Black History Month Celebrations at St Joseph's!

 

This week at St Joseph’s we have been celebrating Black History Month. The theme of this year's celebrations was 'Standing firm in Power and Pride’.  The theme had 6 areas which each class looked at during their celebrations. These 6 areas were:

1. Power in Protest.

 

2. Pride in Our Roots

 

3. Icons of Influence

 

4. Black Excellence in the Arts.

 

5. Future in Focus.

 

6. Service and Sacrifice.

 

In Nursery, they heard the story ‘Coming to England' by Floella Benjamin. They looked at hot and cold countries and what they would pack for their holidays if they were going somewhere hot or cold. They also listened to music for Trinidad.

 

In Reception, they also read the story ‘Coming to England’.  They learnt about Floella's journey to England and how her dream of meeting the Queen, finally came true. They learnt how Floella had to deal with the extreme differences from her home country of Trinidad to England. They looked at what they would have packed if they were travelling to a different country. They also read the story ‘The Smeds and the Smoos’. They discussed how it is important to celebrate how different and unique we all are. They then looked at African patterns and coloured in some of their own.

 

Year 1 looked at the theme of Service and Sacrifice. To celebrate this, they chose Walter Tull. Walter Tull was an extremely brave and caring man who wanted to change the world to make it a fairer place. He grew up in an orphanage with dreams of becoming a famous footballer, which he later achieved, becoming the one of the first black professional footballers in Britain. He later gave up that dream to become the works first black officer leading soldiers during World War 1, overcoming adversity to protect the country that he loved. He died during the war but his legacy of bravery and sacrifice lives on today.

 

In Year 2, they learnt all about Malorie Blackman. They created fact files about her life and achievements and discovered how she became one of the UK’s most inspiring authors. After learning about her determination and creativity, the children wrote their own stories about how she inspires us to write about our passions and to never give up on our dreams.

 

Year 3 learnt about the life of Malorie Blackman and answered comprehension questions about her for their homework. They read some of Benjamin Zephaniah's poetry throughout the week and looked at the work of the artist Sir Frank Bowling, who was famous for his abstract work and poured paintings. The children also created their own pieces of art in his style.

 

Year 4 spent time learning about the inspirational lives of Roy Hackett and Diane Abbott, exploring their incredible contributions and the positive impact they’ve had on society. The children created posters, fact files, and biographies to celebrate their achievements and to reflect on how their actions have helped shape a fair and more inclusive world.

 

Year 5 decided to study John Blanke, who was a trumpeter in the courts of Henry VII and Henry VIII, and remains the only Black Tudor for whom we have an identifiable image. While serving two kings, he was witness to some of the greatest moments in England's history and contributed to some of the greatest spectacles of the Tudor age. He has shaped the thoughts around Tudor history, and showed resilience and strength by achieving the position he did.  

 

Year ​​6 learnt about the British artist Stephen Wiltshire, who struggled to speak as a child and art was something that gave him the confidence to speak.

 

The children produced some wonderful pieces of work and learnt about some truly remarkable figures in British Black History.

Don't forget to take a look at our display in the hall for a glimpse of the wonderful celebrations!