Guildford County School

Teaching and Learning / BBC News School Report
  
                  BBC NEWS SCHOOL REPORT                        

        
  

 
Pupils all over the country will take part in the BBC News Report over  the airwaves, writing, producing and presenting their own TV, radio and on-line news bulletins.  Last year, Guildford County School's radio bulletin was highly commended by the BBC and the team joined 19 other schools at Television Centre to receive their award and were hoping for good things again this year on Thursday 11 March.
 
 
 
 

 

Today (4 February) the students took part in a practise session to get ready for the big day and below is some of the results:
 
 

 

HAITI  QUAKE 

 

After the tragic events in Haiti there have been many responses to the disaster. Guildford County School has held some fundraising events such as a cake sale to help the people in Haiti. So far they have raised a total of £147,.The sixth formers tried to organize a mufti day but due to the recent snow that idea was abolished. Jonny says it’s very important for the children to know why they’re eating the cake. One boy has done a sponsored silence. His friend says that she inspired him when they paid him to shut up, so he got the idea to do a sponsored silence for the Haiti causes.

Head teacher of Guildford County School Peter Costello says,” I believe that the Haiti earthquake is a tragedy but in a few years the future could be brighter with the amount of investment coming into the country of Haiti.”

  

Another teacher at the school says “It’s a tragedy, I feel saddened with the business of the earthquake and more saddened with the response. We should be spending the money on this, not on silly wars!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Internet Emos?

    

 Recent studies show that young people that spend a lot of time on the internet could develop manic depression in later life. The Study leader Dr Catriona from Leeds University is asking people to keep a close eye on people who appear to be going through psychological changes that could be connected with depression.
  
Our research in school shows that a lot of people feel dazed or tired when they come off the computer after spending more than an hour on it. A lot of depression comes from people being bullied online, or falling out with their friends over social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogger and MSN Messenger.
 
Our survey of school teachers uncovered that although the internet has many positive aspects, such as the many sites  that can be used to research, there can be a sinister side to the web. Three teachers said spending more than two hours staring at a screen can cause eye problems and there can be cyber bullying issues, which can lead to depression. When using the internet it can isolate the person on it, leaving them cut off from the real world. When they come off of the computer, many teenagers are tired, dazed and antisocial. Some may not be as involved as others in extra curricular activities such as sport.  
One teacher at Guildford County School said ‘I think that the internet is relied on too much. Obviously, it is a good tool to use, as it can improve the quality of school work; a lot of information and resources can be found on it, and work is definitely neater when word-processed. It’s definitely a good thing that social networking sites are banned at most schools- these sites really disrupt students’ learning. Our school puts a lot of homework online, this works well as people who are away can easily access and catch up with their school work, without using the ‘I was away excuse’ to get out of doing their homework, so that’s a good point of the internet. But there is inevitably a massive problem with cyberbullying, which I believe can lead to people being depressed’.
 
Students at the same school don’t think that online homework is a good idea, as often it takes a long time to do, and they feel very tired after spending so long online. It is also too easy to get distracted by other sites whilst doing homework.
 
Obviously, not everyone who uses the computer is at risk of depression, although it can make you very tired if you spend too long on it. Our advice to you is to only go on the computer when necessary.
 
 
Yet another owner for Portsouth
 
 
Portsmouth FC has been taken over by their fourth owner – a Hong Kong businessman Balram Chainrai. The club has predicted that there could be a fifth owner before the season ends.
 
Facing crisis on all parts of the club, Balram Chainrai has taken 90% of Portsmouth’s shares after his takeover. This is yet the fourth owner of Portsmouth this season. Former owner of Portsmouth Ali Al Faraj has left the club after being frustrated because of the Fratton Park side had missed deadlines to repay him money he was owed from loans made to the club earlier in the season. 
           
The club is behind on all the VAT payments and other investments, also hasn’t been paying the players for up to four weeks now. They are now being threatened by the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to pay all the taxes; they will have to face the risk of closing down the FC if these taxes are not paid.
Many people   thought that the idea of switching so many owners within one season is a ridiculous idea; it is definitely not a good thing for the club nor the fans.
We have interviewed some teachers in Guildford County School to find out what they think of the latest developments at Portsmouth.
 “I think the FC should be owned by the fans.” Mrs Smith from the geography Department of Guildford County School commented.
 
 “I think it is very weird to have so many owners for a FC, isn’t it usually one for every FC?” Luke a school boy questioned.
 
The team is unfortunately now at the bottom of the premier league table. According to the FA, Portsmouth FC is not allowed to hire new footballers until they have paid off all their unpaid investments and taxes. It is a real dilemma that the FC is facing…

 

 Teacher sacked for bullying bulimia sufferer

 

We all think that it’s normally pupils bullying other pupils, but it’s time to think again: a teacher from Rotherham has been sacked after bullying a colleague. The teacher who has not been named was sacked last year. The victim, Ms Pilton, was a sufferer from bulimia and the constant bullying caused her to collapse on the 29th of February last year. Despite attempts to revive her from her colleagues she died.  Some people are angry that action wasn’t taken until it was too late. Ms Pilton was engaged to be married in the summer of 2009. After an inquest in June, the council began an investigation. The inquest heard she had been prescribed anti-depressants because she thought she was going to have to change jobs.
The spokesman for the council said: “Bullying of any kind is not tolerated in our schools. Following a hearing last half-term, this case has now been resolved and the teacher involved has been dismissed.” He added that the council treat all allegations like this with great concern and seriousness and a full and thorough investigation was carried out.
A teacher at Guildford County School stated, ‘Bullying is common in workplaces not just teaching, but it is disgusting whether it is children or adults who are doing the                                               bullying. I have heard cases of bullying from friends but I have never experienced something as bad as this.’
Year Seven and Eight pupils, when asked about the incident, said it was shocking that it was going between teachers. They also were unaware that this kind of behaviour would happen between adults.
Unfortunately incidents like this occasionally occur but it is unlikely that the sacked teacher will ever teach again.
 
 
By George, Maisie &  Jack
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