Mr Tubb’s Top Tips For Art

Mr Tubb, an art teacher at the Eastwood Academy, has given us some top tips on art and an insight into his inner artist. He says that to make art your own, you have to make mistakes along the way. Here are his top tips:

• Take your time- don’t rush artwork because it makes it dull and boring.
• Don’t be scared to make mistakes.
• Look for influence- influence for artwork can be found anywhere. It can be found outside or inside. Reading can give a lot of inspiration.
• Always carry a camera- if you’re always carrying a camera then you can take pictures of your influence and then make it your own artwork
• Be open minded- make sure to always have an open mind when it comes to artwork

We asked him, “Why is art important to you?”. He said, “Art is a way of visually communicating thoughts and feelings, art is 100% personal and no one can tell you that it is wrong. Art isn’t about making it look like a photograph, it’s about making it personal to you.”

Just two weeks ago he took some students to a gallery in London. He said that they saw a piece of artwork created from toast. It had two body imprints on it. It showed that there had been two people on the bed.

As a young art student he loved the piece of artwork by Tracy Emin. She produced a piece of artwork to reflect her. He said that to this day it is his favourite piece of artwork.

What do you think about it?

By Leanna

Eastwood Academy’s Easter concert

The Eastwood Academy has recently been practising for their Easter concert; taking place on Wednesday 16^th March. Starring the students of The Eastwood Academy, the concert is hosted in the academy’s hall, arranged by Mr Ambrose: “I begin to plan at the beginning of the year.”

In order to find out more, we asked Mr Ambrose questions to do with the production of the show: “Averaging 120 people per concert,” he says, “I usually try to remind the people that we want the best musical outcome.” Mr Ambrose believes the year 11s that leave each year play a big part. However, he says, “providing that we are getting more talented musicians each year, we will be able to cope.”

Considering that Mr Ambrose doesn’t know how to play all the instruments, he claims, “I have performed in a variety of ‘second-hand’ bands and orchestras.” Because of these experiences, he can teach students playing (instruments he hasn’t learned before) by using past gigs and events as an inspiration.

Questioning how he copes under pressure; Mr Ambrose has his own technique on how he copes under pressure: “I try to put things in perspective and people are forgiving if you inject a little bit of humour.” Under pressure the show can be stressful- with help from dedicated students and teachers, the show has never come dangerously crashing down!

With the concert racing towards us, we asked Mr Ambrose what the most memorable part of the concert was. He says, “Our school choir is now better than it ever was. All of their songs are touching. However, I look forward to the diversity.” This encourages students to make sure that their performance makes the highlight of the whole concert

In Orchestra, students have wondered where Mr Ambrose gets all of the amazing music from. We decided to ask him: he replied, “some students request music, I sometimes see what is out in the music industry and balance out the classical music by the modern music.” With so few days remaining until the big concert and tickets selling fast, Eastwood is ready for the first concert of the year! We are positive it will be an enormous success as it always is an evening of excellence!

By Cerys and Maia

Swimming Showdown

On the 9^th March 2016, the swimming gala took place at Garon’s Park, which included the Eastwood Academy’s teachers, who are involved in this aqua sport and boys and girls from different schools such as Shoeburyess and Westcliff. The teams fought their way through the water and claimed victory. Many of the athletes impressed the eyes in the crowd with their power and technique, whilst battling out in the water. This was an important event for our academy, as it was a competition for a future title and trophy.

Luckily, after the event we caught up with one of the swimmers, Ellie, a year 9 student who attends The Eastwood Academy, and she said, “I really liked it, however I wish we had more training.” The school is very proud of the swimmers’ performance, however, with more training we are sure to claim the title next year, with the help of our very own pool.

The Academy has provided the students with the swimming pool since 2013, which is open to all students attending the school. The swimming pool is used by students in PE and for after school clubs. The pool is 18 metres deep and the depth of the shallow end in 1.1m and the deep end is 2.1m.

Fortunately, we managed to find out about the team that represented us. They explained that there was no team leader, as they didn’t see the relevance in it. They wanted each swimmer to be treated equally.

Even though we didn’t win there was one major achievement; The Eastwood Academy is the second best school in the county!

The Academy didn’t win, but we tried our hardest, and remembered that taking part is all that counts.

 By Giovanna, Andrea, Cerys and Munya

First Theory Exams Taken in Eastwood

The Eastwood Academy is known for its talent in physical education. However, it also has an amazing talent in all of the performing arts! This week, some year 9 GCSE music students went into their first theory exam (this will be grade 1 standard)

By the end of the GCSE music course, the overall grade needed will almost be equivalent to grade 5 theory and this high grade requires lots of hard work to pass and the first exam is a big step as it shows the students what the theory exams are like and it will help them to stay calm in later exams. The ABRSM board normally holds their exams in Southend Civic centre.

In the exam, you are not allowed any stationery that has a keyboard or any musical related item on. You need a regular HB pencil, a rubber, a ruler and a black pen. This will be contained in a clear pencil case. You are not allowed to make any kind of communication during the exam or you will be disqualified.

For grade 1, you are required to know some basic Italian words, basic scales, basic time and key signatures and be able to read and write music. Eastwood is sure to get high results on account of the high standard of teaching. There were extra revision classes for those who were unsure of terms to make sure they were prepared to pass with a good mark: possibly a distinction (highest grade to achieve)! With all of the preparation combined with the quality of teaching, the theory exam results in Eastwood will surely be high.

By Maia

University of Essex Trip

On Wednesday 9^th March, 10 year 10 students went to the University of Essex in central Southend  for a taster day called ’Raising Aspiration’. This was a chance for some chosen pupils to find out more about the experience people will get from university and the benefits of going to university. Throughout the day they were given valuable information on what university is like and given tours of the different campuses; including the accommodation blocks, the student union block and the building known as the ‘Tetris’ building. They also went to South Essex College, where they were given a tour of the facilities of the building. At the end of the day, pupils accomplished a team-building exercise called who can build the highest tower of balloons!

Abbie, a student from the Eastwood Academy stated, “I really enjoyed the trip to the University of Essex because it allowed me to gain an understanding of student life at university. It allowed me to see what facilities the university had to offer so I can later make decisions on where to go for specific courses I wish to pursue. I liked the idea of living away from home so that I am able to develop more independent skills when living alone or with peers. I also liked the idea that a few rooms for revision were open 24 hours, which allows people to study when they need to. It is an easily accessible university to the area. It’s also close by to a lot of other facilities. Before today, I didn’t really know what aspects to consider when researching colleges and universities. Before today I also didn’t know if I wanted to go to a university, but now I have basic information I need to consider going elsewhere for higher education.”

Overall the day was a great experience for all pupils giving them a clear insight into the view of their future education.

By Alex

Borough Cross-Country Race 2015

The cross country race that took place on Wednesday 11^th November 2015, was a ‘huge success’ said Mr Wheeler, Assistant Head of PE.

The student reporters interviewed Mr Wheeler. We asked him the following questions:

‘In your opinion do you feel the race was about winning or representing the academy?’

Mr Wheeler: “it was about representing the Academy in a positive light.’ We feel this was a supportive attitude towards the pupils who participated.

Our next question which we asked Mr Wheeler was:

‘Where do you see some specific runners 10 years from now?’ his response was ‘living a healthy and active lifestyle that includes exercise.’ This shows that Mr Wheeler has faith in his PE students and believes that they will succeed in their later life.

Following on from this, we asked Mr Wheeler:

 “Did any of the cross country participants come in the top 45?’

He confirmed that in year 9 Oskar came 19^th, Harry came 28^th, Josh came 40^th and Sam came 4^th!   As well as this, Charlie who is a year 8, came 3^rd, Gus who is in year 11, came 2^nd and George who is only in year 7 came 1^st!

We gave the year 9 students the opportunity to be interviewed and a handful of them gave us a statement: Oskar stated: ‘the start of the race was sharp and quick and Mr Wheeler was encouraging throughout the event.’ Sam said: ‘it could have gone worse!’ Harry said: ‘I had a better position than the previous year and had trained for a long period of time.’ Lastly Josh exclaimed:  ‘I enjoyed every moment, it was a good experience.’

Overall, the PE department was extremely proud of the runners who dedicated their time to run for the academy.

By Kess and Ellie

Eating Disorders

How eating disorders affect young people

There are 3 different types of eating disorders and each one affects people differently. The first is anorexia nervosa; this is when a person tries to keep their weight as low as possible.

The second is bulimia; this is when a person eats loads and then makes themselves sick.

The third is BED (binge eating disorder); when a person eats large amounts of food in a short space of time.

All of these affect a person differently. Many of these eating disorders are caused by media and the way they portray ‘perfect’. Sometimes it is caused by bullying. This only shows how much it can affect a person. It can also be caused by earlier depression or mental disorders. It can also be caused by sexual, verbal or physical abuse or the death of someone close to them.  It can even be caused by relationships with other people. It could be that the person’s partner doesn’t like their appearance for example.

To spot an eating disorder in another person is very hard, especially when they are very secretive about it. Look for:

• Missing out on meals
• Complaining about their weight or their appearance
• Making repeated claims that they have already eaten or they are going somewhere else to eat
• Only eating low calorie food
• Refusing to eat in public

These are all signs of an eating disorder. Eating disorders are affecting people all over the world. It is very unfortunate to believe that some girls are uncomfortable being themselves and looking the way they do. However, it is very common for young girls to be self –conscious. This is commonly linked to bullying or pressure from the media to be thin and beautiful
I interviewed a woman that is 24 and she has suffered with bulimia and anorexia. We asked her “What drove you to be the way you were?”

She replied “As a teenager, I wanted to be perfect like all of the girls in my year. I was bit larger than average and so believed I was fat. All of the boys in my year made fun of my weight and this soon drove me to shut everybody out. I had no self-confidence and I had no friends so I started not eating to lose weight and then when I was made to eat I would make myself sick. My brother soon started to notice my change in appearance. I was getting thinner, paler and I always looked tired. It took people a year to realise what I was doing, I got help and now I’m confident in myself and in my appearance.”

This only shows that people can be driven to lose all confidence. But together we can stomp out bullies and beat eating disorders.

 

 

Literacy Evening

On Thursday 3^rd March the Eastwood Academy held a literacy evening for the year 7 students within the school. The main objective of the evening was to tell parents about what is happening within the English department and what parents can do to help their children either by working with them at home or persuading them to join in with the activities within the department. Many of the parents were taught the main reason for literacy, which covers all the subjects within the academy- we use it for teaching, learning and developing thinking, so it is at the heart of teaching and learning, whether  developing skills to express, explore or communicate our thoughts, ideas and feelings with others. After the presentations, everyone was set a task to come up with a descriptive piece incorporating many language techniques, such as: metaphors and repetition, to engage the audience.  Students were selected for the evening (between year 9 – year 11) to help out and were sent round to assist those with the task in hand. The best pieces were judged at the end with those who won winning a book and an Easter egg.

It was a successful event with many parents giving a good response to the evening, learning how they can help their child grow and help the Eastwood Academy in helping their children reach their full potential. One of the parents I interviewed said, “The evening was a great way of letting me comprehend the literacy standards within the Eastwood Academy and how my child is being pushed to achieve the grades she is capable of, which I feel is really important to have in a school otherwise my child wouldn’t be able to achieve the high grades that she accomplishes now. I obtained great information about how I can challenge my child and what is happening in the English community within the school. I feel the evening was really worthwhile, and I believe this could benefit other years within the school – not just year 7- and I thank the school for allowing me to be part of this useful and developing evening.”

One of the year 7 students who went to the evening exclaimed, “The evening was great fun as I got to write creative stories and build on my knowledge on how to make my work better, but most of all, I liked the evening because I won a book and I got an Easter egg to share with my mum. I feel these types of evenings and activities would be beneficial for many year 7 pupils and others within the school. I hope I can win more books and chocolate in future activities.”

Overall the evening was a great way to help parents have further knowledge on what is happening within the English department and how they are helping their child to succeed.

Climate Change

At the recent Academy Awards, in his Oscar acceptance speech for his latest film ‘The Revenant’, actor Leonardo DiCaprio spoke about the effects of climate change, an issue which was clearly close to his heart.

“Making ‘The Revenant’ was about man’s relationship to the natural world, the world that we collectively felt in 2015 as the hottest year in reported history — our production needed to move to the southern tip of this planet just to be able to find snow,” DiCaprio said.

“Climate Change is real. It is happening right now. It’s the most urgent threat facing our entire species and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating.”

According to the Met Office, Climate Change is an all-encompassing, continuing shift in the weather patterns of the planet. Earth has endured both ice ages and tropical climates many times in its 4.5 billion years existence.  In other words Climate Change is the build-up of methane and greenhouse gases that effect the planet’s atmosphere.

Climate Change affects everything to do with the planet. Continuing atmospheric problems will affect plant growth and increasing exposure to heat will invariably lead to soil erosion.  This will mean that food production, already being affected, will intensify over time, with potentially overwhelming effects.  Higher temperatures due to the hole in the ozone layer will put additional stress on water-scarce regions and make it harder to feed animals and grow food crops.

During the World Economic Forum, DiCaprio was also awarded the Crystal Award in recognition of his commitment to improving the state of the world.

by Alex

Where do you stand on the EU debate?

In the upcoming referendum, which is currently due to take place in June, David Cameron will be arguing why we should stay in the EU.

He feels that if we stay in the EU we will bring more trade into the country and tackle immigration in a way that benefits the whole of society. To support this, David Cameron stated that he has negotiated a sensible deal with the EU which is predominately involving the on-going immigration crisis. More jobs will be available for British citizens, meaning that fewer people will be at risk of facing poverty.  However, if we were to leave the EU, millions of jobs could be lost due to the fact that we trade with global manufacturers.

Our safety is vital, so if we were to leave the EU our country will be more vulnerable to terrorist attacks due to the fact that we will no longer be exchanging information with other member states. Terrorists will acknowledge the fact that we are a politically individual country, making the UK an easier target for extremists groups such as the Islamic State.

Contradicting the fact that David Cameron wishes to stay in the EU, some of his ministers believe that leaving the EU would be a better alternative. Many members of parliament and the public think that the EU consists of too many rules which we are made to follow.    Members of Parliament also don’t approve of all the decisions made by Brussels. The decisions can result in disagreements or a breakdown of communication with other EU Member States.  Another reason why many people think we should leave the European Union is due to the mass scale of immigrants fleeing to our country.

For more information and upcoming EU debates you can tune into the official BBC News website.

By Kess and Ellie