Planet v Plastics: Earth Day 2024
Dear all
Monday 22nd April was Earth Day. First celebrated 54 years ago (on 22nd April 1970), Earth Day aimed to raise awareness of environmental conservation. It was attended by 20 million people across the United States of America, and credited with building support for new laws such as the Clean Air and the Endangered Species Acts in the early 1970s. Twenty years later, one of the original organisers organised a global Earth Day, in which over 200 million people participated in around 140 countries, and since then it has grown into the Earth Day Network, which works all year round to promote a healthy, sustainable environment for everyone. Earth Day is now one of the largest public, secular events in the world, with around 1 billion participants each year.
The theme of Earth Day 2024 is Planet v Plastics, intending to highlight the damage done by plastics to our environment. The official Earth Day website mentions the following statistics:
- Plastic production now has grown to more than 380 million tons per year
- More plastic has been produced in the last ten years than in the entire 20th century
- More than 500 billion plastic bags—one million bags per minute—were produced worldwide last year
- 100 billion plastic drink containers were sold last year in the US - that’s more than 300 bottles per inhabitant
- 95% of all plastics in the US won’t be recycled at all
- Making a plastic water bottle takes 6 times as much water as the bottle actually contains
- The ‘fast fashion’ industry produces over 100 billion garments each year - people now buy 60% more clothing than 15 years ago, but each item is kept for only half as long
- Around 85% of garments end up in landfills or incinerators, with only 1% being recycled
- Nearly 70% of clothing is made from crude oil, resulting in the release of dangerous microfibers when washed and continued contribution to long-term pollution in landfills
The Earth Day website continues: ‘The word environment means what surrounds you. In the case of plastics we have become the product itself – it flows through our bloodstream, adheres to our internal organs, and carries with it heavy metals known to cause cancer and disease. Now this once-thought amazing and useful product has become something else, and our health and that of all other living creatures hangs in the balance. The Planet vs. Plastics campaign is a call to arms, a demand that we act now to end the scourge of plastics and safeguard the health of every living being upon our planet.’ (Kathleen Rogers, President of EarthDay.org)
Despite the focus on reducing the use of plastics over the past decade or so, the problem of plastic pollution and its impact on our health seems to have got worse, not better. Earth Day 2024 will see the launch of their ‘60x40’ campaign to reduce plastic use by at least 60% by the year 2040. Those of you in the Upper Sixth will be around 34 years old by 2040, whilst those in Year 7 will be in your mid-late 20s. Some of you will have your own children by then, and will no doubt be thinking about the kind of world they will grow up in.
At Brentwood we are playing our part.
At Holroyd Howe, we are committed to reducing the use of plastic by changing our approach to disposable and finding other ways to work. Examples include:
- Plastic bottles of water removed from sports packed lunches (a reduction of some 10,000 bottles)
- All plastic cutlery replaced with wooden (100% recyclable)
- All reusable plastic dessert pots replaced with alternatives made with corn starch (100% recyclable)
- Use of cling film reduced by 50% (by using reusable containers and lids whenever possible) reduced the length of cling film used by 16.7km last year
We are conscious that there is more work to do to reduce our plastic use, and we will continue to find ways to do so.
Have a great weekend
Best wishes
Michael Bond
Junior Chamber Concert
You are warmly invited to our Junior Chamber Concert which takes place in the Memorial Hall on Thursday 9th May at 7pm. We look forward to an intimate evening of music making featuring student performances by the School’s younger musicians.
Please click on the following link for tickets.
We hope you will be able to join us.
Religious Services
Sunday Chapel Service to celebrate Pentecost
You are most warmly invited to join us for a very special Sunday Service in Chapel on Sunday 19th May at 10am as we celebrate Pentecost which marks the birth of the Church. I am delighted that we will have our Junior Choir (Years 3 and 4) with us who will help to lead our worship and singing. The Service will be suitable for all ages and open to all within the wider community of Brentwood School and beyond. Parking will be available on the school site and can be accessed by entering the School through the gates at Middleton Hall Lane. Parking will be in Library Square which is a short walk to Chapel. Refreshments (and cake!) will be served after the service so please do let me know if you are able to join us so that we can cater accordingly. I look forward to welcoming you to this service.
With every blessing
Revd. Adrian McConnaughie, [email protected]
Chapel Services 2023-24
Throughout the year, there are regular Sunday Chapel Services which are open to all within the wider community of Brentwood School. Most of the services begin at 10am and are suitable for people of all ages.
The details of all our services for this academic year can be found in our Service Booklet which is attached. If you are planning to attend, I would appreciate a short email so that I can cater accordingly for those who come. I look forward to welcoming you to our Services.
Revd. Adrian McConnaughie
Muslim Prayer Space
Brentwood is an inclusive school with a Christian Foundation where students and staff of all faiths and none are nurtured. As part of our commitment to this aim, we have recently established a Muslim prayer space throughout the week for our students to pray and a space each Friday for prayers which are led by one of our members of staff. This has proved to be beneficial for a number of our students to date.
If you would like your son or daughter to have access to this space for prayer at lunchtime then please contact me directly by email and I will pass their details to the staff members who will oversee the day-to-day supervision of these spaces. If you have any queries about this prayer space then do not hesitate to be in touch.
With every blessing and good wish
Revd. Adrian McConnaughie
Ultimate Activity Camps Summer Saver
Ultimate Activity Camps are back this May & summer, offering a wide range of engaging activities designed to inspire. They are thrilled to partner Brentwood School again, using our excellent facilities for these high-quality camps that ensure a memorable summer of adventure.
Their Ofsted registered holiday camps welcome children aged 4-14 to explore over 40 exciting sports, games, and creative activities weekly. Delivered by enthusiastic staff, these camps foster new skills, friendships, and fun for every participant.
Dates:
- May – Athletics Academy: 28th & 29th May 2024
- Summer – Monday 15th July- Friday 23th August 2024 (Survival & Tech: Monday 29th July - Friday 16th August 2024)
- Book by the day or week
- Drop off 8:30 - 9:30
- Collect 16:30 - 17:15
- Move dates for FREE up until 14 days before
Summer Saver Available now!
- £53 per day | Saving £4 off the standard rate of £57
- £235 per week | Saving £25 off the standard rate of £260
- Offer available until Tuesday 4th June 2024
Refer A Friend – Get a Free Camp Day!
Invite a friend to join your child at camp and earn a free day for every booking at Ultimate Activity Camps or Ultimate Survival. It is that easy! Learn more and claim your free day here.
Booking Information:
Book your dates at Ultimate Activity for any duration, from a single day to a full week. You can change your dates without charge up to 14 days before the camp starts, depending on availability. They accept all childcare vouchers for added convenience.
Afternoon Pick-Up
Congestion remains heavy in the roads around the School, particularly around the afternoon pick-up time. The situation is not helped by too many parents arriving early before the end of school. The result is that traffic unable to access the car park back-ups in Middleton Hall Lane and this blocks the movement of other through traffic. This has an impact on the zebra crossing and we have had some recent worrying near misses on the crossing involving vehicles not able to see the crossing clearly. Rather than arriving early and blocking the flow of traffic please consider dropping-off and picking-up your child at locations away from the school site or picking up your child after 4pm when the traffic will be considerably reduced.
Match Day Programme
School Shop Opening Times
Our School Shop opening times have changed. Please see below.
Monday - 9:00am - 4:30pm
Tuesday - 9:00am - 5:00pm
Wednesday - 8:15am - 4:30pm
Thursday - 9:00am - 5:00pm
Friday - 9:00am - 4:30pm
Saturday - 9:00am - 12:00pm
For any inquiries for the School Shop, please email Miss Mill here, or call 01277 243206. Alternatively, you can shop for uniform on our online shop.
Learning Community Parent Events
Elevate Education: Ask Me Anything (Live Q&A)
Elevate Education is holding a series of webinars to help students become more effective learners and Brentwood School parents have exclusive access.
Find out more about time management, effective preparation and gain practical strategies to help your child get - and stay - motivated while studying.
Event: Ask Me Anything (Live Q&A) – 30/4, 6pm-7pm
Please reserve your place here or contact Elevate directly: Call 01865 987 732, Email [email protected] or go to uk.elevateeducation.com
Walk With Us - Self-Defence
Brentwood Community Safety Partnership and Essex Police are offering free self-defence classes to combat violence against women and girls.
These sessions will be 60 minutes long and will cover many different aspects, from situational awareness, escapes, de-escalation, pre-emptive and defensive strikes and use of reasonable force.
Any level of fitness or self-defence experience is welcome.
Sessions are free to attend and will be held fortnightly from 8.45-9.45pm at St Martin's Secondary School, Brentwood, CM13 2HG.
Find out more and book for free here.
Blog Archive
Planet v Plastics: Earth Day 2024, Friday 26th April 2024
The story of the London Tube Map, Friday 19th April 2024
How to spot a High-Agency person, and why we should all try to become one, Friday 27th March 2024
Hogwarts for do-gooders, Friday 22nd March 2024
From Stealth Bomber to Super Soaker - The Remarkable Story of Lonnie Johnson, Friday 15th March 2024
The Ampersand (&), Friday 8th March 2024
Colonel Mustard, in the Library, with the Candlestick...., Friday 1st March 2024
The Power of Quiet, Friday 16th February 2024
A Brave New World?, Friday 9th February 2024
新年快乐, Friday 2nd February 2024
Miep Gies: A Beacon of Hope, Friday 26th January 2024
Dance like no-one is watching, Friday 20th January 2024
Are you an autotelic person?, Friday 12th January 2024
'God Bless Us, Every One!', Friday 15th December 2023
The Happiest Man Alive, Friday 8th December 2023
Less is more - the Bauhaus Movement, Friday 1st December 2023
The missing Chemists, Friday 24th November 2023
The Friendly Floatees, Friday 17th November 2023
Skeuomorphism, Friday 10th November 2023
The art of letter-writing, Friday 20th October 2023
Razor and Rules (for life), Friday 13th October 2023
I know why the caged bird sings, Friday 6th October 2023
What's in a name?, Friday 29th September 2023
Healthy Competition, Friday 22nd September 2023
There's no such thing as multitasking (...says Daniel Levitin), Friday 15th September 2023
The Tortoise and the Hare, Friday 8th September 2023
Benjamin Franklin's 13 Virtues, Friday 7th July 2023
‘Regrets on parting with my old dressing gown’, Friday 30th June 2023
Climate Change Protestors, Heroes or Villians, Friday 23rd June 2023
Harald Blatan and the origin of Bluetooth Technology, Friday 16th June 2023
Success lies upstream - we never float there, Friday 9th June 2023
They Birth of Chess Queen, Friday 26th May 2023
They have no need for our help..., Friday 19th May 2023
The Psychology of Monarchy, Friday 12th May 2023
The Real-Life Tony Stark? David Aguilar Amphoux, Friday 5th May 2023
We can't all be pandas- The Ugly Animal Preservation Society, Friday 28th April 2023
'The things we take for granted, someone else is praying for' (Unknown), Friday 21st April 2023
The curious case of the QWERTY keyboard, Friday 31st March 2023
The Story of the 17 Camels and Three Sons, Friday 17th March 2023
The Law of Names, Friday 3rd March 2023
An avoidable disaster? The story of the Space Shuttle Challenger, Friday 10th March 2023
Why we eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, Friday 24th February 2023
It has to be Heniz - but why?, Friday 10th February 2023
'Behind the lens' - LGBTQ+ History month (February 2023), Friday 3rd February 2023
Dame Stephanie Shirley: A life well-lived, Friday 27th January 2023
Blue - or Brew - Monday?, Friday 20th January 2023
The Spirit of Christmas, Friday 16th December 2022
Nikolaustag, Friday 9th December 2022
Making the impossible possible: The story of the Thai cave rescue, Friday 2nd December 2022
The Beautiful Game?, Friday 25th November 2022
The World's Nicest Prisons - madness or common sense?, Friday 18th November 2022
The tragedy of war, Friday 11th November 2022
The twins who saved South Africa, Friday 4th November 2022
The partially-filled coffee cup, Friday 14th October 2022
The Danger of a Single Story, Friday 7th October 2022
Socrates and 'The unexamined life', Friday 30th September 2022
An extraordinary occasion: saying goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II, Friday 23rd September 2022
Her Majesty, Friday 16th September 2022
Her Majesty, Friday 9th September 2022
The man (or woman) in the Arena, Friday 1st July 2022
'Form ever follows function', Friday 24th June 2022
Valuing others, Friday 17th June 2022
To speak another language it to posses another soul, Friday 27th May 2022
The Power of Forgiveness, Friday 20th May 2022
The Bystander Effect, Friday 13th May 2022
Food, glorious food..., Friday 6th May 2022
Winning or Losing - the two imposters, Friday 29th April 2022
Invest in our planet, Friday 22nd April 2022
A day for fools, Friday 1st April 2022
Standing up for the truth, Friday 25th March 2022
Heroes and Villains, Friday 18th March 2022
What is winning?, Friday 11th March 2022
The Romantic Movement, Friday 4th March 2022
Silent Spring, Friday 25th February 2022
Mary Anning Rocks, Friday 11th February 2022
No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted (Aesop), Friday 4th February 2022
Finding hope where there seems to be none, Friday 28th January 2022
Exercise Rattlesnake, Friday 21st January 2022