Burns Supper - Tuesday 25th January 2022
" Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious."
Burns Night
A Burns supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of the poet Robert Burns, the author of many a Scots poem. The suppers are normally held on or near the poet's birthday, 25 January, known as Burns Night.
A traditional poem called 'Address to a Haggis' is often read out on the night.
Address to a Haggis
Good luck to you and your honest, plump face, Great chieftain of the sausage race! Above them all you take your place, Stomach, tripe, or intestines: Well are you worthy of a grace As long as my arm.
The groaning trencher there you fill, Your buttocks like a distant hill, Your pin would help to mend a mill In time of need, While through your pores the dews distill Like amber bead.
His knife see rustic Labour wipe, And cut you up with ready slight, Trenching your gushing entrails bright, Like any ditch; And then, O what a glorious sight, Warm steaming, rich!
Then spoon for spoon, the stretch and strive: Devil take the hindmost, on they drive, Till all their well swollen bellies by-and-by Are bent like drums; Then old head of the table, most like to burst, 'The grace!' hums.
Is there that over his French ragout, Or olio that would sicken a sow, Or fricassee would make her vomit With perfect disgust, Looks down with sneering, scornful view On such a dinner?
Poor devil! see him over his trash, As feeble as a withered rush, His thin legs a good whip-lash, His fist a nut; Through bloody flood or field to dash, O how unfit.
But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed, The trembling earth resounds his tread, Clap in his ample fist a blade, He'll make it whistle; And legs, and arms, and heads will cut off Like the heads of thistles.
You powers, who make mankind your care, And dish them out their bill of fare, Old Scotland wants no watery stuff, That splashes in small wooden dishes; But if you wish her grateful prayer, Give her [Scotland] a Haggis!
Word Wall Activity:
This week's Word Wall is all about percentages! Give it a go below!
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Parent Mental Health Day (PMHD) 27th January
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What parents and carers need to know about horror games - #WakeUpWednesday
With shriek-inducing jump scares, unbearable suspense and nauseating levels of gore, the sources of distress that children might find in a horror game are self-evident. Most commercially released titles have an age certificate high enough to alert parents to the possible dangers, but download-only titles don’t require a rating and therefore often push the boundaries even further.
Our #WakeUpWednesday guide this week tiptoes intrepidly into the blood-soaked but perennially popular realm of the horror genre, discovering that an unsettling atmosphere and disturbing imagery can stay in young minds long after the game has been switched off – and that real-life human players are more dangerous than legions of virtual zombies or vampires.
Evacuate, Invacuate or Lockdown?
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Youth justice - Getting the terminology right (Centre for Justice Innovation)
We know that the terminology frequently used on the frontline of the justice system is often complex, full of jargon and acronyms, and can change in meaning when used by different agencies, areas and individuals. To help practitioners combat confusion, the Centre for Justice Innovation has compiled a list of definitions of some commonly used terms.
Safeguarding Podcast (Louis Donald)
Director of Safeguarding at Stowe Valley MAT, Louis Donald, has created a safeguarding podcast called 'Safeguarding Days'.
I've had a few questions recently about the 'Incel' movement, and Louis has a really good episode on that topic. You can find it on all good podcast apps, like these:
My journey into social work management as a young, black woman
Two years after becoming a social worker in children’s services, Yewande became an assistant team manager at 24 years old. Here she explains how.
