Years 5 and 6 went to Burnley Ghausia mosque to learn more about Islam. A mosque is the Muslim place of worship. Islam is the name of the religion Muslims follow. The main belief is that there is one God and Muhammad is his messenger. Islam also believes in the other prophets, from Adam, to Abraham, to Jesus. In my understanding, the 5 pillars of Islam are the core beliefs that the muslim communities are built upon. These are as follows:

• Declaration of Faith (Shahada)
• Prayer (Salat)
• Charity (Zakat)
• Fasting (Sawm)
• Pilgrimage (Hajj)

Being a Muslim, this was an incredibly exciting trip for me because I was looking forward to sharing this experience with my school friends. We had a tour around the mosque by Imam Abdul-Rahman. An Imam is the person who leads prayer in a mosque. We started by looking at the wudu room, wudu means ablution (cleansing ritual) and is an important part of the faith as it ensures cleanliness and symbolises purity. Next came the main hall which is used for congregational prayers. I was amazed to see the Imam’s chair. It is referred to as a minbar. I loved the grandeur of the chair, it was carved in wood and there were steps leading up to the elevated seat. How cool is that! We also got to see the second floor which is mainly used as a learning centre for islamic studies and Quran lessons. There was also a kitchenette on the third floor. Mosques regularly hold feasts and gatherings for festivals, celebrations and even funerals so having the ability to serve food is an important aspect.I learnt a lot from Imam Abdul-Rahman during the visit. I did not know that it is recommended to use your right foot to enter the prayer room and left foot when leaving. I really liked the interactive nature of the visit and enjoyed the conversation about the sects of Islam: Sunnis and Shias. I loved looking at the Islamic art which was mainly Arabic calligraphy with Quranic verses and poems. I am looking forward to meeting a Rabbi soon on the next place of worship visit.

 

In terms of sporting events, a team of Juniors went to Blessed Trinity to compete in an athletics tournament with the aim of getting to the finals. We had the chance of getting to the small schools final and or the general final. It was a fun-packed evening. The events and results were as follows:

     

• Girls Obstacle Relay 3rd place
• Boys Obstacle Relay 2nd place
• Girls Relay 3rd place
• Boys Relay 2nd place
• Chest push 2nd place
• Javelin to be confirmed
• Triple Jump 1st Place
• Long Jump 1st place
• Girls Sprint 3rd place
• Boys Sprint 2nd place

I did the chest push event (where you throw a ball from your chest) and managed to get my ball 8 ½ metres coming in second place. I took part in the triple jump and came first at 5m 10cm. I also ran with my cousin Zak for the boys relay, and we came first! I am so proud of being part of such an awesome team. Everyone gave 100% and was super supportive of each other. Team work made the dream work on the night as we managed to get to both the small school final and the general athletics final!

You can see photos on the school facebook page.

 

Year 5/6 took part in the Johnson Football cup against two other local schools. Sadly despite our best efforts on the night, the results did not go in our favour. It was a humbling experience but we managed to demonstrate the school value of kindness by “letting” them win. It wasn’t just a tough night for the players, Paul managed to get into trouble with the referee for letting his thoughts be known a little too loud.  I know we’ve got some work to do if we want to succeed in future matches. Luckily the year 3/4 team had a better night when they played a friendly against two local schools. They were amazing to watch. They had a fierce mindset and it showed in how they played. Wilma made a guest appearance as Park Hill’s mascot. She was very well-behaved and had her own crowd badgering her. She lapped up the attention (no pun intended)!

 

Fact: Giraffes and humans have the same amount of neck bones.

 

You’ll see me again in 2 weeks!