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I found the trip to the Synagogue very interesting. I learnt a lot of new things because I got to see things physically like the yad, the ark, the Torah and a lot more things. I learnt how the Jewish study the Torah and how they pray. I liked that we got to try on what Jewish people wear like the prayer hat and the shawl. I enjoyed finding out what the Torah looked like in real life and I am glad I got the opportunity to visit the Synagogue and find out what it looks like. It was also nice to find out the similarities and differences between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. To make the trip even better maybe they could include even more practical things like learning how to pray like the Jews. I think the trip to the Synagogue was very interesting. Also I liked finding out the differences between the progressive and the orthodox Synagogues.
Vania.
On the trip to the Synagogue, we all came through the door and we sat down on the carpet. She talked about what they wore and let us try on a Kippah and a tallit. Mrs Taylor then took photos of us. We were sat down there for about 45 minutes but it seemed like 2 hours.
Straight after, we went into the prayer room. It had the Torah (not on parchment) on the chairs. We were asked some questions and we asked questions back.
What I liked about it was getting out the Torah and having some homemade challah bread, it was very salty.
I would have liked to do some activities on worksheets and what they really did on celebrations. I would also have liked to dress up and do more fun things.
Philippa.
I thought the trip was interesting and factual. I learnt all about the Torah, the Ark and things women and men wear. We got to eat the challah bread which tasted really nice. I learnt that the scroll was made out of parchment and that they have a scribe to write for them. In Non-orthodox synagogues they allow women and men to sit together, they have English and Hebrew in the Torah books. In orthodox Synagogues they restrict men and women sitting together because the Torah says so. I think it would be better if they let us stand up and have a look around the Synagogue. Most of the time they had us sat down, sing us some of the Torah or read it in English.
Esther.
The Saxons House Captains ran some charity events last week to raise money for DogsTrust. These included a onesie themed mufti day, sponge a teacher/student and the Morning Mile.
Well done to Isla, Libby and Rio for their enthusiasm and excellent organisation of these events. Also thank you to the students who volunteered to get soaked and to those who walked/ran a mile each day for five days.
Owing to a few wet days last week, the Morning Mile will be continuing to Wednesday. The final total raised for DogsTrust will be known once all the sponsor money is in.
Congratulations to Millfield school who progress to the next round of the Saracens cup in the under 11s Cricket. The game was played under Barrington rules, and finished 243 - 207. The Hugh Sexey team really couldn't have performed much better, and will hopefully learn a lot by playing against such a quality team. The batting pair of Nick Whittingham and Will Bougard performed well hitting 8 runs between them for no outs. Will Creaser and Tom Beane also put in a solid shift, hitting 14 for 2. This was against a particularly good fast bowler, who caused real difficulty with his delivery.
When Hugh Sexey were in the field, they performed well, but were unable to prevent some well executed shots from Millfield. Alex Scott took a lovely wicket in the 6th over and bowled a further 5 dot bowls. Tom Beane showed excellent resolve by putting a testing over behind him to bowl a great wicket in the 8th over. Spinner Olly Richards made a great catch from a Will Bougard bowl, and both players really put themselves about in this fixture. Kenny Poole gave a good overall performance, performing well with bat and bowl. Behind the stumpts Thelonius Jagger had a very good game as wicket keeper. He was put into an unfamiliar position, but showed real promise and bravery. Will Creaser enjoyed the opportunity to play against a lot of County players, and was delighted to bowl out a fellow Somerset player in the 9th over.
The Hugh Sexey players should be really proud of their performance and can look forward to the Whylie Shield and the indoor SASP competitions.
Following HSMS's successful 'Share a Pencil' week our efforts have been reported in QA Education; the article is reproduced below:
'Pupils at Hugh Sexey Church of England Middle School in Somerset, were the first to take part in an innovative scheme to raise awareness of the 124 million children in the world who are missing out on an education* across the globe.
The first ever national Share a Pencil Day takes place on 17th May 2017, when pupils will be asked to share a pencil for a single lesson, an afternoon or the whole day, to experience what learning is really like for the many children without access to school or the basic materials to learn. In the run-up to the event, the organisers, Hope, worked in partnership with Hugh Sexey Middle School to demonstrate the educational benefits of the scheme to teachers,before the big day itself.
Roberta Taylor, leader of humanities at Hugh Sexey C of E Middle School, said: “The Share a Pencil Day experience was an eye opener for our children. They are aged nine to 13, so they know a little about Syria and the refugee crisis but did not really have an understanding of what these events meant for the individuals in those situations.
“Watching videos of children explaining what living in a zone of conflict means on a day to day basis, developed a deep empathy for the impact global events have for the people living within them.
“The lesson material is entirely suitable for years five to nine. We used a film by Emma Watson, the Harry Potter and Beauty and the Beast actress, to introduce the topic and then the children w
“Every pupil had the opportunity to complete a worksheet about the children, although we ensured that there were only enough pencils for one to be shared between two pupils, so the children found out first-hand what it is like when pupils have to share learning materials to get work completed.
“The scheme helped pupils foster an understanding of what life is like for others perhaps less fortunate than themselves. We also feel it is important to encourage children to appreciate that they are in some ways very fortunate to have access to all the advantages they have and Share a Pencil Day is perfect for that.
“The children were even more engaged than I had hoped they would be and it created some great discussions. We ended the lesson with pupils creating posters about why they loved school.
“The activities really helped our children to grow their sense of global responsibility and, most importantly, the children now understand that they can make a difference. I would encourage as many schools as possible to sign up.”
“Every pupil had the opportunity to complete a worksheet about the children, although we ensured that there were only enough pencils for one to be shared between two pupils, so the children found out first-hand what it is like when pupils have to share learning materials to get work completed.
“The scheme helped pupils foster an understanding of what life is like for others perhaps less fortunate than themselves. We also feel it is important to encourage children to appreciate that they are in some ways very fortunate to have access to all the advantages they have and Share a Pencil Day is perfect for that.
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To date, around 20,000 pupils are in line to take part in Share a Pencil Day on 17th May which gives pupils in schools across the UK the opportunity to learn about the issues faced by many children around the world and explores the difficulties they often have to overcome to access an education.
Once teachers have registered their interest via https://www.hope.co.uk/share-a-pencil-day-sign-up-form they can access lesson plans, films and posters to support their Share a Pencil Day activities. Schools can also purchase special Share a Pencil Day pencils, the proceeds of which will go towards Hope’s Bright Futures mission in partnership with Plan International UK. The funds will support the charity’s education projects worldwide, which include transforming the lives of girls in Kamuli, Uganda; helping children in Pakistan get an education, and the training of 275 female teachers in Sierra Leone.
Evan Lewis the founder of Hope, the organisation behind Share a Pencil Day, said: “Our goal is to raise awareness of the educational issues that many children face globally.”
For more information visit https://www.hope.co.uk/share-a-pencil-day-sign-up-form Twitter: @hopepencils #ShareAPencilDay #PencilSelfie