Belfast Boys Model School

This year, alongside pupils from 9 other schools, the boys in 10A have been selected to take part in the BBC School Report project. They will complete a series of 6 lessons focusing on the process involved in making and broadcasting news. On the 13th March 2008, School Report News day, the pupils will have the opportunity to broadcast their own news stories via TV, radio or online. The BBC will link to this website and report on the most engaging stories created by the different schools. 10A will work on this project during English lessons and will be supported by Mr. McManus during the filming of their project.

Pupils News Stories....

“I’m a Porridge Eater”

On Monday the third of March, I was lucky enough to get an interview with the First Minister Dr Paisley. We were keen to know his thoughts as he approached the end of his career and began by asking him how he would like to be remembered. His answer was very revealing. He said that he would like to be remembered as a man of the people, “Who worked hard and long, to try and alleviate the troubles we had in Northern Ireland.”

My second question was to try and make him laugh and it was, “Finally, as Easter approaches, can you tell us how you eat your crème egg?” His answer was not what we might have expected. In fact he didn’t seem to have heard of this treat. “I had to ask a person about this particular egg… I’d be better keeping off such luxury food and eating my porridge, I am a porridge eater!”

I was happy with his answers because he answered them fully and I thought he answered them honestly. I thought because he took time to let us interview him he was a kind person and a sensible man.

Paisley’s Plans for Ulster!

On the third of March the Boys’ Model School organised an interview with First Minister Ian Paisley as part of BBC School Report. BBC School Report gives teenagers a chance to be reporters and learn about journalism and what better way to make the news than interviewing the men who are at the centre of our government!

We got a chance to interview the First Minister, Ian Paisley. Not only was this interview making History, as interviews with Paisley are few and far between, but this was to be his last interview before announcing the date for his resignation! This may have been his last interview before he made his announcement but we certainly didn’t know this and he wasn’t giving too much away!

In response to a question about the possibility of a United Ireland in the future, he did indicate that his time was almost at an end but didn’t let us know that only twenty-four hours later, he would be announcing his plans to step down! Mr Paisley believes that if the boys in 10A2 live to be 82 they will still be in an Ulster that is, “Part of the United Kingdom.”

One pupil asked, “Some of the general public find it hard to believe that the DUP and Sinn Fein have actually formed a positive working relationship. How have you managed to work together?” Paisley replied, “I said to my Deputy we could fight all day and solve nothing or we could work together for the people of Northern Ireland!”

He was also asked, “What has been the best moment of your career so far?” He said that the best moment of his career was becoming a Christian, “The day that I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my saviour.” His answers to our questions helped us to find out more about the man they call Ian Paisley.

By Gareth

Building A New Model!

Work has already begun on the new multi- million pound building that will be our new school. The man in charge of the plans for the new school met with us to discuss how things were shaping up! We started the interview by asking Mr Logan when the new school would be finished. He answered “The new school will be finished in May 2010 but we will not move in until January 2011”. The next question was, ‘Will there be football and rugby pitches closer to the school?’ He replied that, “On the school site, at the back, there will be a synthetic pitch”. We are really looking forward to playing on this! It means that we will be able to play football closer to the school, instead of walking up to Mount Pleasant.

The next question we asked our Vice Principal was whether or not there would be better facilities in the new school. He answered “Yes, everything will be better!” This sounds good. It seems as though there will be lots more equipment and therefore, lots more to do in each department! The next question was vital to our life in school. Will there be new desks and chairs? He answered “Yes, everything will be new. Teachers are allowed anything they want for their new classrooms.”

Then we asked if there will be a bigger, better food court? He answered “They are still working on the layout of the food court. It should be better. We will be using pay and grab”. I wonder what Mrs Hall will have to say about that.

Of course we were also concerned about the Headmaster’s office and asked if it was going to be the best room in the school (as usual!). He answered this question very honestly, “Yes. But it won’t be as big”. The next question we asked was if there would be new and better P.E equipment. According to Mr Logan, “All P.E equipment will be new, including new fitness equipment.” This is good news for the P.E. department. Our next question was, “Is the playground going to be bigger?” He answered “No, not bigger, but there will be more playgrounds, one with seats.”

We have just moved into the new mobile classrooms that have taken over the playground and we had to ask if they were going to be there permanently. Mr Logan assured us that, “No they will be removed in 2010”. Of course the big question is approximately how much all this will cost. He answered, “Twenty million pounds”. This will be amazing! I can’t wait for the proper building work to start!

Gerry Kelly in Model Talks

On Monday the 3rd of March, I went to interview Junior Minister Kelly (Gerry Kelly). We got this amazing chance because we took part in BBC School Report. First we met up with a reporter, Rosie Billingham and told her who we would be interviewing. She was keen to know what we would be asking Gerry Kelly. Up at Stormont we were taken to Gerry Kelly’s office where we conducted our interview. I asked three questions of Sinn Fein’s Junior Minister and began by asking him what inspired him to become a politician and if he thought that his work had made a real difference to life in Northern Ireland?” The minister replied openly, “I don’t know if I could answer what inspired me to become a politician, if you mean to get elected, I think from my point of view I’ve been involved in politics all my adult life. As you know we’ve been through a very hard conflict and at some point we had to try and bring the conflict to an end”. I thought this was a good answer and I was very happy with the way he answered it. He seemed happy to talk to us and keen to give us detailed answers about his work.

He went on to talk about some of the work he and the party had done to try to ease the long standing tension that exists in interface areas of North Belfast. “You need dialogue; you need to be able to speak to the other person. I’ve been working for a very long time in North Belfast, since ‘96 and it’s important we speak to people who we see as our enemy”. Given some of the trouble in North Belfast in recent years this was welcome news! Gerry Kelly gave up his time willingly and seemed keen talk to us. It isn’t every day that boys from the Boys’ Model School get to meet someone in such an important position!

Andrew

Sports Minister Spills the Beans!

We were delighted to be involved in the BBC School Report project. We were all excited. We were given a reporter to help us, she was called Rosy Billingham. We needed someone to interview so Rosy did her best to organise a high profile interview for us. At the start of our journalistic careers we got the opportunity to interview Edwin Poots the Sports Minister. We were all really happy. We had two weeks to prepare and then we had to go up to Stormont for the interview.

We got the cameras out and practised interviewing each other. We all had one particular question to ask and mine was, “Forty million pounds of Lottery money is going towards funding the Olympics. Will we be getting value for money?” Mr Poots told us that in Northern Ireland we would be getting to see some football and some athletic events.” This doesn’t seem like much for forty –two million pounds, even if it is Lottery money!

Everyone was really excited about our visit. We were all quite nervous but Mr Poots put us at ease by being friendly and answering our questions. When he looked at me and the cameras were rolling, my face went bright red. I just went blank for a minute then I asked him my question. After it was all over we felt good about ourselves. Mr Poots was very professional about his answers and made us feel very welcome at Stormont.

By Joe

Principal’s Perspective

On the 10th of March we had the opportunity to interview Mr. Keith the Principal of the Belfast Boys’ Model School and to ask him the questions that we all want to know the answers to! We did have a lot of questions and he seemed very happy to tell us all about his views on the plans for our new school! Here are just some of the things he told us about the Model of the future.

Question 1
What impact do you think the new school will have on the popularity of the school and the new pupils coming to it?

Answer 1
“I think it will have a big impact. I hope it will have a big impact as when people pass it by they will see that it won’t look like a school but a supreme, modern building.”

Question 2
As the designer of the new school is a past pupil of the Boys Model will this make you feel more secure about how amazing it will be?

Answer 2
“Yes, Martin Hare is not just the designer of our new school but the designer of the new Girl’s Model School as well. It is not just our school getting a new school but five other schools as well, costing up to one hundred and twenty million pounds.”

Question 3
As the new facilities in the school will be outstanding, do you think this will have an effect on how successful the pupils are at various activities?

Answer 3
“It will be impressive as it will have the best facilities such as the biggest Games Hall in Northern Ireland. There will also be a Boys’ Brigade here too, as well as a youth club.

Question 4
Have you any comment on when the new school will be finished, completely?

Answer 4
“They will be building Technology first as it is the hardest to move, so instead of moving the Technology building twice, we will only move it to the new building. The Technology building was expected to be finished for September but will be delayed until Halloween. The whole school should be ready to move into in 2011”

We were very happy with the answers we received from the Headmaster and we can’t wait to see the finished product! Watch this space!

Gary, Jordan and Ian