You hoped green lands would offer you Tender fruits and even warmer smiles, But that hope was hidden, swathed in the smog That lay upon your windows. You hoped the pigeons of Trafalgar would hoot your names, That the English fens would gurgle your praise – But this fog made you short-sighted As to what the future might be. Treasure was this land: green sheets of gems Stretching north, reaching east, Smoky promises of forever homes, Enshrouded in that fog lying across your shoulders. Some people couldn’t shake it off, You hoped that it would fade some day, So you could smile and laugh free. So when I saw you on the quay Eyes eastbound, awaiting a strong steamer I wanted to call you as my friend, Direct you to a perfect destination Where the fog wouldn’t gather again.
In DUCKS, our pupils enjoyed listening to a variety of books read to them by our Senior Prefects, which includ- ed stories such as Coming to England by Floella Benja- min, Granny Came Here on the Empire Windrush by Pa- trice Lawrence, and We Sang Across the Sea by Benjamin Zephaniah. In the Kindergarten, pupils had fun riding their bikes and stopping at the Garrett Morgan replica traffic lights whilst also learning about road safety and creating some fabulous red, amber and green artwork. In the Junior School, pupils engaged with the Windrush 75 theme through some brilliant lesson activities. Years 5 and 6 focused on the ‘Voices of Windrush’, with pupils exploring a range of biographies and autobiographies written from the perspective of key members of the Win- drush Generation as they looked back on their experienc- es and contributions, including some more recent chal- lenges. Year 3 explored the theme through the creation of video montages, whilst Year 4 enjoyed engaging with Windrush 75 through a poetic lens. The following poem, ‘Hopes of a Promised Land’ by Francis McCabe (Year 13), was written as part of the Upper Case writing group’s response to the Windrush 75 art installation in The Store. ◉
179
FREE LEARNING
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker