The archives...past Sheroes features
April 2006
How was your Mother’s Day?
Another Mother’s Day has just passed - how was it for you?It's really easy to get caught up in the hype and commercial side of Mother's Day - to some extent that's part and parcel of it. There are not many of us who did not go out and buy our mum's the traditional flowers, chocolates and meaningful card last Sunday. But there is no reason not to extend these thanks to other women.
Let's take this opportunity today to also say thank you to those women that help us to be good mothers; be it our sisters, friends or the woman next door
If you are bringing up children, chances are there are women around you that help. It takes two minutes to pick up the telephone, drop a note, or even pay a visit to let that person know just how much you appreciate them. So, if you haven't done so already, let them know just how much you appreciate them.
And Sheroes haven't forgotten the men out there that do their bit. Whilst we thank them too, this one is going out to the ladies out there.
Mothers Today
The other reason that we mentioned Mother’s Day is because we at Sheroes want to recognise the role that black mothers’ play. There is a lot of negative publicity relating to the black community be it gun crime, drugs, gang culture etc. What is our role as black women in relation to this? How can we effect change collectively so we as a community no longer see it as someone else’s problem, i.e. “I know where my child is”. How do we combat the negativity around “absent” fathers and what can we do as “present” mothers? Does it really take a community to raise a child and is that where we are going wrong?
Sheroes would like to hear your views on the role of black mothers today. Please send your emails to: features@sheroes.co.uk where a selection of your observations will be available for viewing.
School Governors - What's the point?
School governors are all volunteers - people just like us. School governors help staff and head teachers to ensure schools perform well and provide the best education and opportunities possible.
Schools across the country are keen to attract people from the local community to bring energy, experience and fresh ideas. You don't need to be an expert - you just need to be committed, enthusiastic and interested in the future of young people. Schools need people who will bring a range of experience and interests, people from all walks of life. A governor needs is to be a good listener as this makes it easier to understand how the school ticks. Governors work closely with others to make good decisions about the school, things like how the school day works, discipline, uniform - right through to agreeing the school trips the pupils go on during the year.
You don't need to be a parent either. Many governors are people who live or work in the local community and those involved in local businesses have a lot to offer. Interested people submit a short piece of writing explaining the reasons for wanting to become a governor to the school and, providing there is a vacancy the governing body will elect to invite you to join. The council can also appoint governors for a school and will provide free training available to help new governors to understand how it all works. There are 4 - 6 meetings a year and governors are encouraged to attend special assemblies, awards evenings, school celebrations to really be a part of the school community.
Currently young Black children are being failed by our education system. This is a key opportunity for Black people to get involved in the education system in a meaningful way. By being a part of a governing body we will be able to better understand the system, the issues schools face, the demands (and assumptions!) being made about our young peoples' futures and begin to voice our opinions in a way that really makes a difference.
If you would like more information about becoming a governor, there a number of ways you can find out.
- Contact your local council and speak to the education department
- Contact your local school and enquire if there are any vacancies on the governing body
- Visit www.governornet.co.uk/newUser and follow the link for becoming a governor