The Junction

17 June 2022

A Note From Mr Green

On the wall in my office hangs a 1977 Poster for Star Wars (A New Hope). It is often the first picture to elicit comment from students, staff, and parents who come to visit. I was not quite five years old when I first went to see Star Wars, but the experience was unforgettable and was clearly responsible for my love of cinema and the subsequent franchise that continues to this day. I, and many others from the secondary school, are currently transfixed with the latest TV spin-off, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and there is a sense of deja vu being played out, with each episode loosely following the plot lines of the corresponding film in the Star Wars cinematic series.

Star Wars is more than a classic ‘hero's journey’, a science fiction western, or a story of good versus evil. It’s an Epic about friendship, family, legacy, and hope. It's also about education. ‘Ah…’ you say, ‘there’s the link!’

In the original trilogy, Luke Skywalker may be a reckless farm boy with dreams of being a starfighter; he may also be destined to bring balance to the force and redeem his father’s mistakes, but he could not have done this without his friends or his teachers. Jedi Lessons (now there’s a thought for GCSE) come from Obi-Wan and Yoda. Lessons in being a hero come from his friends. The energy, spontaneity, and humour from Han Solo, leadership and family from Princess Leia, and adversity and family from Darth Vader. Luke’s “hero’s journey” occurs because of his teachers along the way.

We all have great teachers in our lives. They don’t just exist in the classroom, and they don’t just exist at one particular time in our lives. When conducting school tours this week, it has been a delight to spend time in teachers’ classrooms and presents a powerful reminder to visitors of all the hard-working, talented and inspirational staff we have here at JAS. The lessons at JAS create a story which becomes each student's “hero's journey.”

There are several lessons for us all from Star Wars. For instance, what film could better represent the vastness of potential or opportunity, than a film which is set in an ever-expanding universe with a multitude of races? The first film is actually called ‘Episode IV A New Hope.' Its very title is a triumph of positivity and optimism. A second lesson is that young padawans commit themselves to a long apprenticeship before becoming a Jedi master, but they are not expected to do this alone. Instead, they are guided, trained, and mentored by older, more experienced masters. A third lesson, and a common theme throughout the whole saga, is that of being interconnected. Of being able to tap into the force to achieve personal success and contribute in some way to the greater good. The growth of a positive community is achieved through patience and work, it's not something that can be rushed nor found through selfish ambition for personal gain or glory.

I’ve always thought that Star Wars had it all as a film, action, adventure, emotion, drama, love, and laughter. It also appeals to such a diverse audience. It's something we as teachers need to remember from time to time. Not everyone will love a specific content area that is being covered, but what is essential is that we engage, relate, connect and meet the needs of our own special audience - our learners, our students - with or without the force. Our students, like the characters in the film who ‘become’ more than the heroic archetypes they started as, are more than these representations. I’ve seen, too often over my career, the easy mistake of over generalising or grouping students into grades or trends. That’s why we never forget to value our students as individuals, as learners, and as the unique and special people they are. Each one is on their own individual journey; they are the hero of their own tale.

May the Force be with you, this weekend and always!

Our Art Department's ECAs have proven a real hit this term with our sketching enthusiasts practicing a variety of drawing skills, and our crafters creating colourful felted paintings. Excellent work Key Stage 3!

GCSE Art and Photography Exhibition

If you are a keen reader and would like to write a review of a novel you have read, please submit an entry of around 150 words, including who you would recommend the novel for and we will feature it in The Junction!

We will be accepting reviews from year 5 and year 6 students and you can either email them to Mrs Horsham lhorsham@jebelalischool.org or Mrs Free vfree@jebelalischool.org.

Happy reading!

JAS Administration Vacancies

School Receptionist

PA to School Principal

PA to Secondary Headteacher

HR Advisor

If you have the relevant skills and attributes that meet the criteria of any of the above then please apply with your application form and accompanying documents to hr@jebelalischool.org. Click here to find out more.

Helpful Hints

Opportunities

With the holidays approaching, it is important to think about how you are going to fill your time. During term time our lives have structure, and we know that Monday to Friday we have school during the day, and we may get time to enjoy a hobby, and/ or complete homework in the evenings, and each week tends to be very similar. During the holidays it is important to fill our time and not get bored. I want you to think about what opportunities you could seize in the build up, and during the time off.

From a young age, I have been brought up to take every opportunity that you get, as you never know when another opportunity may come about. My success has come through sport, but it is important to think about your hobbies and passions to start writing your own success story.

My passion for playing sport started as soon as I could walk, but it was at the start of secondary school where I had the opportunity to trial and join all the sports teams. I played every sport that was on offer because I loved the competition, and getting to meet new people. Through hard work, I was lucky enough to be scouted and signed for Southampton Football Club, and then Fulham FC, and then Portsmouth FC where I spent 18 years of my playing career. It was at Portsmouth where the manager, who played Beach Soccer for the England Men’s team decided to set up a ladies team. I was given the opportunity to trial, and I got into the squad. 10 years on and I have played in every England Ladies Beach Soccer match since, and represented Team GB at the World Beach Games. I have won many team trophies, and individual accolades, I have made friends from all around the world and have seen some beautiful parts of the world and this is all through me taking a small opportunity at secondary school.

What opportunities could you take?

Being able to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible is important. Sometimes just one opportunity can mean the difference between an extraordinary life and a mediocre one.

Seize Every Opportunity

Unfortunately, opportunities don’t last forever. But the good news is that you can take steps to make sure you don’t miss out on something truly life-changing.

1. Say “Yes” more often

Taking advantage of opportunities in life starts with simply saying yes to them when they come around. Saying yes to yourself also helps. Great opportunities often come from your own great ideas so don’t say no to them. If you’re negative about yourself, you’ll just limit your own options. This is not a good state of mind to be in.

2. Don’t hesitate

Opportunities are, by definition, short-lived. You need to be quick in order to get the most out of them. Opportunities are not always exclusive to you. Others might be tempted to move in on them if they see them. If you hesitate, you may lose out.

3. Take more risks

Opportunities and risk-taking often go together. And the best ones are often the riskiest. Think back to a time when you were sitting on a couch watching television. How many opportunities came your way? Watching TV is low risk and offers few opportunities. Sometimes, you have to jumpstart those opportunities with a risk or two.

4. Have a positive attitude

Having a positive attitude has several advantages. For one, it helps you succeed when you’re taking a risk. Having a positive attitude about your chances of success can give you added confidence.

5. Meet more people

When it comes to opportunities, it’s often who you know and not what you know. Imagine someone looking for a job. One person has a network of five close friends and a few acquaintances and another has 30 friends and numerous acquaintances. If their qualifications are identical, it’s much more likely that the person who knows more people will get hired first.

Why is that? The person with more friends has a larger network. More jobs are found through networking than online job postings. So if you know more people, more opportunities will follow.

6. Be Curious

Curiosity awakens your mind and keeps it active. Curious people ask a lot of questions and search for answers. Eventually, you’ll ask a question no one else has asked before. Answer that question and you’ll come up with a new idea.

By asking a lot of questions about the world, you get a better understanding of it. Don’t be a passive player. Try and figure out why things are the way they are. A lot of opportunities come and go without you even realising it.

7. Focus

Know what you want out of life. If you know what you want out of life, your mind will focus in on that and be on the lookout when an opportunity arises.

8. Make decisions and stick with them

The flip side to being focused is having no focus at all. A lot of people don’t have opportunities in their life simply because they don’t make any decisions.

Final Thoughts

With these ten advantages, it’s clear that taking risks is worth the time and effort. Why not take a few minutes to brainstorm about an opportunity you can seize right now? It could be your ticket to success!

Ms Gemma HIllier

Teacher of PE