The Secret Thoughts of Chairman Don
Friday, May 28, 2010
Speak softly
It's not the destination that is important, nor the path we take, it is not even the journey that matters, it is the conversation we share with those we meet on the way that gives meaning to our lives.
"My Friend speak softly for your words are footsteps and you are walking on my heart" Anon
"My Friend speak softly for your words are footsteps and you are walking on my heart" Anon
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Scintillating on the home stretch
Adams’ Grammar School
A Member of the Family of Haberdashers’ Schools
Newport, Shropshire
Founded 1656
Headmaster’s News
Summer Term Issue 2
14 May 2010
Athletics
Our Year 11 athletes competed in the
Telford and Schools District Athletics meets
at Oakengates, pitting their skills against the
best in the area across the range of activities. The event
was kicked off in style with the boys 800m, which saw Ned
Rutty storm to victory, leaving at least 20 metres of
daylight between him and his nearest rival. Following this
initial success Michael Walsh lined up for the 80m hurdles
and put in a good performance, managing second place.
Despite a slow start Duncan Morrison came close to
winning the 200m but was just beaten into second on the
line. Despite being three places back in the 400m William
Wallace kept up the good work with a blistering last 100m,
winning in style before Aquile Smith stuttered out the
blocks but once again came in a credible second in the
flagship sprint event, the 100m. Ryan Cattle prefers even
longer distances but, despite trailing three others going into
the final lap in the 1500m, he glided round the course and
was bearing down on the leader as he crossed the line in
second.
In the field events Adams' were no less successful, with
Morrison claiming 2nd in the Long jump, Smith was also
2nd, but in the javelin. Walsh came in 2nd in the discus
and also 3rd in the high jump, with Josh Webster 2nd in
the shot and Cameron Roberts 2nd in the triple jump. The
final event of the evening was the 4x100m. Roberts lead
the way, passing the baton onto Morrison, who stormed up
the back straight. A slight stutter as Webster took over on
the bend, before passing onto Smith, who was scintillating
on the home stretch, cruising in a mere 20m ahead of the
nearest rivals. The results meant that we were certainly in
the top two. Depending on how Thomas Telford did in
certain events when the points come out, it could quite
possibly be a victory. The boys were great and the effort
they put in all evening was superb. Well done Adams'.
Mr Armstrong
Monday, May 10, 2010
Adults! Time to Say No!
"Rather than being paralysed by the scale of the problem, we need to think about what time and skills we could use to make a difference." ...
And by aiming blows at victims' arms they can argue they were acting in self-defence.
The alarming new evidence is outlined in a chilling book by Patrick Regan, who has spent almost two decades trying to rescue youngsters from a life of crime. It also reveals how:
He was stunned to be told by one community worker in Birmingham: "A gun is easier to get than a mobile phone." The revelations in his book are sure to alarm the new Home Secretary.
Horrifyingly, Regan quotes the chairman of a police advisory body who said: "We'd have had a lot more deaths on our streets if it wasn't for the fact that the youngsters firing the guns are such poor shots."
While shootings remain comparatively rare, police report a 500 PER CENT increase in youngsters taking some form of weapon to school.
One former gang member, rescued by Regan's ground- breaking campaign group XLP which operates across London, explained how his mum gave him this tip: "She recommended I stab the person in the arm in defence and not the stomach, as it's less likely to cause major harm."
John Poyton, director of charity Redthread which works with young crime victims, added: "It appears to be the current trend for people to stab someone in the butt.
"They're not trying to kill their victim but leave them needing a colostomy bag so they have to suffer the degradation of the attack for life."
The report also highlights a worrying increase in girls involved in gangs, as casual sexual partners and "honey traps", drug and weapon handlers.
"The boys would treat us as their bitches, phone whoever they felt like f***ing, order them over, and most girls would drop everything and do whatever was wanted," said one girl ex-gangster.
Regan reveals how a girl will be phoned by a gang member and asked for sex. If she agrees she will then be asked if their "brethren" can join in.
"This they refer to as a line-up, where one girl performs sexual acts on a group of men in turn," he explains.
"Their justification is that if the girl doesn't respect herself why would they respect her?" He adds: "In some cases initiation into a gang involves raping someone first."
Family breakdown has exacerbated the problem. And so-called "Tinies", kids of seven and eight, are increasingly used because they're less likely to be stopped by cops.
"There are now even younger children getting involved known as Babies," says Regan. "Police know of gangs led by a 14-year-old boy."
In London, doubts have been raised over the widespread use of stop and search powers by police. One study showed that, despite 9,437 searches in six months in Southwark, knife crime rose by 8.6%. And last year FOURTEEN youngsters were stabbed to death in the capital.
This week's murder of Nick Pearton, 16, stabbed repeatedly in a playground brawl, brings this year's toll so far to TEN.
Regan's book, published by Hodder & Stoughton next month, tells how in North London police found boys of 13 or 14 who had been stabbed up to FIVE times.
One 15-year-old admitted wearing a bulletproof vest beneath his school uniform. The researcher told Regan: "We found him a mentor but six weeks later he was stabbed when leaving school."
Despite the grim picture he paints, Regan believes the situation is reversible.
In a passionate plea, he concludes: "Rather than being paralysed by the scale of the problem, we need to think about what time and skills we could use to make a difference."
Trained to maim at age 7
The alarming rise of Britain's 'baby' gangsters
CARVE-UP: Crafty young gangsters use broken CDs instead of knives to slash victims
KIDS as young as SEVEN are slashing their way up the gangland ladder - using shards of broken CDs as vicious weapons.
Young hoodlums use the sharpened plastic to fool cops and avoid being jailed for having a knife, we can reveal.And by aiming blows at victims' arms they can argue they were acting in self-defence.
The alarming new evidence is outlined in a chilling book by Patrick Regan, who has spent almost two decades trying to rescue youngsters from a life of crime. It also reveals how:
- GANG members, including a new group of under-sevens called Babies, are taught how to stab rivals in the BACKSIDE so they need a colostomy bag;
- NEW recruits are ordered to RAPE as part of their initiation;
- THOSE who fear reprisal attacks even wear BULLETPROOF vests beneath school uniform.
Horror
Official estimates which suggest there are 20,000 gang members across the UK hugely under-estimate the problem, says Regan.He was stunned to be told by one community worker in Birmingham: "A gun is easier to get than a mobile phone." The revelations in his book are sure to alarm the new Home Secretary.
Horrifyingly, Regan quotes the chairman of a police advisory body who said: "We'd have had a lot more deaths on our streets if it wasn't for the fact that the youngsters firing the guns are such poor shots."
While shootings remain comparatively rare, police report a 500 PER CENT increase in youngsters taking some form of weapon to school.
One former gang member, rescued by Regan's ground- breaking campaign group XLP which operates across London, explained how his mum gave him this tip: "She recommended I stab the person in the arm in defence and not the stomach, as it's less likely to cause major harm."
John Poyton, director of charity Redthread which works with young crime victims, added: "It appears to be the current trend for people to stab someone in the butt.
"They're not trying to kill their victim but leave them needing a colostomy bag so they have to suffer the degradation of the attack for life."
The report also highlights a worrying increase in girls involved in gangs, as casual sexual partners and "honey traps", drug and weapon handlers.
"The boys would treat us as their bitches, phone whoever they felt like f***ing, order them over, and most girls would drop everything and do whatever was wanted," said one girl ex-gangster.
Regan reveals how a girl will be phoned by a gang member and asked for sex. If she agrees she will then be asked if their "brethren" can join in.
"This they refer to as a line-up, where one girl performs sexual acts on a group of men in turn," he explains.
"Their justification is that if the girl doesn't respect herself why would they respect her?" He adds: "In some cases initiation into a gang involves raping someone first."
Family breakdown has exacerbated the problem. And so-called "Tinies", kids of seven and eight, are increasingly used because they're less likely to be stopped by cops.
"There are now even younger children getting involved known as Babies," says Regan. "Police know of gangs led by a 14-year-old boy."
In London, doubts have been raised over the widespread use of stop and search powers by police. One study showed that, despite 9,437 searches in six months in Southwark, knife crime rose by 8.6%. And last year FOURTEEN youngsters were stabbed to death in the capital.
This week's murder of Nick Pearton, 16, stabbed repeatedly in a playground brawl, brings this year's toll so far to TEN.
Regan's book, published by Hodder & Stoughton next month, tells how in North London police found boys of 13 or 14 who had been stabbed up to FIVE times.
One 15-year-old admitted wearing a bulletproof vest beneath his school uniform. The researcher told Regan: "We found him a mentor but six weeks later he was stabbed when leaving school."
Despite the grim picture he paints, Regan believes the situation is reversible.
In a passionate plea, he concludes: "Rather than being paralysed by the scale of the problem, we need to think about what time and skills we could use to make a difference."
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