Fwd: August mESSAge

[Matthew Savage]

To all Student Voice reps,

Please read this and research further anything of interest you find in it.

Mr Savage

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ESSA Forum <gemma...@studentvoice.co.uk>
Date: 22-Aug-2006 18:43
Subject: August mESSAge
To: Matthew Savage < mat...@thesavages.charitydays.co.uk>

Please note this newsletter is in HTML format. If you are unable to read it and would like it in plain text please email: ad...@studentvoice.co.uk

mESSAge
Welcome to the August edition of the ESSA newsletter!! Here's what we've been up to in the last month, and also what's happening in the near future. We welcome your comments and suggestions about the newsletter. Please send them to: ad...@studentvoice.co.uk

---

CONTENTS

HOT NEWS!
- Congratulations to all those who received their A-level results
- A huge thank-you to Emma Biermann
- Work experience at ESSA
- ESSA and Obessu

ESSA @
- Get Connected Youth AGM
- The BBC!
- Teach First Summer Institute

OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU!
- Confidence in Communication Training
- Diana Award
- Phoenix Education Trust Travel Bursary
- United World Colleges
- The Big Clean Up campaign
- Schools Question Time
- London LGBT Youth Council

---

HOT ESSA NEWS!
Congratulations to all those who received their A-level results

Well done to all those ESSA members who received AS or A-level results last week. All of that hard work, stress and effort has finally paid off. ESSA wishes you the best of luck with your next step. ESSA also wishes to say GOOD LUCK to all of those collecting GCSE results next week!!


A huge thank-you to Emma Biermann

ESSA would like to say a huge thanks to Emma Biermann, who has completed her four month placement with ESSA. I'm sure that everyone who met Emma will agree that she did a fabulous job! We will miss her lots, and wish her all the best for her degree in Politics and International Relations which she begins at Warwick University in October.


Work experience at ESSA

ESSA members Darren Brain and Antonio Cutri completed a weeks work experience at ESSA's main office. Here they write about what they got up to.

"During our placement at ESSA, we undertook many tasks including; researching and working on ESSA's forthcoming membership package, creating a student guide to setting up a school council and writing articles for the website. On Thursday 17th, it was A-level results day and Radio 5 Live interviewed us about our views regarding the increase in tuition fees and whether or not they had prevented us from going to university in September. We also participated in an on-air "practise job interview" for another Radio five live programme. A radio van was dispatched to our school where we held the interview. Overall, the weeks experience was enjoyable except for when we had to answer the phones (We HATE speaking on the phone!!)".

ESSA and OBESSU

ESSA is working with OBESSU (Organising Bureau of European Secondary Student Unions) and other individual European secondary student bodies to produce a manual for school students. The main idea behind this publication is to help students to build up school student structures at school, regional or national levels. It will also give new ideas and improve the work of existing structures in the different European countries. The publication will be created with the tendency to support democratic processes in society, starting from its basis - the schools. Countries involved alongside England, are France, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland. Everyone involved had their first meeting in Macedonia at the beginning of July. The manual will be published in November and ready to use, so if you're interested and maybe want to either set up or improve your school union/council, keep your eyes peeled for more information following soon on the manual! In the meantime, you can log onto here for more information or click here to find out more about the team working on it!

---

ESSA @

The Get Connected Youth AGM


ESSA Executive Council members Becky, Jack, Hamish and Barry attended the Get Connected AGM at Elstree and Borehamwood Studios. Held in a Big Brother hospitality marquee, complete with replica 'BB Diary Room' chair, the event was deemed a success by all who attended.
Jack said, "It was an excellent day. It was really good to see that a service aimed at young people is so keen to consider our views when developing their strategy."

Get Connected provides a free, confidential helpline that gives young people in difficult situations the support and information you need to decide what you want to happen next. It could be anything from a listening ear to somewhere safe to stay for the night. For more information on Get Connected, log onto the website at www.getconnected.org.uk

The BBC!!


ESSA members Darren and Antonio were interviewed by Radio Five Live last week. Darren and Antonio were due to pick up their A-level results, and Five Live were interested to hear their views on University Top-up fees. Had the fees made them think twice about going to university? Had the fees had an impact on their choice of course? To find out what they said, you can listen to the show by logging onto the BBC website and selecting the breakfast programme from Thursday 17th August.

Teach First Summer Institute


ESSA attended the Teach First Summer Institute in Canterbury, and ran two workshops for trainee teachers in how to promote and encourange Student Voice in their classrooms and throughout their schools. If you are interested in ESSA delivering workshops on Student Voice for teachers at your school or area, contact in...@studentvoice.co.uk or call the ESSA office on 0207 022 1910 for more information.

---

OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU!...
"Confidence in Communication" Training


If you feel that you, or students in your school would benefit from some training in order to get more involved in the life of your school, contact ESSA about our Confidence in Communication training. The training covers skills such as Talking to Authority, Managing Meetings, Presentation skills and Mediation and Conflict Resolution. Here's what some students have said about the training days they participated in:
"I think it was very helpful, I enjoyed it"

"It was very useful. I have become more confident in speaking and my presentation skills have very much improved."

"I liked the ESSA people we were working with. They were really helpful and friendly"

To get your school involved, click here and pass on the relevant information to a teacher who may be interested, or to a school council representative.


The Diana Award

Have any of your fellow pupils done something inspirational?

Has someone that you know overcome tremendous adversity?

Or have they done something amazing for their school, their family or their community?

If so, why not nominate them for a Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Award. The Diana Award was set up in 1999 in memory of the late Princess. It celebrates the inspirational qualities and outstanding achievements, often against the odds, of young people aged 12 to 18 by recognising the contribution they make to their schools, families, friends or communities. A partnership with the Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA) has enabled us to create a special 'Anti-Bullying Diana Award', which is open to pupils at both primary and secondary schools.

The award is given to young people nominated for:
� improving the life of others
� enhancing the school or community in which young people live
� showing exemplary progress in personal development, especially in adverse circumstances.

It is non-academic and has a lasting impact on the lives of the young people who gain it. Awards, which are non-competitive, are made three times a year and schools can apply once in each school year. The process is so simple, with committees that may comprise teachers, governors, parents and students making the nominations. Most award winners are nominated through schools although there are plans to extend the scheme to other environments.
For a nomination pack please contact award...@diana-award.org.uk or see our website www.diana-award.org.uk .

Phoenix Education Trust Travel Bursary



During the last year The Phoenix Education Trust (ESSA's parent body) has become increasingly aware of the need to support teachers who want to develop democratic practices within their own schools. To help teachers do this more effectively the Trust has created a travel bursary scheme. The scheme is able to provide financial support to a small number of teachers and students who want to participate in conferences or visit other schools in order to get ideas which will help them develop democratic education practices within their own schools. The bursaries are also open to young people who want to explore and find out more about democratic education!! The bursaries cover travel costs and low-level conference fees and can also be used to pay for teaching cover.

If you would like to find out more information about the scheme or would like to request an application form to apply for a travel bursary please email in...@phoenixeducation.co.uk.


United World Colleges


Are you just about to begin year 11? Would you consider attending a sixth-form in another country? United World Colleges (UWC) is the only global educational movement which brings together students from all over the world at pre-university level. Students are selected on merit and live together in an environment designed to foster international understanding, tolerance and peace. United World Colleges provide a two-year, pre-university sixth-form course, leading to the International Baccalaureate Diploma. There are ten United World Colleges in the UK, Singapore, Canada, Swaziland, the USA, Italy, Venezuela, Hong Kong, Norway and India. Each College has its own distinctive character but all share a common mission which has become more relevant than ever. High academic standards, extensive community service and a wide range of cultural and outdoor activities are features of a UWC education. There is also great diversity: students come from a very wide range of backgrounds and it is common for more than 80 nationalities to be represented in a College at any one time.

Selection is on the basis of merit. Scholarship support means that students can be selected regardless of their financial means. To find out more, log onto the United World Colleges website at www.uwc.org


Schools Question Time!


Registration for the 2006-2007 schools Question Time Challenge is now open, go to the website at www.bteducation.org/questiontime for more information and to fill in the online entry form. Schools Question Time is an active citizenship and communication initiative supported by BT, the Institute for Citizenship and the BBC.
Go on - get your school involved after the summer!


The Big Clean Up


CSV (Community Service Volunteers) has teamed up with ITV to deliver the Big Clean Up campaign. On Sunday 17th September, 20 Big Clean Up events will take place across England and Wales, giving 6,000 people an opportunity to take action, all getting involved to help improve our environment.

CSV are looking for young volunteers aged 16-25 to get involved. For more information or to find out how to get involved log on to CSV's website at www.csv.org.uk


London LGBT Youth Council
The London Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth Council aims "To be a fair, diverse and representative body of London's LGBT Youth"
For many years provision for LGBT young people has been poorly funded and under-resourced. Part-time and sessional youth workers have been stretched to capacity supporting young people who access these services. The London LGBT Youth Council will give service users the chance to really have their say in improving LGBT provision. This won't just include working with Local Authorities, but also key regional partners such as the Metropolitan Police and the Greater London Authority.
The Youth Council is open to any young person aged 13 to 25 who works, lives or studies in London and identifies as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender. Young people who are questioning their sexuality are also welcome to get involved. Launching in Autumn 2006, the London LGBT Youth Council will be led by an elected group of young people who will steer the work of the Youth Council and represent the voice of LGBT youth within London. For more information please contact Gary Rowland, Youth Council Coordinator on 0207 064 8383 or email ga...@lgbtconsortium.org.uk

ESSA's online forum

We are happy to see some new faces on the forum, and would like to encourage everyone else to get chatting by clicking here ESSA Forum

If you would like more information about anything mentioned in this newsletter, please contact:

Helen Trivers, National Co-ordinator Email: helen....@studentvoice.co.uk 0207 022 1910

Or write to ESSA HQ:

3rd Floor,
Downstream Building
1 London Bridge
London
SE1 9BG

---

Software provided by Web Wiz Forums version 7.9 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Free ASP Bulletin Board System - Download your free copy today!

--
Matthew Savage
Assistant Headteacher
Curriculum Leader for English and Media

GEORGE MITCHELL SCHOOL
Farmer Road, Leyton, London E10 5DN
Tel: 020 8539 6198
Email: savage....@gmail.com
Website: www.gmschool.co.uk
___

Find out more about Student Voice @ George Mitchell:
* www.muslimyouth.net/guidance.php?a_id=485&id_fk=6&id_fkis=65&id_fkt=149
* www.thenewspaper.co.uk/home/pg000639.php
* news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4785538.stm
* www.teachers.tv/strandProgramme.do?strandId=6&transmissionProgrammeId=189417
* education.independent.co.uk/schools/article345645.ece
* www.bteducation.org/awards/casestudy05.ikml?id=1352
* www.sec-ed.co.uk/cgi-bin/go.pl/features/article.html?uid=474
* www.ldr-magazine.co.uk/viewstory.php?id=328
* www.guardian-series.co.uk/search/display.var.530744.0.a_quiet_revolution.php
* www.tes.co.uk/search/story/?story_id=2148170
* www.telegraph.co.uk/education/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=P8&xml=/education/2005/11/09/edclare09.xml