On Friday 19th March we are holding our first Community Science Day.  Guest presenters including The Big Bug Man and Science in a Suitcase, who will delight our visitors including several local primary schools, Priestley Smith School, parents and many others, who we are welcoming and hoping to inspire with ‘fun’ science activities. 

Having worked with the STEM providers before, we are anticipating much laughter, many new ways to understand the world around us and learn how  science can be used to improve our daily lives.   For all those who come to either our day or evening shows, there will be the time to get hands on practical experience, which all compliment the current Science curriculum.  Children and adults alike will be encouraged to look for the unusual, formulate ideas, engage in conversation as previous great scientists and develop their scientific knowledge.

“We hope this day will bring as many community members together to share this wonderful experience.” Helen Davies, Community Coordinator.

At Great Barr, we aim to decrease our use of plastic, particularly plastic bottles.

The production of plastics involves the use of oil, which is non renewable. Plastics are non-biodegradable, so they take up space in landfill sites.

To help to end the problem of plastics, Great Barr has taken the initiative to sell aluminium water bottles. These only have to bought once, and can last a life time! They are good value for money, at only £1.50 each, and they encourage drinking water over unhealthy alternatives.

 At Great Barr, we aim to provide examples of sustainable waste management.

Food waste from technology lessons is not disposed of with other waste.

In technology, pupils are encouraged to place food waste in separate bins, and the contents of these are then emptied into the large composting bins in our school garden.

Here is a birds eye view of the bins.  Composting encourages the natural break down of food waste, thus less space is taken up in landfill sites.

  Great Barr is a 10:10 school!

This means that in 2o1o we want to reduce our carbon emissions by 10%.

At Great Barr, we encourage staff and pupils to switch off electrical appliances when not in use, try to use daylight rather than artificial lighting where possible, and much much more!

From February onwards, we will be comparing our monthly electricity bill, with the same month for the previous year and we will be aiming for a 10% reduction . . . Go Great Barr!

Our pupils are keen to be involved!

Our Star Eco-Warrior

In October 09,  a pupil with a vision entered a competition . . .

Adam Potter, (left) entered the sustainable communities competition entirely alone, (it was advised by the board that this be done in groups of 6).

The task was to design a sustainable communty. Adam presented his ideas in a portfolio, including models, pictures, and sound bytes.  When Adam made it to the final 4, in a national competition, he was required to orally present his ideas to a board of executives.

For most of us, this would be a very nerve racking experience, but Adam confidently boarded the train to London and gave an enthusiastic presentation. The judges were very impressed, Adam, who executed this task alone, despite it being advised as a group task, made it to the final 4 of this national competition. Congratulations Adam!

 Congratulations Adam!

At Great Barr we aim to reduce, reuse and recycle!

Why?

We want to do our part to prevent climate change. Trees are essential in reducing carbon dioxide levels. Saving paper is saving trees, and recycling paper reduces the number of trees cut down to make paper.

Our pupils are key players in our recycling system;  Each week pupils carry a bag of paper from their form rooms to a drop off point where it is collected by our dedicated site team.  .  . Reduce, Reuse and finally . . . RECYCLE!

As an aspiring sustainable school, we always aim to reduce, re-use and recycle.  Sometime we like to have fun in the process!

At Great Barr School, we decided to spice up our Christmas by creating a Christmas board! In order to cut down on waste produced by Christmas cards, we designed a board which all staff could sign and write their Christmas wishes!

And what’s more, many staff donated the money which they would have spent on Christmas cards, to Birmingham Childrens Hospital . . . so not only did we do our part to prevent climate change, we helped our neighbors also . . . Sustainable schools here we come!!

Want something to do that’s really good fun before the Christmas festivities begin……..well you can at the Sportwise Christmas Camp.  

Activities include: football, dance, basketball, cheerleading, cricket, tag rugby, hockey and by popular demand arts and crafts too!

This will be at Great Barr Leisure Centre, Aldridge Road.  From Monday 21st to 24th December.  9:00am – 3:30pm each day.   The cost for the full four day experience is £30. 

Do book early to avoid disappointment!    

Either by phone: 0800 612 2725  or by e-mail: bookings@sportwise.org    

There are over a hundred pupils at Great Barr School, in KS3 and KS4, who are undertaking the challenges set to attain their STEM Leadership Qualfication.  They have and will be working with many STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) experts and supported by STEM Point based at ThinkTank, Millenium Point on of our many external partners.    STEM qualification, gives many of our pupils the opportunity to gain an additional accredited award, which will really enhance their school CVs and support their movements into both further and higher education. 

Through STEM Point and Kike, who is coordinator at ThinkTank, we can access many STEM Ambassadors, who the Community Ambassadors have been modelled upon.  All of the current Community Ambassadors and many other pupils will be working throught their awards, which they will gain in Y11, through many fun and stimutaing experiences.

Currently every wednesday, in the SMLC, pupils doing this award can gain time to support work on the STEM portfolios and enhance their in-school learning experiences.  Next April 2010, we will be having our second STEM Day and also a Community Science Day in March, which will bring as many of our community partners in, to embrass the schools Science and Mathematics specialisms.  STEM subjects are ever necessary as the job markets change and to keep us in touch and hopefully ahead of the global competition in these areas.

At Great Barr School we have a purpose built Science and Mathematics Centre.  This has been created for use by the pupils but importantly as a facility which can and is used by the local community.   Local feeder primary schools have been working with us with a view to enhance primary school pupils knowledge in Science and Mathematics.   Work with our feeder primary schools are invaluable in supporting the transition for pupils between primary to secondary school. 

Over the past four years we have worked extensively to build close working relationships with all our feeder primary schools and have invited the pupils in to work with our own pupils, who are Community Ambassadors.  The secondary pupils support the developing knowledge of primary pupils and the primary pupils enjoy working closely with the older pupils.

The primary schools of; Calshot, Glenmead, Greenholm, Great Barr and new partner primary Perry Beeches, have all partaken in many masterclasses at the Science and Mathematics Learning Centre.  Lessons always have a really high practical content and the secondary school has also created module boxes for primary school loan, to support Science lessons in the primary school.  Great Barr Secondary School recognised the benefits to the feeder primaries of a bursary, so that they could purchase both Science and Mathematics Equipment, to use in their own schools, whcih has been very much appreciated and making a real contribution to hands-on activities back in the primary classrooms.