. The plan will ‘take a year to deliver in full’, and may not come to fruition if the Labour party wins next year’s general election.
So what are they?
The ‘Advanced British Standard’ aims to combine the best elements of both A and T levels. Academic subjects will be based on the approach and knowledge-based approach of A levels, while technical subjects will be based on the contents of T levels and occupational standards of employers.
Criticism of the decision
Schools expert Sam Freedman - a former top advisor to Michael Gove at the department for education, claimed Sunak was unwise to meddle. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said this showed the government was ‘out of touch’ with immediate problems, such as recruitment and school infrastructure. Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), added: “Rishi Sunak is doubling down on pie-in-the-sky education policies. He is completely out of touch with reality. There is no magic wand to create English and maths teachers in sufficient numbers to educate 11-16 year olds – let alone at A-Level too.”
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