Miss Bowden, the charity committee and the town council. We also had help from a lady that works for the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.
During the weeks leading up to Holocaust Memorial Day we researched what happened in the Holocaust. Miss Bowden spoke to the town council to see what kind of event they wanted.
The Town Mayor who runs the event each year gave her ideas of what she thought should be involved. The lady from the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust came to meet with Miss Bowden and the town council events secretary to share her ideas and some reading she thought would be suitable. Miss Bowden also went to visit a Rabbi to ask what he thought would be suitable to include. He gave her some music and readings.
Staff were asked if they thought thay could be involved in the event. The music, drama and dance teacher all offered help. They spoke to their classes and asked if they would like to be involved on the 26th Jan. Lots of people did. In the end over 90 students from the Channel school took part in the evening and they all understood why they were taking part. Members of the local community were also invited to take part in the evening. Representatives from the Girl Guides, Gurkas and town council came along to help. Members of the other secondary schools in the town were also involved.
During the week leading up to the event assemblies were based around the HOlocaust and people who are persecuted because they are different. History lessons and citizenship lessons that week were also themed around the Holocaust. On 26th Jan every student was asked to write on a coloured triangle why it was important to value people who are different. We used coloured triangles because the Nazi used them to show how people were different. In the afternoon year 9 wre really lucky and and had a Holocaudt survivor to speak to them. The lady had left Germany whan she was young because she was being picked on because she was jewish. In the evening everybody had a quick rehersal of the event which involved reading, a short sketch, a song and candle lighting. Boys from the Harvey Grammar School and girls from Folkestone School for Girls joined in. The idea was to show that the community can come together and make things better for people. Micheal Howard also came along. Ruth the ady that survived the Holocaust explained to people what happened to her. A man from the HOlocaust Educationla Trust explained to people why learning about the Holocaust is so important to everybody. The whole point of the event was to encourage people to wor together as a community and value people who are different rathr than pick on them.
From holding this event everybody in The Channel School has a btter idea of what the Holocaust was and the fact that discrimination like it still happens to day. It also helped to build community spirit by getting diffrent groups working together on the same project. It was really well supported we even had to put out m ore chairs as more people than we expected turned up.
