Design Technology Virtual School Trip

Over the last few weeks all students have been on a virtual school trip during their DT lessons. They visited Japan House, the Centre for Japanese Culture, London; and specifically an exhibition called Architecture for Dogs in which world famous architects and designers reimagine designing for dogs needs and enjoyment. Students also went to Kensington Gardens and chose a place to eat their virtual lunch. Ms Mears shares with us some of their reviews and 'dog' designs.

"I got up very happy today. Today was the day we were going to The Japan House in London. I was excited since I love Japan and all the innovation and design. I got to school and we all walked to Twickenham station and from there we took the train to Richmond. When we arrived, we changed to the tube onto the district line to Earl’s Court. Then we all walked to Kensington High Street where the Japan House was located.

We walked inside and went over to the Architecture for Dogs exhibition. There were a lot of different things for dogs from houses to rugs to things to run around on and explore. My favourite piece was definitely the architecture for long-bodied short-legged dogs. It was a ramp you could put by your furniture so your dog could climb higher next to you. I also liked the rug that looked like a slice of steak which was quite funny.

After that, we went into Kensington Gardens and had lunch next to the cafe and started heading back to school. Overall, it was very fun and enjoyable and I’d definitely visit again" - Anna

"I would recommend people to visit the Japan Centre. If you like going outside, dogs, Japanese culture or even if you like food, you would love Japan Centre! It was the one of the best experiences of my life! If you can’t visit because of the pandemic then, they even have a virtual tour! Honestly, after the whole pandemic, I’ll visit it in person!" - Jason

"I would eat my lunch at The Italian Garden. I would eat there because you can sit on the grass and watch the beautiful water fountain as you eat. It would also be a nice story to tell your family that you ate lunch in a star location which has been in several films! The gardens are actually believed to have been a gift from Prince Albert to Queen Victoria. It would be fun to see if you can spot all the five main urn designs around there with your friends and maybe see who can find them first." - Amy

"I would visit The Peter Pan statue because I have always been a fan of him and watched him growing up and I always want to meet him in any way. Also, I think it is a great statue of him and portrays the character in a good way." - Sean

Kingston Climate Emergency Youth Survey - deadline extension

Have you taken part yet? The new closing date is Friday 19 March 2021.

The Kingston and Richmond Youth Council want to hear from you! Their aim is to find out how important you think climate change is, the actions you are taking, and what else you, your family or your school could do to tackle it.

To complete the survey, click here.

By taking part in the survey you have the chance to win a £50 Amazon voucher and a climate change talk for your school by Dr Neil Jennings from Imperial College.

We know that children and young people have a wide range of different communication and information needs so this survey may not be accessible to everyone. The more accessible version of this survey can be found by clicking here.

Richmond Borough Mind - Workshops

• Parents Workshop 1 – Mental Health Awareness for Parents

As a parent we often find ourselves ill-equipped when it comes to dealing with, or even being aware of, our child's or young person's mental wellbeing. In order to help them, we first need an understanding ourselves of what we mean by mental health. Second, the tools to help our young person with any emotional difficulties. The first of these two workshops are designed with this in mind and will help you to support your child or young person.

• Parents Workshop 2 - Managing mental health difficulties in children

In this second workshop we look in more depth at the types of mental health difficulties that can affect your child or teenager. We also look at the available tools to help our young person with any emotional difficulties. This second workshop will also help you improve communication with your child and support them to build their own mental health resilience.

Songwriting competition - win a prize £1000!

Powerjam, the local not-for-profit band project, is offering young songwriters and bands ages 12-17 the chance to win a professional recording and release worth £1,000! Students resident in or attending schools in Richmond, Kingston and Hounslow boroughs are invited to send their original songs to: contact@powerjambands.com. No entry fees. Deadline for submissions 31 March 2021. Full details of the competition can be found on Powerjam's website at https://www.powerjambands.com/competition. Stay creative and productive during lockdown!