The Hoedown - Heart of England School

The Hoedown
How do different
cultures celebrate
Christmas?
In this issue:
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Christmas around the world
ELF movie review
The joys and broken toys of
Christmas
Wicked review
Things we all do after
watching a horror movie
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A level French trip 2014
A word from the student
heads
Buzz Off - Sport
Year 11 Productions
Christmas around the world
For most Brits, Christmas is a festive period that
consist of traditions such as cards, crackers,
carols and Christmas cake to name but a few.
But whilst we’re tucking in to our turkey and all
its delightful trimmings, have we ever
considered how Christmas might vary around
the world?
Let us start in Australia, where you might want
to swap your woolly hat for sun glasses. The
Australians experience quite the opposite
climate to us at Christmas time, with
temperatures at highs of 26°C. For us such a
thing seems like a distant, sun blown memory,
as by December our sun is quite frankly
non-existent and a thing of the past. So whilst
we’re faced with the problem of icy roads and
snow blocked lanes, spare a thought for the
people of Australia, who in complete contrast,
might be experiencing extreme heat waves and
even bushfires! So if you fancy a BBQ on the
beach instead of your normal Christmas dinner
– Australia should be your first port of call.
One of the main focuses of Christmas day is of
course, Christmas dinner and indeed there are
many wonderful variations of this around the
world. From a fish platter called ‘Zakuski’ in
Russia to ‘Kalkus’ coconut cookies in India,
there are a large variety of cuisines around the
world at Christmas time. One of the best has to
be a tradition found in some areas of France,
where 13 puddings are eaten for dessert!
So as we pull crackers and eat our pigs in
blankets this December 25th, let us not forget to
remember the diversity that the magical
celebration of Christmas has to offer around the
world.
By Kirsty Giffen
Moving over to China where approximately 1%
of the population are Christians, meaning that in
fact most houses do not host Christmas
celebrations. Considering that the majority of
the world’s plastic Christmas trees and
decorations are manufactured in China itself, it
is strange to think that the person making them
might not even know what they are for…
If you’re planning to travel to Scandinavia this
Christmas, you might want to book your flights a
day or so earlier – as the main Christmas
celebrations in Norway, Sweden, Finland and
Denmark take place on December 24th –
Christmas Eve. Celebrations often include a
visit from ‘the Tomten,’ the Scandinavian
version of Father Christmas, as well as a
traditional meal consisting of raw fish, cracker
bread, meatballs and eggs…
Taking a trip to the USA? America tends to
have the broadest range of Christmas traditions
than any other country due to the wide range of
religions. However, one of my favourite
American traditions is decorating your Christmas tree with popcorn threaded on string –
making a tasty change to our traditional
baubles!
A Scandinavian ‘Tomte’
Movie Talk: ELF
Nothing says Christmas quite like a
six foot three elf in yellow tights
“We elves need to stick to the four main
Buddy in a class of elves
Saturday Night Live Will Ferrell's natural sense
of stupidity and childlike wonder is perfectly
suited to the role of Buddy, a human who thinks food groups: candy; candy canes; candy
he's an elf. Buddy is raised by elves in the
corn and syrup”
North Pole after accidently as a baby crawling
into Santa's sack at Christmas.
In the story there is a cynicism that has tainted
the Christmas spirit. Considering the commer“I just like to smile, smiling is my favour- cial exploitation, it's hard not be wary someite”
times, but Elf's warm hearted character convinces you that the colour most associated with
Christmas is not the green of money, but the
Despite the years none of the elves have the
green of an
oversize elf named Buddy.
heart to confess to Buddy about his past even
in the face of much overwhelming evidence
Rating:
most noticeable the fact that he is much taller
than the other elves. A lot taller.
“Santa! I know him! I know him!”
When he finally discovers the truth about his
past he sets out to Manhattan in search of his
biological father, who he finds out to be a
cranky executive at a children’s book publisher
who has no time for his current family yet alone
his new son who thinks he’s an elf. But Buddy’s
love for hugs and smiles finally wins the love
and acceptance from his father and new family
alongside with his co-worker.
By
Monique Wagner
The joys and broken
toys of Christmas
We asked teachers from around the school about
their best and worst Christmas presents...
“I suppose my best every Christmas present was
when I was 8. My dad made me a Doll’s House. He
came home from work and worked on it in the
garage every night until about 1am for weeks and
weeks. It’s still at my parent’s house now and is
used by various younger additions to the Mutchell
family. “
Ms Mutchell
“When I was little an elderly neighbour who sometimes babysat for me asked my mum what I might
like for Christmas. She told her that I was
going through a phase of really liking penguins. On
Christmas day I unwrapped a packet of penguin
biscuits...”
Ms Owen
“My best Christmas present was giving birth to my
first-born daughter on 23rd December. I was in
hospital with her on Christmas Eve and a choir came
to the ward and sang ‘Once in Royal David’s City’
really softly in the darkness.”
Mrs Ledsham
“My worst Christmas present was when my children
were young and my husband asked me what I
wanted for Christmas. Jokingly, I said we needn’t
bother and instead just focus on the Children. When
Christmas day arrived I actually received nothing
from my Husband nor my Children. Just to clarify, it
never happened again.”
Mrs Davis
“I pretended to be asleep until he delivered the pressies into
my room and waited for him to go to bed. I then grabbed the
top parcel and started to open it. It was cold, hard and quite
heavy for the size. As I opened the top I could see what was
quite obviously the top of an IRA bomb sent to teach me a
lesson about not opening Christmas pressies early! Needless
to say I didn’t sleep the whole night waiting for the ticking to
start… In daylight it turned out to be the top of 4 x large
batteries required for my new radio!”
Mrs Williams
“In response to wanting to know my worst present,
my Husband bought me The Trinny and Susannah
book ‘What Not to Wear’ ! I was insulted.”
Mrs Andrews
“My best Christmas present my daughter Holly”
Mr Mcnamara
Review: Wicked the musical
Casting its spell across the UK and Ireland
If I told you there was a place where you could pay £50 to the actress belt out Elphaba’s first big song, The Wizard
spend 2 ½ hours in a room of 2300 people, you’d
probably think I was insane. Especially if I said that place
consisted of a stage full of people wielding pitchforks and
yelling about a Wicked Witch. But trust me, that £50
would be money well spent.
It’s no secret I love musicals- Les Misérables, Billy Elliot,
Mamma Mia, I’ve seen them all. Musicals are like films
but live and with songs; it’s great. However, for me, one
stands out from the crowd. Wicked, with its huge songs,
incredible special effects and flying monkeys, will always
be my favourite. The show follows the events that led up
to The Wizard of Oz, and how two women, Elphaba and
Glinda, went on to become the Wicked Witch of the West
and Glinda the Good. Now, I could spend this review
rambling on about how much I love the show, but, as my
family do not hesitate to kindly inform me: Anna, no one
cares. It’s true this usually comes after I have informed
them for the seventeen hundredth time who has been
called in to play a certain role that night after the lead has
suddenly dropped out, or how the lift malfunctioned and
the show had to be delayed. So instead, I will try to
ignore my obsessive fan-girl tendencies and try to write
like a fully-functioning human being.
There are currently 9 productions of Wicked playing
around the world. In addition to the production in
London’s West End (think British Broadway), there is also
a tour travelling the UK and Ireland. In September I was
lucky enough to visit the tour on its stop at the
Birmingham Hippodrome. My visit was actually my 5th
time of seeing the show. Yes, I know what you’re
thinking. ‘Oh my god, why does she need to see it that
many times? You’ve seen it before, you don’t need to
see it again!’ to which my response would be No, you
don’t understand. Imagine only ever being able to watch
your favourite film once. See?
and I, I remembered why I love the show so muchmostly due to the unstoppable voices of the two leading
ladies. The Wizard and I, along with No Good Deed and
Defying Gravity (the shows iconic song) make up the
‘Songs of Death’, as they are aptly named by the
actresses graced (or punished, you decide) with the
responsibility of singing them night after night.
The shows’ humour comes majorly from the ever-excited
and ever-pink-clad Glinda, and her quirky ways. After
Defying Gravity, ‘Popular’ is perhaps the show’s most
famous song, and in it Glinda attempts to transform her
emerald-green friend into someone, well, popular.
Emerald city
Although the show is essentially a prequel to it, Wicked
can be enjoyed without advanced knowledge of
The Wizard of Oz (which, shamefully, I still have not
seen to this day). Indeed, there are nods to the original
classic- Dorothy, the Lion, the Tin Man and the
Scarecrow all make appearances, and you may be
surprised to learn who they started off as.
It is estimated 42 million people around the world have
seen Wicked- that’s almost twice the population of
Australia. The Broadway production grosses in excess of
$1.6 million a week, and has recently celebrated its 11th
anniversary. And if that’s not enough, following the
success of Les Misérables in 2012, a Wicked film
adaption is currently in the works. By all means, the show
certainly seems to have cast its spell over the population.
The Wicked UK and Ireland tour is currently travelling the
country before concluding in Salford on July 25th 2015.
Elphaba
Rating:
By Anna Johnston
My visit to the show saw Jemma Alexander in the role of
misunderstood Elphaba, Emily Tierney as popular girl
Glinda and Liam Doyle (who, coincidentally, comes from
Coventry) as charismatic love interest Fiyero. On hearing
Things we all do after watching a
1.
You switch on every light in your house
2.
You sprint back to the living room from the toilet
3.
A simple noise convinces you there is a monster in the house
4.
At all costs, you avoid looking out of dark windows
5.
Pulling back the shower curtain is incredibly nerve racking
6.
You walk into rooms weirdly because you can’t have your back to anything
7.
The most terrible scenes seem to be stuck on replay in your head
8.
You try to watch a funny movie to reduce the risk of nightmares
9.
It takes all night for you to be comfortable enough to sleep
10. Mirrors are your worst nightmare
11. Every body part must be within the safe area of under your duvet
12. It is a huge test of courage to turn your light off to go to sleep
13. Best wait till morning to go to the toilet
14. You constant ask ‘why can’t I just be cool about it?’
15. The slightest brush against you makes you freak out.
By Alice Bailey
A– level students in Paris
A Level
French
Paris 2014
I think I can safely say that the French
trip to Paris this November was one of
the best trips I have ever been on. I
simply loved every aspect of it; from
visiting the sites to buying a croissant in
the Boulangerie – there certainly was
never a dull moment!
at A2, so it was an enriching experience
to visit the Jewish Deportation Memorial
and the Musée d’Orsée, both linked to
our A-Level studies. Observing Monet’s
art work at the Musée brought my studies of the artist to life as by seeing his
paintings in front of me, I could develop a
greater appreciation for his art work. The
Jewish Deportation Memorial was inWhilst in Paris we were fortunate enough
credibly moving and really helped me to
to visit many of Paris’s famous sites
put the scale of the catastrophe into perincluding Notre Dame, the Eiffel tower
spective.
and the Champs Elysées. This was my
first visit to Paris, and I was stunned by
the sheer beauty and culture the city had I found the trip incredibly useful for
to offer. For example we watched a
improving my language skills. This trip
street performer in the street one day – has without a doubt improved my confian utterly mad and enthusiastic
dence with speaking French. But ,what’s
performer that performed bicycle tricks –
more, I think it has ignited even more
he put a smile on all of our faces!
my passion for the subject.
One of my favourite activities on the trip By Kirsty Giffen
was the trip to the cinema, where we
watched the French film, ‘d’Arkandias’, a
film about a boy who encounters a magic
ring that has the power to turn him
invisible. I was surprised by how much of
the film I could understand and
thoroughly enjoyed the experience of
French cinema. In fact, the cinema only
held about 60 people and the screen
was about a quarter of the size of the UK
cinema screens, making this experience
unique.
We study France under the German
occupation and the French artist Monet
Buzz Off - Sport
The off-the-pitch nightmares are set to continue
for Coventry City, although it is the pitch that
may ultimately suffer. With London wasps
agreeing a deal to own 50% of the Ricoh Arena,
the rugby club will now play regular games at
the stadium, giving Coventry City players, fans
and management a headache about the state of
the pitch and ultimately how long the football
club have left at the Ricoh Arena.
The Ricoh arena
sky blues’ contract runs out. There has already
been some plans for a new stadium in the city
which could mean big building work in the City,
but at the moment nothing new is being said by
either party.
This is just the next chapter in the horrifying table that is Coventry city Football Club. They
were once an established premier league clubs
but hey are now languishing in the third tier of
English football and with this newest problem,
they may soon be homeless once again.
As for London Wasps, they will now play all
their home games at the Ricoh from December,
including European games. This is mixed news
for rugby fans in Coventry because they can
now witness top European rugby locally but
there is concern for the future of Coventry Rugby club as the third tier side wonder if their
crowds will dwindle.
London Wasps are an established Aviva Premier League outfit who have been playing their
games at Adams Park, but for financial and
commercial reasons they have decided it will be
best to relocate to Coventry. Unsurprisingly, the
loyal fans of London Wasps are not happy their
team are in the process of an 83 mile move
which also means a painful hour and a half journey just to attend home matches!!
Coventry City themselves are not immune to
problems when it comes to stadiums. They
have only recently moved back to the Ricoh af- The London wasps team
ter a near two year exile to Northampton due to
rows over unpaid stadium rent. With both rugby,
By Matthew Cavander
football and the occasional concert being
played on the grass, the pitch could deteriorate
rapidly, meaning that the football clubs style of
play could deteriorate alongside it.
Wasps are still unsure whether to allow Coventry to play in the stadium after 2016 when the
“I feel privileged to have been recently appointed Head Girl at Heart of England School. I am currently studying Psychology, PE and Geography, with
the aim to further my education at university by undertaking a Sports Science degree. This will take me a step forward in achieving my goal of becoming a PE teacher. Throughout my time at Heart of England School, I
have enjoyed being a part of numerous clubs and activities. One of my main
passions is for sport. I have been a part of 7 teams at Heart of England and
I compete regularly for City of Coventry Swimming Club. I would like to convey the message that hard work, dedication and perseverance does pay off.
I would also encourage students to become involved in a club or team either
inside or outside of school that they perhaps would never thought about trying before. Stretch yourself and step outside of your comfort zone - who
knows where it may take you? “
Sarah Warwood - Head Girl
“I have been studying at Heart of England School since Year 7 and was
proud that I was appointed to my role within the school. I am looking forward to not only representing the great sixth-form where I am currently
studying A-Level Government & Politics, Business, Psychology and History but also the fantastic lower school in which I achieved great GCSE
results last year, of which I'm very proud. In my new role I am seeking to
set up a council between the sixth-form leadership and lower school
house leadership, to better improve our relationship and the wider
school community. “
James Hughes – Deputy Head Boy
“It is a huge privilege to be appointed Head Boy and to represent Heart of
England School. Currently I am studying Politics, History and Law with the
intention of studying Politics at University.
I have always had a passion for these subjects and I have been fortunate
with my work experience. I have shadowed the Lord Mayor of Coventry
and attended cabinet meetings, I experienced a major fraud case from start
to finish with a Barrister from No 5 Chambers in Birmingham and have had
a regular voluntary placement with MacNamara King Solicitors. My interests include playing Rugby and I am an Advanced PADI Scuba Diver.
Last year I was Deputy Head Boy and was instrumental in the fund raising
for the Sixth Form Study Garden. The garden is still a work in progress and
I hope with the help of fellow Sixth Formers to have it completed by spring.
At Heart of England School we pride ourselves on fundraising for many
charities and with school budgets so tight it has felt good to give something
back for the benefit of school and future students.”
Oliver Mcatamney - Head Boy
“I am so pleased and honoured to have been appointed Deputy Head Girl at
Heart of England School. I am currently studying French, Spanish, English Language and Geography and hope to further my studies of Languages at University.
I am involved with a range of activities at school and enjoy taking part in the large
variety of extra-curricular opportunities that Heart of England has to offer. I have
played with the school orchestra since year 7, as well as being on the school netball team. I also help with a year 7 French class once a week which I thoroughly
enjoy.
This term we have presented a Remembrance Day Assembly to the rest of the
school. It was very moving to commemorate such a significant day and to reflect
upon the sacrifices made by the brave soldiers both in the past and today.
There is such a range of opportunities available at Heart of England School and I
would strongly encourage all students to get involved with all aspects of school
life. From trips around the world to weekly sport training and volunteering – there
is something for everyone.”
Kirsty Giffen - Deputy Head Girl
Art by Amelia-Anne Carse Year 9
Credits for issue #1
Team leader: Mr s . L ed s h am
Editors: Hen r y Co p e & K i er an Ro t hw el l
Writers: K i r s t y Gi f f en , An n a J o h n s t o n , Al i c e B ai l ey,
Monique Wagner, Matthew Cavander, Chloe Breck, Sarah Cows,
‘Limerick Barry’
Art: J o n Hi c k (l o g o ), Amelia-Anne Carse
If you would like to work on the next issue or give feedback on this
issue, please email Mrs. Ledsham at:
[email protected]