Features
Netball Needs
By Lucy McGrandle Netball players should be paid more! The game netball is unfortunately not very well known around the world or in specific the UK, which is not so good for the professional netball players that are only getting paid £75,000 between 10 players in England's semi-Professional Super League. This is only £7,500 per person, which barely even pays the rent. This is outrageous considering how much footballers get paid each week.
Professional netball players are left to have another job while playing professional netball. This is unimaginable and the way this sport is treated is definitely unwarranted. I honestly feel sympathy towards professional netball players, having two jobs must be very stressful, which can have an impact on how well they play or on their mental health as well - being seriously dangerous on their health and well-being.
Furthermore, netball is a sport that helps you release the stress that has been on your back and is a team sport that makes you feel happy as you have fun with teammates. Most netball players end up playing for New Zealand or Australia who’s league is boosted by £7m of sponsorship money and revenues of £15m where they can get paid actual living wages. The average salary of an Australian professional netballer is £67,000, which is much higher than the average salary in the UK that is £35,423 - if full time.
Part time is only £12,083 - it is dreadful that in the UK we are nowhere near the average salary of Australia and, as a result, we are having to make our young athletes work two jobs just do to do the sport they enjoy. As a country, we should be ashamed of how badly we treat sports that are not sponsored as much as they should be.
Sports should all be treated the same way and get paid enough for them to not have to work two jobs. Netball should be more acknowledged throughout the world but especially in the UK. We should be advertising netball more for children of all ages. This will inspire them to get to know the sport much better and understand the concept of netball with it being more than just a sport, it’s a family. The people that you are surrounded with in your team are no longer just your friends but they become your family, your home.
Overall, it is clear that netballers around the world should be getting paid more and get the recognition of the sport. Netball players should not have to work two jobs just to do the sport they enjoy. They should be getting paid well for the athlete they are and recognition for the work they put in, not just enough to pay the rent and make (just) ends meet.
The Holocaust: Humanity’s Ruinous Mistake
By Amy LittleThe Holocaust, also reffered to as the Shoah in Hebrew, is the biggest mass genocide in history which took place during World War II. Between 1941-1945, across Germany-occupied Europe, the Nazis systematically murdered 6 million jews and 5 million other humans from different religions, backgrounds, races and sexualities etc. by sending them to concentration camps. The first concentration camp was built in 1933 after the Reichstag Fire that held political prisoners but they were largely put into effect in 1941 during the second World War.
Auschwitz was the biggest camp, spanning 40 square kilometers being split into 3 different camps; Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II (Birkenau) and Auschwitz III (Buna-Monowitz). Auschwitz I held 15,000-20,000 political prisoners and had the infamous “work sets you free” inscribed in German above the entrance gate. Auschwitz-Birkenau was used as an extermination camp, just like Treblinka and Bełżec, where prisoners were sent to work until their death. Monowitz was a forced labour camp and was the largest out of the three. Over 1 million people died but 190,000 survived and 900 escaped. Twice a day in the camps there would be selections where Doctors would select who would die and who would live. When people arrived at the camps they were tattooed, shaved, had their belongings stripped from them, leaving them with the disillusion of arbeit macht frei.
The first camp to be liberated was Majdanek on 24th July 1944 and the last was Mauthausen-Gusen on May 5th 1945. Amid those who were liberated was author and activist Elie Wiesel. Wiesel documented his experiences in a trilogy of novels titled ‘Night’, ‘Dawn’ and ‘Day’ which detail his “loss of faith in humanity” after spending years in 2 different camps (Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen). He was liberated alongside Gwidon Damazyn, a Polish engineer that sent an SOS message to the Allies, by the U.S. Third Army on 11th April 1944. Anne Frank was amongst those who were in Bergen-Belsen but died due to typhus aged 15, just under a month until the camp was liberated.
A lot of tragedy happened during the Holocaust that humanity should’t repeat but unfortunately we have. Since then the world witnessed heinous crimes such as the Cambodian massacre from 1975-1979 and the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. Throughout recent years countries have disguised concentration camps as detention centres, just like the one in our whole school novel, The Bone Sparrow. Places like Australia, USA and China have indefinitely detained many humans because of their race, ethnicity, religion etc. The conditions in these camps are terrible and inhumane and that is why we need to research and speak up.
Top 10 Most Nostalgic Moments of the Decade
By Eva MuirAs 2020 has just begun, our favourite decade has just ended. We all enjoyed similar cartoons, games and toys throughout our childhood, but no one has the exact same memories from their toddler years and upwards. Keeping that in mind, I have compiled a list of the most common and nostalgic things that came out of this decade, from 2010 all the way to present day. Hopefully, at least one of them will give you a flashback to your happy memories and remind you of just one of the many things we had the opportunity to enjoy when we were younger.
10. Furbies
Even although they were quite horrifying, it is still clear that this little fluffy animatronics still holds a place in our hearts (at the very bottom). Personally, I prefer the small non-robotic furbies that were available for limited time at McDonald’s.
9. Loombands
Loombands were all the rage for us 7-year olds who were bored and waiting for a new trend we could partake in to pop up. Unfortunately, Loombands did cause a lot of problems with people choking on them and finding Cancer in the plastic from them, but… according to my fellow pupils it still deserves a spot on this list despite their dangers. After all, I’m pretty sure all of us tried to make the starburst bracelet at least once, right?
8. Primary school parachutes
If you haven't played with parachutes in primary school, you're missing out. The vast majority of people I asked said that in primary school they got the opportunity to play with parachutes, doing some classic games like shark in the water and… keep the ball in the middle of the parachute? That one has never been named – maybe that can be rectified in the 20’s.
7. Barney Bears
Barney Bears are a blessing sent from heaven. They were particularly popular back in the days when most of us would have been between primary 1-6, and if you never took one to school for snack, then you weren’t cool.
6. The DS Series
I’d say the majority of us all had a DS growing up, no matter what version it was. Replaying the classic favourite games such as Super Mario and Nintendogs, or even just decorating the home screen with badges that we spent numerous hours collecting it is definitely a staple of the teens.
5. CBeebies TV shows
CBeebies has been around for longer than most of us have been alive, and most of us watched it from a very young age. Some of our personal favourites include: Mr Maker, Mr Tumble and Bob the Builder. We can’t wait to see what childhood favourites the 20’s brings!
4.The Wii
I think we can all agree that no matter what you played on the Wii growing up, we all had a little spark of joy when we heard the Mii theme tune after all those years. From one of the most popular Wii games, Mario Kart, to even just making stupid characters with names like “poopy head” on the Mii Maker, this is a game console we will never forget.
3. Minecraft
Although Minecraft is still a game that is widely played and loved, we can still all agree that when we were younger, we all were obsessed with it… despite vanilla pocket edition being the only one available at our fingertips.
2. Star Wars franchise
This one is perfect for this list because even our parents can agree these movies were nostalgic. Everyone born around the 70’s and upwards has at least one memory of one of the episodes/movies, making this franchise a great candidate. Although it had its ups and downs, we can all say we at least recognise one part of the long storyline. Not to mention, the Star Wars opening scene has stayed the same since the very beginning, regardless of CGI.
1. Tig
I think we can all admit we’ve played tig at least once when we were little or in primary school. My personal favourite was banana tig, but some very honourable mentions include toilet tig, freeze tig, hunts and don’t forget chaos! Tig is a great candidate for number one because it’s highly unlikely that you have never been involved in this childhood classic. And I’m sure we all have at least one fond memory from playing this game – even if it was purposefully pretending to injure yourself so as you could stop playing it...
What do you think should have been number one? Do you agree or disagree? Let us know!
Listen to this Global Warning
By Amy Little Two words are sending the world, particularly Generation Z, into a flurry of panic. And these two little words are - climate change. But what is climate change?
Well, climate change, and the ideology surrounding the drastic weather change in the climate, has been around for years. The possibility that weather patterns could change, natural disasters become commonplace and crops could die causing food shortages as a result were all used in films, thought of as fictional. But now it is a real and dire matter. The ice caps are melting. Lakes are drying up. Australia as well the Amazon are burning. Thankfully, we have people who are willing to combat this global ordeal; headstrong Greta Thunberg, dedicated Isra Hirsi and the admirable Sir David Attenborough.
Greta Thunberg is a 16-year-old girl from Sweden who created SS4C (School Strike 4 Climate), or ‘Friday’s for Future’. Her activism started when Sweden experienced its hottest summer in 262 years, causing wildfires and extreme heat waves. The media and her school peers had dubbed her impact as “The Greta Effect” as many politicians from this have stood up and finally addressed the climate dilemma. In our own country of the UK, Michael Gove of the Conservative Party stated, “we haven't done nearly enough to address climate change and the broader environmental crisis that we helped to create.” Ed Miliband, who introduced the Climate Act of 2008, responded with, “All the young people who have gone on strike have held up a mirror to our society…you have taught us all a really important lesson.” Her message has reached millions of people, young and old, privileged and not, to demand rapid climate action as most of the older generations have done nothing or little about it.
Isra Hirsi is the daughter of freshman congresswoman, Ilhan Omar, and is quite a prominent figure in the climate activism scene. She grew up in a Muslim neighbourhood in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her call to activism started in her first year of high school by joining the schools environmental club and has since grown into something much bigger. Hirsi was the only black student in the club which, most of the time, didn’t discuss the climate but she persisted because she cares about the long-term damage our climate is battling against. She is co-founder and executive director of the U.S. Youth Climate Strike, which has led and organised hundreds of climate strikes all over the USA, accumulating thousands of protesters to show the US Government, in Washington DC, that they want urgent climate action now.
Sir David Attenborough is considered a national treasure because of his influence over the past 65+ years. From the ocean to animals to history and geography, he has brought attention to copious important subjects. Now climate change and its effects are in the spotlight. Attenborough has shown his support for climate activists like Greta Thunberg and organisations like the Extinction Rebellion - also known as XR - and has stated that, “their outrage is certainly justified, there is no doubt about that.” According to the CBE, the reason we’re making progress is the youth and their efforts to fight against the rising temperatures. If it weren’t for young people, we would have no influence over the situation.
With climate change dominating our newsfeed daily and all these people already having made a stand, why haven’t you? If you feel uncomfortable protesting, there are many other options you can participate in to show your support: you can donate to charities and organisations like Stop Climate Chaos Scotland which played a vital role in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 at https://www.stopclimatechaos.scot/. If you’re interested in helping out the people and animals of Australia during this time in need, you can donate to The Australian Red Cross: https://www.redcross.org.au/campaigns/disaster-relief-and-recovery-donate. Salvation Army: https://www.salvationarmy.org.au/ and Givit which provides basic necessities, like clothes, for people going through difficult times: http://www.givit.org.au/disasters.
Please help to stop the climate chaos before it is too late.
Tom Holland is Taking Hollywood by Storm
By Joseph WheelenUnless you have been living under a rock, Tom Holland is one the biggest names in the acting industry right now. However, if you have unfortunately been living under a rock (rough going) then I am here to let you know everything Tom Holland.
Thomas Stanley Holland (bit of a mouthful, eh?) is a famous English actor who is most well-known for his portrayal of Spider-man/Peter Parker in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU – if you do not know what that is then there is no hope for you).
Tom Holland was born on the 1st of June 1996, making him currently 23. Hi parents were Nikki/Nicola Holland a photographer and Dominic Holland a famous comedian and author. Not being content with only one child, Tom would soon go onto be the older brother of twins Sam and Harry who are currently 20, and Paddy/Patrick who is currently 15.
Tom’s first major role was Billy Elliot, in the play ‘Billy Elliot’ where a young boy becomes an amazing dancer by complete accident (yes that does mean not only can he act but he can also dance!). His next role was in ‘The Impossible’ which was based on the tragic 2004 tsunami in Thailand, Holland played the young 12-year-old Lucas at the age of 16, where he won 9 awards and was nominated for a further 11.
From here he enlisted into The BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology, which had been previously attended by known performers such as: Adele, Amy Winehouse and Jessie J.
Other award nominations came from starring in Heart of The Sea, where he played Thomas Nickerson a cabin boy, also in The Lost World of Z as Jack Fawcett.
However, he is most well-known for his role as Peter Parker/ Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) where he has starred in 5 blockbuster movies: Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home. He is soon to star in a further 3 movie as The Web Slinger.
His most recent role has been in Dolitte, the third live adaption of the 1920s children’s book based around physician turned naturalist Dr John Dolitte, as Jip - Dr Dolittle’s keening smelling, glasses wearing dog, which hit cinemas on the 17th of January. Another recent phenomenon of Tom’s has been “Spies In Disguise” where he plays Walter Beckett, a socially awkward scientific genius who graduated from MIT at age 15 and designs brilliant new gadgets and tools. He accidently turns Lance Sterling (a cool and confident H.T.U.V secret agent) into a pigeon with a new invention of his called biodynamic concealment and must now help Lance change back to his human self.
And if that isn’t enough, Tom will also be starring in a further four movies set for release very soon: “Onwards” where he plays sixteen year old Ian Lightfoot an elf trying to bring back his dad for one day; “Chaos Walking” which follows the narrative of the young Todd Hewitt, (played by Tom Holland) who is tackling a deadly disease called pathogen; “The Devil All The Time” and “Cherry” (details still to be released).
Apart from his cinematic successes, Tom is a very charitable person as he and his three brothers Harry, Sam and Paddy run a charity called Trust Brothers. This charity is dedicated to helping smaller charities who need help as their tagline states “we support charities who struggle to be heard.” They hold massive events and have their very own dogs club as another way to raise money for the great unsung heroes.
It is clear to see why Tom Holland is such a rising star worldwide and hopefully you feel enlightened about how talented and gifted this young actor is! I also hope this has inspired you to go and see these fabulous movies to see for yourself how great of an actor he is.
Marvellous Movies of the Century
By Ella Whitehead Worried that the end of an amazing decade of Marvel films means the beginning of a rubbish one? Think again! Below are just a taste of some of the jaw-dropping, action packed, blockbuster films that you can expect from the rip roaring 20’s.
Black Panther 2, Black Widow, Onward, Venom 2, The Eternals and many more. Some of the trailers have already dropped for these movies and boy are they amazing. ‘Black Panther’ was a major hit when it came out on the 12th of February 2018, and by the looks of it, the original cast will be back alongside some new faces in the upcoming sequel set for release in 2022. The ‘Black Widow’ trailer looks fantastic also, and apparently Tony Stark is supposed to be back making a cameo appearance - pause for gasp. It is set before the last movie that Marvel produced therefore will hopefully retain some of the last decades magic. The ‘Onward’ trailer is definitely a dark horse receiving lots of interest due to it not giving too much away.
With Marvel already continuing in the same vain it ended the last decade, we can expect another great decade of cinematic magic!
Batman Forever
By Dylan GillespieMove over Marvel, because DC has one superhero that trumps all of yours. No, he doesn’t have a suit made of iron. No, he doesn’t have a magical hammer that shoots lightning. But what this character does have is an excellent backstory, a killer lair and a name recognised by all generations. If you haven’t guessed already of course its Batman!
Batman was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The story follows the character of Bruce Wayne, who at a young age was traumatised when his parents were murdered brutally in front of him. From then on, Bruce Wayne knew he was going to be the protector of Gotham with the help of his butler and father figure Alfred and the man that created his suit gear and weapons, Lucias Fox.
Batman's allies are Dick Grayson Bruce's first Robin. There are other allies who feature later including Toad Grayson – another Robin - and Tim Drake, as Batgirl.
When Bruce's parents died their butler Alfred became his father figure. It was at this point when Bruce decided to become a vigilante that would become known as Batman. Batman's main foes are the Joker, Penguin Ra’s al Ghul, Two Face, Riddler and enemy/lover Catwoman. Batman's one rule is not to kill however, he will cripple people and make them wish they were dead. He has only killed when his hand has been pushed such as when Ra’s al Ghul tried to destroy Gotham, killing him by letting him crash in the train they were fighting in.
Top 10 Excuses for Being Late
By Aoife RennieLate again? I get it. This is why I’m here to help. When you use some of these excuses the teacher will completely understand… hopefully. They are a sure way of getting you out of those sticky situations you somehow keep finding yourself in (or you know you could just...be on time?).
1. My pet fell down the toilet.
2. I thought it was Saturday.
3. An elephant was on the road.
4. My alarm clock didn’t go off.
5. I was TERRIBLY ill.
6. I couldn’t find my timetable.
7. I am pretty sure we no longer have school on (insert day)?
8. My dog ran away and I spent all morning looking for him.
9.I was at church and it finished late (particularly good for Trinity High School)
10. I went blind and couldn’t find my way to school, thank God I am better now.
We hope you will use some of these in the future to get out of sticky situations. Disclaimer: we are not held responsible for any trouble you get into when these excuses do, ultimately, fail.
The Rise of the Snub-Nosed Monkeys
By Sahaib ParvezSnub-nosed monkeys are the latest animal trend that everyone wants in on. Snub-nosed monkeys have grown popular due to the show “His Dark Materials”, which on premiere got 700,000 viewers, due to it being one of the main characters daemon (if you do not watch the show, a daemon is basically their sidekick). Snub-nosed monkeys have also appeared on the recent documentary “Seven Worlds One Planet” again, giving them a big boosting in popularity.
So, what is a snub-nosed monkey? Well, a snub-nosed monkey is a rare make-up of the entirety of the genus Rhinopithecus. Types of snub-nosed monkeys include: golden, black, Tonkin, Myanmar and grey.
Believed to be extinct in the 1980s, only around 200 Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys are left in the world. On average, male-snub nosed monkeys weigh about 44lbs (19.9kg), while females weigh about 27lbs (12.2kg). Additionally, snub-nosed monkeys are old world monkeys as they live in regions in China and in Burma. They use their tails like cushions to sit on as they are covered with thick fur. Snub-nosed monkeys have also been mentioned in Chinese literature, with the earliest reference to them being a 2,200-year-old description of an “odd-nosed animal with a long tail.”
While in the literature it is described as ‘odd-nosed’ we definitely think this adds to its distinct face that has become loved by many.
All About Ariana Grande
By Rachael KyleAriana Grande is one of the biggest pop stars (if not THE biggest pop star) of our generation. All of her albums are instantly recognisable including: ‘Sweetener’, ‘Thank U Next,’ and ‘Dangerous Women.’ Apart from her music, do we know much else about the globally renown pop princess? Well fear not, we are here to resolve your gaps in knowledge to make you be able boast at being the most knowledgeable about Ariana Grande in your friendship group.
Childhood
Ariana Grande was born to Edward Butera who was a graphic designer, and Joan Grande who was a businesswoman. At early years she took singing and acting and was on the theatre scene before she was even a teenager!
Awards
Throughout Ariana Grande’s lucrative career, she has been nominated for six Grammy Awards, won three American Music Awards including artist of the year 2016, and won two MTV music video awards.
Strengths
The strengths this girl has are endless. We can see this clearly through the Manchester arena bombing. Ariana stood strong against this horrific attack and went to visit all the injured kids in the Manchester General Hospital. Not only this, but she overcame her own personal trauma and fears from the attack and dedicated a concert to all that were affected, injured or killed in a concert called ‘One Love Manchester.’
Ariana has also written a variety of songs that carry deeper meaning to help support a variety of issues. ‘Breathing’ is one such example which indirectly supports mental health conveying the message to just keep going and stay strong. ‘God is a Woman’ is another song which tackles discrimination between the sexes. It emphasises that women are strong, worthy and capable of anything a man can do.
Ariana understands the power of her position and always uses it to raise awareness on issues that she feels strongly about. She is more than just a pop star and I am sure she will not be going away any time soon.
Top 3 Must Have Nintendo Switch Games for this Christmas
By Callum WalshDo you know someone that has asked you to buy them a Nintendo Switch game or looking to buy yourself a game for your Switch this Christmas? Then you have come to the right place! I am going to be telling you what games you should own for your Nintendo Switch. Here are – what I personally feel - the three must have games for the Nintendo Switch this festive season.
Number 1: ‘Zelda Breath of the Wild.’
‘Zelda Breath of the Wild’ was released on the Nintendo Switch and Wii U in 2017 the 3rd of March. It's an action adventure game where you play as a character most fans are familiar with - Link. At the beginning of the game you wake up from a 100-year sleep from which you cannot remember anything. The place you find yourself in at the beginning of the game is called the ‘Big Plateau.’ You meet a mysterious old man that tells you to go to these places called shrines where you find superpowers! Later you find out that the old man was former king of the game’s main location Hyrule. The king of Hyrule tells you that his daughter princess Zelda is trapped in the royal castle which is now being controlled by a dark evil called Gannon. Gannon is the villain of the game and has enemies all over Hyrule called Bigoblins. Your task is to travel across Hyrule and defeat these big ancient machines called Ancient Beasts. There are four of them and when you defeat all of them it will make it a whole lot easier for you to defeat Gannon. Buy Zelda Breath of the Wild this Christmas and travel over Hyrule. Gain Links memories, defeat Gannon and set Hyrule free again. Take my word for it, I completed Zelda Breath of the Wild - it's amazing!
Number 2: ‘Super Mario Odyssey.’
Unless you have been living under a rock your whole life then you will know the multibillion videogame by the name of ‘Super Mario.’ Well the next game in the series goes by the name of Super Mario Odyssey.’ It's a new type of Super Mario turning the formula from a 2D game to 3D.
The game follows the story line we all know and love. Princess Peach gets kidnapped by the evil villain called Bowser and it's Mario's job to save Peach from Bowser. With the help of his original hat that comes alive and has the name Cappie, you must explore all of the different worlds with unique themes to get you one step closer to saving Peach. What are you waiting for? A whole new Mario game in which you can squash Goombahs, defeat Bowser and save Peach – what more could you want?
Number 3: ‘Super Smash Bros Ultimate.’
Super Smash Bros has multiple games in the franchise but this time every single character that has EVER been in the series of Super Smash Bros is in this game! You can play this solo or play with up to three of your friends. You can also pick from 74 fighters and play a range of different game modes. Additionally, there is solo mode where you try and save all the other fighters by fighting them and many more. So, what are you waiting for? Jump into this really fun, enjoyable game that everyone can get involved in today!
Top 5 Christmas Activities for Over the School Holidays
By Aleena Parvez5.Craft your own Christmas Cards- creating your own cards is a fun way to personalise your gifts. Even if you can’t draw there is many simple designs online you can try!
4. Decorate a gingerbread house- if you aren’t a big fan of drawing why not create a gingerbread house and gingerbread people to match. In addition, it is pretty tasty too!
3. Make a Christmas Playlist- if you love Christmas songs why not put them into a playlist to get into the festive mood. Dancing while doing so is mandatory.
2. Go Ice Skating- during winter, why not go out with friends and family to enjoy gliding around the rink.
1.Go to your local Christmas Market- going to your local Christmas market is a great way to get into the Christmas spirit. I think I can already smell the churros.
The Inside Scoop with Mr Cutler
By Shing Wong
For those of you who may not know Mr Cutler, he is one of our esteemed Maths teachers here at Trinity High School. Taking time out of his busy schedule, I was lucky enough to get an exclusive interview with him about careers and S2 subject choices.
Thank you for agreeing to do this interview about S2 subject choices. Firstly, what are your views regarding S2 subject choices?
I see why we have to make these choices, but it is potentially too early for people to decide what they like and what they don’t like. I think it’s good you can’t drop Maths.
How did you get to your current career?
I joined the navy when I left school and was then paid to go to university. I made race cars for a while before rejoining the navy, where I managed to complete a Maths and Economics degree while working. This allowed me to change careers to one that more suited a family lifestyle and...here I am. A Maths teacher at Trinity High School.
Do you like your career?
Yes,it’s hard to say what my favourite part of my job is but I like the subject and find the pupils entertaining.
Is it ever too late to switch career in your opinion?
I’m currently on career number three so no, never.
Do you think resources such as My World Of Work are useful?
Yes, because they give everybody access to information they need. Some people can’t access the information so they prove to be an invaluable resource.
Are columns for subject choices in your opinion helpful in guiding students or are they too restrictive?
They are the best available subject that can be offered due to there only being so many teachers and so many periods.
Do you think career advisors are helpful in guiding students?
Yes, as they have access to information that you may not, though they may not be helpful to everyone, they can be helpful for a lot of people.
Any advice for the current S2s regarding subject choices and career paths?
Keep your options as open as you can and don’t get fixed on one career path.
Whole School Novel Exclusive!
By Amy Little
We caught up with the head of Literacy, Mr Arnold, and the head of English, Miss McCann, to discuss all things 'The Bone Sparrow...'
Why did you pick this novel?
I (Mr Arnold) picked ‘The Bone Sparrow’ because it had been recently nominated for several awards which initially brought it to my attention. The Scottish Book Trust had also recommend it as something that would be really interesting for pupils at the school, with it linking to current real-life events that I think a lot of people are less aware of than we should be. On top of that, I think it is a good story.
How long is the book?
It’s longer than the novel we did last year having 38 chapters, but the chapters are all very short, so it’s only probably a good few hours’ worth of reading. However, hopefully, people won’t be put off by the fact that it is a little bit longer.
When was the book published?
It’s a relatively new book. It was published, in Great Britain, in 2016 and was shortlisted for a lot of awards in 2016/17.
Where is the novel set?
It is set in a detention centre in Australia, with most of the story taking place within the fence. It follows a group of people who have been locked away in this centre, having their rights withdrawn because of their religion.
What period of time is it set in?
It’s set in the modern context, so this is stuff that is actually happening at the moment in the world.
What impact do you imagine the book having on students?
I think it will have an effect on pupil's awareness, as this is actually being experienced by millions of people around the world. Many of the things in this story are horrific and I think we can be a little bit guilty of assuming this is fictional when in fact, it is based on a very real reality. Therefore, I think it will open student's eyes to the fact that this is actually taking place and unless we actively try to find out about it, sometimes, we don’t hear about such acts against humanity.
Does the book have a moral to it?
It does to an extent. It’s a story of suffering, discrimination and prejudice but it also has lots of optimistic parts to it. I think the tag line of the novel is that despite how difficult things can become, we can always look to be positive – which will be a good message to a lot of the pupils.
Do you think the students will enjoy the novel?
I definitely think the pupils will enjoy hearing about the friendships and experiences that Subhi, in the novel, has and his journey within this environment.
Why do you (Miss McCann) think it is important to have a whole school novel?
As it brings our whole school community together such as teachers, office staff, janitorial staff, our dinner ladies, pupils and anybody that you can think of, as they are all given a copy of the book and we all read it together. This will then help to develop our love of reading which is very important.
How does the novel helps with literacy and reading skills?
It provides the opportunity for students to develop their enjoyment of reading. Enjoyment of reading then makes pupils more likely to go on and try and read another book, which helps to develop your vocabulary and your understanding of interesting language. This then positively impacts your literacy skills across the curriculum and, of course, within English.
Who gets to pick the novel? Is it one person or does the whole school faculty get a say?
Mr. Arnold collates and cultivates everyone’s opinions. He works closely with the Scottish Book Trust who suggest appropriate and enjoyable novels for our school community. Mr. Arnold then also consults with the Trinity Book Club members, regarding the novels that are suggested by the Scottish Book Trust. This then allows us to narrow them down and then, within the department and across other curricular subjects we discuss which novel we like the best out of the remaining few.
Is it important to select a novel with a message?
Yes, every year we try and change the theme of the book. In ‘Tribes’ we looked at and discussed the notion of friendship and what it means to have a healthy friendship or an unhealthy friendship. ‘My Sister Lives On The Mantelpiece’ explored bereavement, loss, terrorism and the impact that can have on society and a family. Another of our other school novels, ‘Wonder’, looked at the culture within a school, bullying and how we should be more accepting to others. 'The Bone Sparrow' has an equally important message but, you will have to read it to find out what that message is!