NEWS
Connecting Classrooms Visit to the UK June 2015
We we were recently lucky enough to have 3 visitors from South Africa and 2 from Ghana come and visit us in Leeds.
We we were recently lucky enough to have 3 visitors from South Africa and 2 from Ghana come and visit us in Leeds.
They visited St. Mary’s Menston for two days where they had the opportunity to take part in lessons, tour the school, meet the staff and students and attend after school activities. On an evening, staff from St. Mary’s were on hand to show them the sights of the local area, visiting Ilkley and then Bolton Abbey on the final day. To end the trip Mr Dobson organised an array of musical performances from our students. The visitors were very impressed with the talents of our students and Eunice even got up to sing the South African National Anthem for our students. The visitors definitely brought the good weather with them and the sun shone for their whole visit. They really enjoyed their visit to the UK and we all look forward to meeting up with them again next year in Ghana.
June 2015 South Africa Visit
Read Andy Lockwood's wonderful blog, hear about the visit in our pupils' own words and a gallery of photos.
Read Andy Lockwood's wonderful blog, hear about the visit in our pupils' own words and a gallery of photos.
South Africa Visit June 2015 photo gallery (400 photos)
Andy Lockwood's Blog
A great part of this year's visit has been Andy Lockwood's blog andyinafrica.co.uk which has enthralled Bambisanani supporters with daily updates from South Africa.
One of many fantastic posts brought us the thoughts of the St. Mary's pupils during the visit:
Tom Brady – “The enthusiasm which students bring to the school each day, despite the circumstances in which they are forced to live, is an inspiration and an attitude I will look to take with me.”
Lucy Tindale – “It is clear that the people here make the most of every opportunity, despite the lack of appropriate resources. This is shown by their excitement to participate on the school’s sport field – which is covered in glass.”
Dominique Cunningham – “The maturity and commitment shown by the people we have worked with so far is inspiring, the partnership has shown me just what can be achieved when we all work together.”
Mairenn Collins – “I’m sorry: I would try to put something into words but I can’t – words wouldn’t do justice to how this place and these people have affected me.”
Rebecca Still – “I have made friends with people I never thought I would- African and English alike. I knew this trip would change me but I could never have guessed how much, from having new Zulu style dance moves to having more confidence in myself being with unknown people and in a completely new environment, I have grown from being in this country and with such inspiring people.”
Joe Copsey – “It’s incredible the impact one small act of kindness can have on the South African students. Something as simple as giving a bracelet can make them smile from ear to ear. It really puts things into perspective.”
Will Giles – “From meeting the students for the first time to see them becoming such great leaders, and forming profound and long lasting friendships, is something I am honoured to say I have been a part of.”
Niall Hogan – “I can’t believe I have been given an opportunity such as this. The happiness all the students exude shows me just how much they value the partnership. I am honoured to say I am a part of the Bambisanani project.”
Elliot Mulligan - “The perseverance of the students to learn under difficult circumstances is truly inspiring. What hit home the most was the fact that they carry 1 small cloth with them at all times, using 1 side to clean their face and the other to clean their shoes. This dedication should inspire us all.”
Mitchell Lofthouse - “Having experienced the dedication of the students to succeed and do well, I am truly inspired by the work that they do. I believe we need to be more appreciative of all we have at home and take less for granted.”
Andy Lockwood's Photos
Andy Lockwood's Fantastic Photos [FLICKR.COM]
Bambisanani Tweets
Thanks to Mr Wilkes and Mrs Chattoe, there have also been many tweets on our Bambisanani Partnership Twitter account.
The tweets generated a surge of Bambisanani Twitter interest 1100% greater than ever before!
We will add photos and more from the 2015 visit on this website over the summer. Look forward to it!
Chance to see the Singing Children of Africa perform
A concert of The Singing Children of Africa takes place in Bradford on 12 June 2015. This special event will be held at The University of Bradford in the Great Hall, Richmond Building.
An Educate the Kids charity concert of The Singing Children of Africa takes place in Bradford on 12 June 2015. This special event will be held at The University of Bradford in the Great Hall, Richmond Building.
There is also an additional invitation to another slightly different even with the choir, An Evening With The Singing Children Of Africa to be held on Sunday 14 June at 6.30pm at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Wheatlands Crescent, Heaton, Bradford, BD9 5JP. This will not only feature music by the children but also talks from some of the choir members, teachers, and sponsors, about their experience of life in Kenya and how Educate The Kids has changed this.
The Singing Children of Africa have toured the UK previously to great success and raised enough money to build new classrooms and an orphanage that houses 14 children. The main purpose of this tour besides fundraising is to promote educational sponsorship. 100% of sponsorship goes directly to the school and the children's education. The charity is run by volunteers as we have no paid staff here in the UK. The funds raised are to be split between a university/college fund and a new water campaign (Every Drop Is Precious) as we have wells and pumps that are in urgent need of repair and there is a need to dig new wells in the village.
The children, aged between eight and twelve years old, are from a small village in the outskirts of Mombasa called Utange. They are some of the poorest children in the area and this will be their first experience outside of their tiny village.
Miss Burton Connecting Classrooms Visit to South Africa
Miss Burton's recent Connecting Classrooms visit to South Africa.
Miss Burton's recent Connecting Classrooms visit to South Africa.
In March I and Miss Hobson from Beachwood Primary School were fortunate enough to travel to South Africa as part of the British Councils connecting classrooms project. For 7 days we had the amazing opportunity to explore the region’s natural beauty, immerse ourselves in local cultures and work with some fantastic educators at a number of schools in the Nkandla region.
Day 1
After settling well into Eshowe we took the opportunity to enjoy the warm South African weather. A real treat compared to the cold harsh British weather we had left behind. That morning we drove out to Mnyakanya High School and we met the teachers and students there. First of all we were introduced to the school principal and then many students went off to their classrooms to begin exams. Mr. Mbambo introduced us to his class and we showed the students some of the work that has been taking place on the environment project at St Marys and Beechwood primary school. Next we were very lucky to hear the Gospel choir sing for us. They had fantastic, powerful voices and we could have listened to them sing all day! Members of the school council gave us a guided tour of the school, including the school grounds where many of the students were taking a break in the shade. It was very interesting to see that the students could buy their own lunch and snacks from ladies at the tuck shop. In the afternoon we were accompanied by teachers and students who showed us around their local area. We drove past President Zuma’s house which is very close to Mnyakana High School. In the distance we could see a large cliff face. Eventually, after crossing Tulega River, we arrived at an incredible viewpoint called Ntunjambili. We could see for miles across the beautiful South African countryside! Later on we arrived back at school just before 3.00pm, which was also home time for the students. Before leaving school some of the girls performed some traditional Zulu dances. These were very entertaining and everybody was had a fantastic time.
Day 2 Ntolwane Primary School
We spent the morning at Ntolwane Primary School, this is the link school for Beechwood primary. On arrival we met with the principal and were introduced to some of the teachers. After that we met some very helpful students in Grade 8 that took us in to all of the different classrooms. Many classes had lots of children in them. In grade 2 there were around 60 pupils. The students at Ntolwane were a little shy to begin with as their first language is IsiZulu and they learn English at school. They were all speaking lots more to us as the day went on! In Grade 2 we watched the children learning IsiZulu and we tried our best to pronounce some tricky Zulu words! In the next class we saw the children reading books out loud in English. They were learning about living and non-living things. It was great to hear the children reading with very confident voices!
We joined the children during break time. They have 45 minutes break for the day. Lots of the children enjoy ice pops in the shade, whilst others roam around the school field. There were also goats and geese sharing the playground with the children. After break we were able to watch the children perform for us. We heard some fantastic singing, watched incredible Zulu dancing and also listened to the children’s poems about their rights.
My favourite part of that day was learning IsiZulu phrases from the students. I think many of the students enjoyed taking photos with the iPad as well as being able to show us some of their super talents!
Day 3 Zulufadder
Wednesday was another fantastic day. By far the best experience of the trip. In the morning we visited Zulufadder, a day care centre set up for orphans and vulnerable children. Popi was a very happy lady and the children were very lively and clearly loved spending time at the centre. We were able to play games outside and the children showed us their super writing and excellent songs!
The afternoon was spent at Dlinza Forest-an aerial boardwalk that takes you through the forest and above the canopy layer, then up into the emergent layer. It was a little bit scary standing so high up but the view across the forest was definitely worth it.
Day 4
We were being accompanied by Mr. Mbambo and another educator from Mnyakanya High School. We drove out a long way to Nkandla forest and eventually were greeted by two rangers that were ready to guide us through the largest forest in South Africa. It was a steep journey down as we scrambled deeper into the forest. As we began our journey the air was dry with a cool breeze and the further we trekked into the forest the more hot and humid the air became. It was very exciting and we were was busy looking out for birds and animals. I spotted a huge millipede coiled around the trunk of a tree! The baboons could be heard in the distance but we did not manage to spot one! Our walk took us over rivers that we crossed carefully by leaping over the rocks! It was very exciting and we certainly got lots of exercise that morning.
The afternoon was spent watching a fast paced netball match. I was particularly impressed by the standard of play as the principal explained that the girls were not coached and that they had only taught themselves how to play the game and practiced together as a team to improve their skills.
Before we left the whole school gathered outside and pupils performed traditional songs for us. Once again I was very impressed by the high standards of the pupils and how talented they are. It was soon time to leave so we thanked everybody involved in helping to organise such a fantastic visit.
The Connecting Classrooms project continues
Bambisanani Album Announcement
Next year will see the release of a Bambisanani Partnership Album, and this creates great opportunities for students of St. Mary’s.
The Bambisanani Partnership is always looking at excellent ways to collaborate within our two wonderful schools, St. Mary's Menston and Mnyakanya High School. In 2016 we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the partnership and we plan to celebrate it with something big.
“Next year will see the release of a Bambisanani Partnership Album, and this creates great opportunities for students of St. Mary’s.”
The album will feature 12 originals tracks:
- 4 composed by students of St Mary’s
- 4 composed by students of Mnyakanya High School
- 4 collaborative compositions between both schools.
The album will be professionally produced/mastered with copies being manufactured to sell and raise some vital funds for the Bambisanani Partnership. The album will also be added to iTunes, available to purchase worldwide as well as on Spotify.
MUSIC COMPETITION
On Monday June 8 and Tuesday June 9 at lunchtime, we will be holding auditions in school for students to showcase their own compositions, either as a solo or composed in a group, with the chance to win a place on this album. You will work closely with the music department to produce your song to a professional standard.
ALBUM TITLE COMPETITION
In addition to a competition to have your composition feature on the album, there will be a competition running in parallel to name the album.
MEETING
There will be a meeting in H3, Wednesday 20 May, to provide further details of this exciting opportunity (both competitions).
Poster
Bambisanani ‘Spirit of Ubuntu’ Concert 2015
Ubuntu means human kindness and concern for others
Ubuntu means human kindness and concern for others
Bambisanani 'Spirit of Ubuntu' Concert 2015 (71 photos)
Students and staff from St. Mary’s last week hosted an evening of musical entertainment to raise money for the Bambisanani Partnership, a unique partnership with Mnyakanya High School situated in one of South Africa’s poorest rural areas which uses sport to promote education, health, global citizenship and leadership.
The ‘Spirit of Ubuntu’ concert featured musical ensembles from St. Mary’s, Cardinal Heenan, the Madrigal singing group and the Leeds Youth Jazz Rock Orchestra (the co-hosts of the evening, raising money for their own projects in South Africa).
The quality of the music was truly outstanding and the evening was thoroughly enjoyed by a large and very appreciative audience.
“It was a wonderful evening of music which really captured the spirit of Ubuntu (human kindness and concern for others). The young people involved in the evening from the two initiatives are truly inspirational. They want to make a difference to the world and are prepared to use their amazing talents to do so. There is something special about music and sport in being able to connect people in meaningful encounters, long may this continue.””
Bambisanani Concert 2015 YouTube playlist (6 videos)
Photographs and videos by Roger and Petrona, © menstonvillagewharfedale.com
St. Mary’s Menston Bambisanani concert 2015 – a wonderful evening [MENSTONVILLAGEWHARFEDALE.COM]
Bambisanani 'Spirit of Ubuntu' Concert 2015 Announcement
Concert held at St. Mary's Menston on Friday 24 April 2015 will see wonderful music from Leeds Youth Jazz Rock Orchestra, St. Mary's Menston and Cardinal Heenan
Concert held at St. Mary's Menston on Friday 24 April 2015 will see wonderful music from Leeds Youth Jazz Rock Orchestra, St. Mary's Menston and Cardinal Heenan
All proceeds will be split between the Bambisanani Partnership and the LYJRO trip to South Africa.
Event Information
WHEN: Friday 24 April 2015, 7pm–9pm
WHERE: St. Mary's Menston, Main Hall (room M1)
TICKETS: Adults £5 Children £3
Tickets available from St. Mary's Menston Pupil Reception during lunch times
Cash or cheques (made payable to 'St. Mary's Menston')
Ubuntu
The music event will celebrate the spirit of Ubuntu.
Ubuntu RELATED WORDS:
- Human nature
- Humanity
- Virtue
- Goodness
- Kindness
UBUNTU EXAMPLE:
A teacher proposed a game to children of an African tribe. He put a basket of fruit near a tree and told the kids that the first one to reach the fruit would win them all. When he told them to run they all took each other's hands and ran together, then sat together enjoying the fruits. When asked why they ran like that, as one could have taken all the fruit for themselves, they said, "Ubuntu, how can one of us be happy if all the others are sad?"
Ubuntu is a philosophy that can be summed up as "I am because we are."
EXPLAINING UBUNTU
You can't be human all by yourself, and when you have ubuntu you are known for your generosity.
We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world.
Event Posters
Gaelic Football on St. Patrick's Day 2015
Gaelic Footballers at St. Mary's Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Charity Match for South Africa
Gaelic Footballers at St. Mary's Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Charity Match for South Africa
Gaelic Football on St. Patrick's Day 2015 (90 photos)
Year 11 students at St. Mary’s, Menston celebrated St. Patrick’s Day (Tuesday 17 March 2015) with a Gaelic Football match in aid of the school’s work in South Africa, known as the Bambisanani Partnership. For the past nine years, the Partnership has used sport to promote education, health, global citizenship and leadership in one of South Africa’s poorest rural communities.
The two teams were organised by students Ryan Smith and Shae Stringwell with Shae’s team eventually running out 17-9 winners. Shae was pleased with the win but also with the occasion.
Congratulations to all the following players for their participation and fundraising:
Kit Donnelly
George Vanner
Ryan Smith
Ben Hings
Stan Fleming
Matthew Farmer
Joe Smith
Ben Tinson
Mingzhe Feng
Seb McCormick
Danny Inman
Shae Stringwell
Benji Marshall
Joe Kehoe
Luke Hourigan
Lewis Potter
Alex Noonan
Jamie Styles
Harry Henderson
Jonny Cracknell
Ray Ostrowski
Matty Iliff
Rory Mullan Wilkinson
““It was a really hard game and the spectators got a good insight into this great game. To raise money for our school’s work in South Africa on St. Patrick’s Day was really special for us.””
““It really was a great occasion and an excellent way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The game was played in a fantastic spirit with good skills and good sportsmanship being demonstrated.”
”
““We love playing Gaelic Football in our PE lessons. It combines so many skills from different games and is great for fitness. We would certainly like to see more people playing the game both inside and outside of school. I am hoping to go to South Africa next year so I really appreciate all the fundraising that has taken place which will purchase much needed equipment in our partner school.”
”
““An inspiring day for so many people, particularly for those with Irish families.””
““The school has a rich Irish heritage and it was wonderful to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in such a positive and proactive way. The students are a credit to the school in so many ways. My thanks go to all those who played in and supported this special event.”
”
Simphiwe's Teaching Dream
Congratulations to Simphiwe Ndlovu who is on his way to becoming the first ‘Bambisanani Teacher’
Congratulations to Simphiwe Ndlovu who is on his way to becoming the first ‘Bambisanani Teacher’
Simphiwe was supported by the Bambisanani Partnership whilst a student at Mnyakanya High School. On successfully completing the Bambisanani Leadership Award in 2011, delivered by St. Mary’s students, Simphiwe decided that he wanted to become a teacher in order to serve his community. After three exceptionally hard years of study with few resources, he gained a place at University to begin a teacher training programme. St. Mary’s and the Bambisanani Partnership, together with friends in South Africa, are helping to support Simphiwe in his next three years at University.
““I knew that I wanted to be a teacher when I completed the Bambisanani Leadership Programme. I was really motivated to succeed in my studies at school to gain entry to University. To become a Teacher is my dream. With this financial support I can now put all my efforts into studying rather than worrying about whether I can afford to take up the place. I want to be one of those good teachers that the world needs. God has showered me with blessings which includes Mnyakanya, St. Mary’s and the Bambisanani Partnership.””
““Simphiwe is an inspiration. He has faced enormous challenges all his life and despite the odds being stacked against him, he always comes through. His determination, persistence and positivity enable him to consistently achieve his goals. Simphiwe is a fantastic role model to students at both Mnyakanya and St. Mary’s. We wish him well and look forward to him qualifying as a teacher; the profession needs people like Simphiwe. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the St. Mary’s community and my friends in South Africa for supporting Simphiwe; I believe that it will be a wonderful investment in education.” ”
World Cup Legend Sir Geoff Hurst visits St. Mary’s Menston
World Cup winning hero of 1966 Sir Geoff Hurst, the only player ever to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final, visited St. Mary’s last Saturday. Sir Geoff was visiting the school to present sports equipment to Guiseley Juniors FC Girls teams who work in partnership with St. Mary’s.
World Cup winning hero of 1966 Sir Geoff Hurst, the only player ever to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final, visited St. Mary’s last Saturday. Sir Geoff was visiting the school to present sports equipment to Guiseley Juniors FC Girls teams who work in partnership with St. Mary’s.
Sir Geoff was full of praise for the school and the club:
“The facilities here at St. Mary’s are excellent and it is great to see them so well used by the wider community. The partnership with Guiseley Juniors is first class and it is good to see girls’ football thriving in the area. I am not surprised to hear that St. Mary’s is such a successful school; all the best schools that I have been in have had a high commitment to sport.
St. Mary’s work in South Africa, the Bambisanani Partnership, is terrific and I am delighted to be able to support. I have had a wonderful time at St. Mary’s; I can only see the school and the club going from strength to strength.”
The 1966 star made a big impact on St. Mary’s students Dominica Warrington and Isabel Wilkes, who both play for Guiseley Juniors.
““It was very exciting to meet Sir Geoff Hurst. He really liked our school and our football club. Sir Geoff is a real football legend and I found him inspirational because of what he has achieved and how he encouraged us.”
”
““Sir Geoff was so down to earth and friendly. I loved playing the passing game with him; he is still a good player. He was really interested in our work in South Africa which uses sport to inspire people and he offered to help us with this which is great. His visit was really special and motivating for us all.”
”
““Sir Geoff is a real gentleman. He had time for everyone and was very generous with his time. His impact on the young people and those a lot older was quite remarkable. He was genuinely interested in the school, the club and most importantly in the young players. Very impressive; a genuine sporting legend.””
World Cup Legend Sir Geoff Hurst visits St. Mary's Menston [DIOCESEOFLEEDS.ORG.UK]
Another great Bambisanani Concert at St. Mary’s, Menston