News and Updates from the CU team
When we think about March, there are a few things that spring to mind. Get it spring? Ha-ha!
March usually marks the end of the cold months and the beginning of spring, when the trees begin to bloom again, and we can all go back outside without wearing seven jumpers. If you’re still cooped up inside, we’ve got a few fun facts about March for you. Though you may not think the month of March is particularly special, it hosts quite a number of holidays. Easter often falls in March, and thus Lent. This usually alongside the Vernal Equinox when the days start getting longer (yay!)
International Women’s Day also takes place on the 8th, and St Patrick’s Day on the 17th. And let’s face it, who doesn’t enjoy the celebrations when St Paddy’s Day rolls around? There’s some fascinating history to the month of March as well. Did you know the Romans placed it somewhere entirely different in their calendar? In fact, have you ever wondered where March got its name from? There’s a lot in a name, and the origins of the month we usually associate with rebirth and celebration may come as quite the surprise! It is named after Mars the Greek god of war.
16 Fun Facts about March
1. March was the first month in the Roman calendar
2. March was named for the Roman God of War
3. Daylight Savings Time starts in March
4. It is host to the Vernal Equinox
5. …and sometimes Easter Sunday!
6. Lent is a chance for self-discipline
7. Statistically, March is the least productive month
8. International Women’s Day takes place in March
9. As does St Patrick’s Day!
10. ‘If March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb.’
11. The birth flower of March is the daffodil
12. The telephone was first patented in March
13. And Monopoly was invented in 1933!
14. The Girl Scouts were founded by Juliette Gordon Low
15. And for better or worse, Coca-Cola was invented
16. The birthstone of March is aquamarine
March at WCU is actually a busier month than you might think, there are lots of dedicated days In March to celebrate along with the start of spring. We are looking forward to finding out our 2 design competition results and seeing the ENO performances. We will have picked our Queen’s Park Primary Poetry by Heart Entry and look forward to seeing yours as well. So much happens in March and there is plenty to celebrate.
March 8 is International Women’s Day.
International Women’s Day is a global celebration of women’s achievements, and this special day intends to showcase the women that make businesses thrive. We love the idea of encouraging everyone to start their own businesses and projects so we would love to hear your ideas.
First Friday in March is Employee Appreciation Day.
On this day everyone shows that they appreciate employees and those that help us, perhaps you could create a poster that highlights the work of a special helper in your life.
March Brings Daylight Saving.
Daylight Saving affects everyone in the world the time here in the U.K will change by a whole hour so we will get more daylight during the spring and summer.
March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day.
St. Patrick’s Day is an Irish Public Holiday. Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland
International Day of Awesomeness.
Celebrated on the 10th of March. Celebrate your awesomeness or that of someone you know. What makes you and them special? Give someone a shout out and be awesome by making someone feel awesome too.
March 21 is the First Day of Spring.
The start of spring is a big deal, especially for businesses, since spring is normally thought of as the time for renewal. Go for a walk or plant something this is the perfect time to see something flourish and grow.
3rd Wednesday of March Companies that Care Day.
This day is a celebration of companies that care about the well-being of their employees and others. We are supported by many great companies like this. Who is your favourite place to visit with us? Perhaps you could write them a review or thank you?
March 31 is Easter.
Easter is a major holiday in the world, we will be running a two week Club during this Holiday so check the tab to download the sign up and secure your place. They will go fast!
March 15 is Everything You Think is Wrong Day.
This day recognizes that not everything will go alright and that everyone will have a bad day once in a while. Share a story that explains a day when something went wrong for you and more importantly how you dealt with it to help others.
March 16 is Everything You Do is Right Day.
Everything is Right Day is another March celebration, but the twist here is that this day is meant to be used for celebrating a good day. What was the best day you’ve had recently? Share it with your family or class and plan your next great day together.
March 26 is Make Your Own Holiday Day.
March 26 offers anyone the opportunity to declare and celebrate their own holidays. Feel free to create an explanation of a holiday you create. If you share it with us, through your coordinator, we will post it here online.
During March there’s plenty to do in London too, you could spend some quality time with your mum on Mother’s Day. Many London top attractions have events and offers to treat her to an experience or special gift.
Or how about enjoying top events in March such as: The Boat Race, Head of the River Race and the London Games Festival.
Marking annual festivals such as St Patrick’s Day and International Women's Day with activities across the city, there will be lots of local fairs and celebrations.
But the nicest way is to welcome spring and spot the blooms with a walk or run in London's parks, making the most of the warmer weather and enjoying the lovely green spaces for free.
It is March already
We had a great holiday and hope you did too? It has been great to see some of you in your schools and we are getting very excited for some of the upcoming projects underway in March. There are lots of exciting things to do in March so check out some of the great projects available.
Poetry by Heart is a national poetry speaking competition for schools and colleges, open to all pupils in key stages 2 to 5. Taking part in Poetry By Heart is all about developing confidence with poetry in an enjoyable, accessible and engaging way. Registration, participation and competition entry are free for schools and colleges in England. So get your school signed up as soon as you can and get practising, who knows we might see you at the Globe performing soon!
Go to https://poetrybyheart.org.uk/ to get involved
Then, just follow the steps below to get a chance to share your performance from the Globe.
Classic finalists and the best Freestylers perform on stage at Shakespeare’s Globe, London – with guest tickets for schools taking part
The Fourth Plinth
The Fourth Plinth Schools Awards are now open for entries. It’s a chance for schools to get creative and produce a work of art inspired by the contemporary art commissions for Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth. Once again, partner Cass Art – the UK’s leading independent art supplies retailer is making sure there are some fantastic prizes up for grabs. We have even had winning entries from Hallfield at WCU before so there’s lots to be excited about if you are an art fan.
Here’s how to get involved:
There are winner and runner-up prizes for different age categories: 5-7 years, 8-11 years and 12-15 years, as well as prizes for the best work from each borough. There’ll also be a presentation ceremony at New City Hall and all winning entries will appear in an exhibition in late spring.
Go Green Celebrations
Saturday 9th March 2024 2-5pm
Venue: Grand Junction at St Mary Magdalene’s Church, Rowington Close, London W2 5TF
If you prefer outdoor activities and are interested in how to look after our environment how about joining the team from the Paddington Development Trust We will spend an afternoon at Grand Junction with eco activities, games, sustainability, and free healthy food.
With a lot of free activities to get involved in too which will include …
You don’t need to book just turn up and you will be most welcome!
Or how about growing food with your parents and the community to eat and share?
Let’s Grow Westbourne
Join in with the PDT team growing food that you can take home and eat!
Every Wednesday from 10am until 12pm
Sundays 11am until 1pm
Let’s Grow Westbourne is a Free local gardening group for the Westbourne community. Join us in our community garden as we grow plants together! All are welcome, just wear shoes and clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. We will have light refreshments available. Woodchester Square W2 is where the allotment entrance is located.
Call Lina on 07801 749 828 or email lina@pdt.org.uk for more information
Into Film
In 2022, Into Film were delighted to welcome over 350,000 young people to screenings and events all across the UK. Over three million pupils and teachers have walked through cinema doors across the UK since the first Festival in 2013, and that number only increases each year. Boasting everything from specialist films to exclusive previews of upcoming blockbusters - as well as inclusive SEN and autism-friendly screenings - the Into Film Festival has something to offer everyone.
We know that many of you will be at screenings alongside us and look forward to seeing you all there this March. If you would like to write reviews, we are opening a film review tab so you might be one of the first reviews published!
Happy Lizzy and the Happy Hub
Youth Club for Harrow Road
Offering young people a safe place to hang out and have fun. (With a bunch of activities, free food, and friendly enhanced DBS checked staff) This is a great place to hang out and meet new friends after school and during the holidays.
Find out more at https://happylizzy.com/
Teach the Teachers
In the UK, climate change is not a mandatory part of the curriculum for students. As young people, climate change is something we’re seeing happen today that will only get worse throughout our lifetimes. If we want to have the skills and knowledge to tackle it, we need to act now!
If you would like a chance to explore the subject of sustainability and become teachers yourselves this is the perfect class project for you!
Teach the Teacher are looking to have climate change put into the curriculum across all subjects, showing students the different ways it will impact them and that the different ways they can make a difference, whatever their interests are.
To do this, Teach the Teacher trains groups of young people in schools to give their teachers lessons on climate change and what it’s like being a young person during the climate emergency. These lessons give students the skills to talk about climate and advocate for themselves, and shows teachers how they can take action in their teaching too. After the lessons, we’ve got a range of resources to support teachers in making that positive change too!
If you’re a student interested in bringing Teach the Teacher to your school, register your interest with us now and we’ll be in touch to work set everything up. If you’re the parent or guardian of a student and you’re interested in this opportunity, you can support your student to take part or use our resources to promote Teach the Teacher to their school. And if you’re a teacher, please feel free to promote Teach the Teacher to students you think would benefit from taking part, and check out our resources page for the rest!
For any questions or more information, please email hello@teachtheteacher.uk
Collect and Recycle old batteries with the Duracell Battery Hunt
The BIG BATTERY HUNT is a nationwide recycling challenge, inspiring pupils to power change across their schools and wider communities. Now in its fifth year, the BIG BATTERY HUNT is bigger and better than ever!
“Showing children that small environmental actions, when taken collectively, can make a big difference is illustrated brilliantly by Duracell’s Big Battery Hunt.”
Register or log in today for free teaching resources, plus the chance to win amazing prizes. Simply tell us your battery count on the leader board page and those with the highest average collection per participating pupil could win £3,500 towards outdoor equipment, Nintendo Switches, and more!
https://www.bigbatteryhunt.co.uk/registration/
Spring cleaning opportunities
Great Big School Clean 2024
The Great Big School Clean allows young people to take ownership over their local community, showing that they love where they live. This year's clean takes place between 15th March - 31st March, and to celebrate Keep Britain Tidy's 70th anniversary we're encouraging pupils to make a #platinumpledge such as picking 70 items or making a collective effort to pick 70 bags! This year's campaign officially launches on Friday 23rd February, but keep an eye on your inboxes on Wednesday 28th February, when Eco-Schools will be sharing further details.
At Keep Britain Tidy, they believe that no one is too small to make a big difference. And when we all come together, that big difference becomes a huge one. If every child who attended school in the UK pledged to pick up just one bag of litter during the Great Big School Clean, we could remove 10.3 million bags of litter from our natural environment.
Join the Great Big School Clean this spring and be part of the #BigBagChallenge - make a big difference to care for the places and the planet we love.
How to join the Great Big School Clean
Let them know how many pupils will take part and how many bags they pledge to collect by clicking the pledge button on the site. We encourage nurseries to join us too!
You can start picking up any time from now until the end of term.
Once you’ve made your pledge, you’ll receive a digital pack of resources for teachers, by e-mail, to help you activate the campaign in your school. The pack contains:
1. A ‘How to’ litter pick guide for schools
2. Litter Bingo
3. Guess the Decade litter quiz
4. Details of our litter competition with the Vintage Litter Museum
5. Thank you certificates for your #LitterHeroes
6.Pledge As A SchoolPlus icon
Join the Litter Legends Quiz - Live!
Is your school full of Wise Womblers? Clever Carbonistas ?Waste Warriors?
Then why not put your school’s knowledge to the test (it’s a fun test – we promise!). Join Keep Britain Tidy, Eco-Schools England and children’s author Sarah Roberts for our first ever Live Litter Legends quiz!
Every school who pledges to take part in the Great Big School Clean will be invited to join the free, virtual event at 11am on 24 March 2023.
Pledge to take part now, and details of how-to sign-up for the event will be shared soon!