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Holocaust Memorial Day

The Holocaust Memorial Day, 27th January, is a day to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside millions of other people, persecuted due to their beliefs, ethnicity, political views, sexuality or for standing against the Nazis. The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust also encourages remembrance and  reflection about other more recent genocides including: Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. 

Ms Railton gave an excellent assembly this week about this day and the theme: Ordinary People. The Holocaust Memorial Trust states: Ordinary people were involved in all aspects of the Holocaust, Nazi persecution of other groups, and in the genocides that took place in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. Ordinary people were perpetrators, bystanders, rescuers, witnesses – and ordinary people were victims.

In every genocide, those targeted faced limited choices – ‘choiceless choices’ (Lawrence Langer) but in every genocide the perpetrators have choices, ordinary people have choices.

Sometimes, these choices were limited too, sometimes they had to make life-threatening decisions. And ordinary people were the ones who made brave decisions to rescue, to hide or stand up. But ordinary people also made decisions to ignore what was going on around them, to be bystanders, to allow the genocide to continue.

https://www.hmd.org.uk/what-is-holocaust-memorial-day/this-years-theme/

Ms Railton examined some of those 'ordinary people': some who suffered and lost their lives and some who took the very brave decision to try and help those persecuted. She emphasised the power that ordinary people still have and the choice young people have to not be bystanders when they hear hate or prejudice but rather use their voices to counter these narratives and stand back objectively to make informed decisions as they get older. 

Ms Railton also shared resources for teachers to use in their lessons, whilst Year 8 watched a video in their REPs lesson produced by a local synagogue group about the holocaust and its lasting effects. With antisemitism on the rise, it is all the more important to discuss these difficult topics with students and to remind them to respect and treat each other with kindness.

 

 

 

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30th January

Teachers commended for transforming Design & Technology education

We were delighted to read that our Design and Technology teachers, Miss Yalley and Mr Hadley were featured in the Design and Technology publication.  The article discusses the transformation of the Design & Technology (D&T) department at St. Clement Danes School over the past five years. It discusses how Mr Hadley and Miss Yalley took ownership of the subject, implementing a new subject ethos based on trust, excellence, respect, and safety to foster student responsibility and independence. Key Initiatives & Changes Revamping Projects & Curriculum Introduced more challenging design projects at earlier years (Years 8 & 9). Shifted focus to design skills, problem-solving, and justifying choices over just practical outcomes. Prioritized quality over quantity in student projects. Notable projects: Year 7: Robot concepts Year 8: Articulated lamps Year 9: Branded dispensers & modular speakers Encouraging Inclusion & Diversity Created a girls-only club to boost female participation in GCSE Product Design. Sixth-form girls mentor younger students, building confidence and community. Design Ventura Competition Integrated mock coursework with the Design Ventura competition. Encouraged teamwork and prototyping to improve engagement. Use of AI & Technology Introduced cloud-based tools to make learning more accessible. Leveraged AI for idea development and communication. Professional Development & Industry Links Participating in the Teachers in Residence program to gain industry insights. Adopted industry models like the Double Diamond Design Process and Scrum-based project sprints to enhance student learning. Established workshops with industry professionals to inspire students, especially girls, to pursue design careers. Key Takeaways for Educators Adapt curriculum to student needs and school culture. Pilot new initiatives as clubs first to gauge student interest. Encourage student feedback to refine teaching methods. Be open to change and continuously evolve teaching strategies. The article ultimately encourages educators to embrace creativity, experimentation, and student collaboration in D&T education. We are very proud of our teachers for their continued hard work and dedication for each of their subject areas. Congratulations to Mr Hadley and Miss Yalley for their inspiring article and the incredible work they’ve done to transform Design & Technology at St. Clement Danes! Their dedication to fostering creativity, inclusion, and industry connections is truly commendable, and their impact on students will undoubtedly be long-lasting.