new school

 

https://scoop.upworthy.com/hugh-jackman-shares-inspiring-message-for-blind-student-starting-middle-school?fbclid=IwAR22SG1OCR5UVvlGi6iGQDzmwGOqzBD-B1HmlcVp7dA9PliUYhLM0LEu3Gg

Ashton is a pupil starting middle school this year. This is a photo of him walking in to school. What do you notice about Ashton, what is he holding as he walks in to school?

Ashton is visually impaired and his mum wanted other students to be aware of Ashton's needs as he started his new school so she posted a video of him navigating through the school corridors with his back pack and white cane. She wrote:

"A letter to parents before my son, who is blind, starts middle school. Talk to your kids about students who may look or act different from the rest. Teach them to include the kids who may be sitting alone in the lunch room or not able to find class on the first day."

 Mum continued, "I think I am more nervous than he is. All I ever want is for him to feel included and to now he belongs with the rest of the students in school. Please talk to your kids and tell them about kids with disabilities. Tell them about my son who practised walking round the school all summer just to prepare for his first day."

You can see a video of Ashton walking round the school in the link above.

Film star Hugh Jackman posted the video on social and sent a message to Ashton; "No one ever made a difference by being like everyone else. You be yourself, You're amazing."

- Every new student faces challenges starting a new school, but what additional challenges do you think Ashton might face as he stares his new school. 

- Ashton's mum says she is more nervous than he is, why?

- "Talk to your kids about students who may look or act different from the rest." why does Mum ask this?

- why did Ashton spend his summer walking around the school? Why don't visually able children do that?

- How do you think Ashton feels over summer?

- "No one ever made a difference by being like everyone else" what does this mean?

- How do you think Ashton feels about his mum's post? Do you think he wants his mum to announce his arrival in this way?

- If Ashton was starting at our school, would mum need to write this?

- How do we make sure at our school everyone feels welcome?

- Why is this about No Outsiders? 

No Outsiders: Everyone different, everyone welcome by Andrew Moffat

www.no-outsiders.com

Roll around the world

 

https://scoop.upworthy.com/travel-blogger-who-has-explored-41-countries-in-his-wheelchair-hopes-to-inspire?fbclid=IwAR3x3Dgylxk9SI90CqQ6WKh6-gRTtSH7X--XQfLaNKcCnR5bEgW1G1aHW8A

When Corey Lee went to his first job interview after college, the manager immediately said he wouldn't be able to do the job because it involved a lot of travel. He thought Corey would not be able to travel because he was a wheelchair user. 

Corey decided to launch his own website about accessible travel to show wheelchair users how to travel easier. Today Corey works as a travel writer and has travelled 41 countries. He travels for 6 months every year and writes and plans his next trio for the next 6 months. He is hoping to inspire others like him to "Roll around the world."

Corey has spinal muscular atrophy and started using a wheelchair when he was 4 years old. He says at school the other kids were confused and asked him lots of questions about his chair.

Corey says he liked travelling to Barcelona best because all the public transport is accessible and there are accessible beaches.

Travelling with  a wheelchair does come with challenges, Corey's advice is:

"Start small and local. Do research ahead of time about accessible bathrooms, taxis, restaurants and hotels. Once you've built up your confidence, take a short flight. And always expect some sort of trouble. Stay positive and you'll have a memorable experience."

He says, "Life has a funny way of working out!"

- why do you think the manager at Corey's job interview said he wouldn't be able to do the job?

- Was he right?

- what law in the UK today means this should not happen in the UK today? (Equality Act 2010 - who else is protected under the Equality Act?)

- Why do some people think a wheelchair user is unable to travel? How would you respond to that assumption?

- Corey could have applied for another job, but instead he started to be a travel writer. Why do you think he did this?

- why does he use the words, "Roll around the world"?

- why did children at school ask Corey about his wheelchair? Is it ok to ask questions?

- what does accessible transport mean? Is public transport accessible where we live? 

- In his advice to other wheelchair users, Corey suggests starting small; what does that mean and why is it good advice?

- Corey says travelling with a wheelchair does come with challenges- what challenges might Corey face and how do you think he overcomes those challenges?

- "Stay positive and you'll have a memorable experience"- explain this

- "Life has a funny way of working out!" what does Corey mean by this?

- what do we say about disability at our school?

- what can we learn from Corey?

- Why is this about No Outsiders?

No Outsiders: Everyone different, everyone welcome by Andrew Moffat

www.no-outsiders.com

school uniform

 

https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/surrey-schoolboy-who-wore-skirt-27672417

Do you remember what the weather was like last week? It was very hot! 

Joe Stratton goes to school in Surrey and is in Year 11. He asked to wear shorts at school because he was very uncomfortable in long trousers during the hot weather. The school uniform policy was clear that shorts could be worn in the summer term but in September long trousers or skirts had to be worn.

Joe decided he would wear a skirt to school and did for two days, saying he would do the same every time he felt too hot for trousers.

Joe's dad called his son a legend and said, "At first he thought he would be ridiculed. But I told him at the end of the day, you stand up for what you believe in."

Dad said, "Most of the teachers were proud if him for finding a peaceful way to prove his point that didn't hurt anyone."

Joe's school uniform policy gives two options for students in year 7 to year 10: Uniform A (trousers) or Uniform B (skirt).

- why do schools have a uniform?

- are school uniforms a good thing? What are the arguments for and against?

- Do you think Joe had any worries about wearing a skirt to school? Why?

- What is a gender stereotype? Is this story about gender stereotypes?

- why do you think a skirt might be more comfortable to wear in summer than long trousers?

- That's an interesting pose in the photo for Joe to make, why is he standing like that?

- The school uniform policy doesn't actually mention gender, it just says "Uniform A and Uniform B" - why do you think that is?

- what is a gender-neutral uniform policy? 

(You could link to this story about Virgin Airlines who made their uniform gender neutral last year https://no-outsiders-assembly.blogspot.com/2022/11/gendered-uniform.html)

- Is our school uniform gender- neutral? Could it be? What do we say about gender stereotypes here?

- why is this story about No Outsiders?

no outsiders: everyone different, everyone welcome by Andrew Moffat

www.no-outsiders.com

Being a dad

     

https://www.upworthy.com/this-daddy-daughter-hair-braiding-class-is-heart-explodingly-adorable-hw

Phillipe is a single dad with a daughter named Emma. Emma has long hair and wants to wear her hair in braids but Dad has never done this to his own hair and no-one ever showed him how to do it, so what do you think he did?

Dad taught himself how to braid hair for his daughter. He got so good at it that he started running classes for other dads who didn't know how to braid hair. He then started a facebook group called Daddy Daughter Hair Factory and built a website where people can learn how to braid properly. 

You can watch Dad and Emma in the short film in the link above. 

Dad says doing his daughters hair is a very small percentage of raising a daughter, less than 1%. He says the real reason he is doing it is to teach her how a man should be in her life. 

"A dad playing tea party, or a dad playing dress up, it's uncommon. But it shouldn't be. We need to have fun and be creative and not worry about what the world thinks about."

Emma says the groups are "pretty cool".

-Who does the hair in your house? 

- why do you think this story made the news?

- Phillipe teaches people to do the three strand braid and the braided elastic cover-up. Do you know what these are? Does anyone know how to do them? (if so, who taught you?)

- The film shows Daddy-daughter classes in states all over the US. What does this show about dads all over the world?

- should mums be allowed in these classes? How would that change the group? Would it be a good thing?

- Let's think about the name Daddy-Daughter. What do you think about this group; is it inclusive? Who is being left out?

- Can sons have long hair and braids too?

- do all mums know how to do braids?

- Why do you think the classes are specifically aimed at dads and daughters? What do you think about that?

- If this was a general braids class for any kids, who do you think would show up? Would dads go? Why not? 

- so is it the right thig to call it dads and daughters, even though you are excluding sons, and also excluding mums who might not know how to braid? (might mums ger support elsewhere? is it easier for a mum to ask for help to braid than a dad?)

- Phillipe wants to teach Emma "how a man should be in her life" what does he mean by this? How should a man be?

- "A dad playing tea party, or a dad playing dress up, it's uncommon. But it shouldn't be. We need to have fun and be creative and not worry about what the world thinks about." what does this mean? Why is it uncommon? Do you agree? s it uncommon?

- What are gender stereotypes?

- what can we learn from Phillipe and from these dads?

- what message would you give to them about boys and being a bit more inclusive?

- why is this about No Outsiders?

No Outsiders: Everyone different, everyone welcome by Andrew Moffat

www.no-outsiders.com 

Crying Northestern kid

 

'Crying Northwestern Kid' used his meme to get into college (upworthy.com)
 
In 2017, John Phillips was 12 years old and living in America. He was caught on camera  while at a game of his football team the Northwestern Wildcats.  During the game, the referee made a call in favour of the opposing team and John’s rection happened to be caught on camera. You can see the footage in this link on youtube (Note: I’m not sure what the word is he mouths near the start… )
 Crying Northwestern Kid After Refs Screw Northwestern With Terrible Call and Technical - YouTube
 
John’s reaction was reported on sports media at the time and very quickly the footage was everywhere. The footage and John became known as “Crying Northwestern kid”
 
 Here is a short interview with John speaking this year about this meme 'Crying Northwestern kid' reflects on viral March Madness moment - YouTube
 
John says at the time his friends were telling him to stay of social media, and he did do that. But over time he learned to accept it and turn it in to something that was unique about him. His year John write about the meme in an application letter to Harvard, one of the top American universities, and he was accepted.
 
John said in his essay that he has learned to love and protect the side of him that is enthusiastic, even if it does sometimes lead to embarrassment; “But today I am proud to be that crying kid with shining braces, exposed rubber bands and thickly gelled hair. Every day I choose to be that kid – for his lively spirit, infectious enthusiasm and compassionate understanding.”

-What is a meme? ( it’s an image, video or piece of text that is shared widely across the internet, often carrying a humorous message. )
- How do you think John felt about the meme back when he was 12 years old? Imagine going to school the next day, what do you think it was like for John?
- Why didn’t John just stop the meme?
- what does this show us about the internet today?
- Why were John’s friends telling him to stay off the internet at the time? What does that show about Johns friends?
- John has ‘learned to love and protect the side of him that is enthusiastic, even if it does sometimes lead to embarrassment’ what does that mean?
- “today I am proud to be that crying kid” How can John be so proud of something so embarrassing (the aim of this question is to get children challenging the assertion that it’s embarrassing)
- “Every day I choose to be that kid – for his lively spirit, infectious enthusiasm and compassionate understanding.” Can you choose to be someone? What does John mean here?
- Harvard is an incredibly prestigious university; why do you think they chose John out of thousands of applicants?

- What can we learn from John as we begin our new school year? 

No Outsiders: Everyone different, everyone welcome by Andrew Moffat

www.no-outsiders,com