UNESCO ASPNet Schools in the U.K celebrate International Day of Mathematics

By Ms Gavna Mistry, Head of Faculty (Subject Lead for Mathematics), Economics and Computer Science, Epping St. Johns School, UK

International Day of Mathematics

 

The International Day of Mathematics (IDM) is a worldwide celebration. Each year on March 14 all countries will be invited to participate through activities for both students and the general public in schools, museums, libraries and other spaces. Read more here: https://www.idm314.org/

 

 

Our International Pi Day

 

On the 14th of March we celebrated International Day of Mathematics also known as Pi Day.

 

The day was kickstarted with a fabulous form time activity with students creating complex 3D shapes using origami which was created by Mrs Perry.

 

All the Maths teachers were dressed in Pi related clothing which the students found very funny and got some interesting conversations going about the value of Pi.

 

There was a competitive Pi Recital Competition at lunchtime with students competing against each other to recall the longest number of digits of Pi. It was a riveting battle but our winner was Oscar Ruthven from Year 9 who unbelievably remembered 113 digits of Pi. A fantastic accomplishment - well done! 

 

This was all rounded off by some sweet and savoury dishes that were served in the canteen at break and lunch to stick with the theme. Quite literally!



UNESCO ASPNet 

 

The UNESCO Associated Schools Network (ASPNet) currently connects schools worldwide around work to promote UNESCO ideals and, in particular, the themes of education for sustainable development, global citizenship education and inter-cultural and heritage learning.

 

Here is the link to the UNESCO ASPNet website. It's free to join and you will be connected to over 12,000 schools and colleges in 182 Countries, providing access to free resources and reciprocal learning projects.

 

If you would like to apply please email Ann Beatty ann.beatty@stevesinnottfoundation.org.uk


Ms Gavna Mistry • March 30, 2023

An Education Revolution

By Ann Beatty • April 6, 2025
This week while out and about in Hertfordshire and we visited the British Schools Museum. We discovered the first school opened by Joseph Lancaster, was known as the ‘Poor Childs Friend”, was in 1810. It was his lifelong mission that all children regardless of their circumstances, should benefit from an education. Apparently, Joseph heard a small girl say, “Oh that I could read!” and this inspired him to create a simple education system that eventually would benefit children across the world. Joseph was the tenth son of a poor man himself from South London. His aim was to offer free education for everyone. However, it would be 93 years before the U.K. government finally made education free for all. There are still many countries today where education is still not free to access and it is certainly not compulsory for primary and secondary age pupils. Joseph’s mission really resonates with that of the Foundation, to support access to education for all. We enjoyed our visit and appreciated the tour given by two of the Museum’s volunteers, Angela and Clare. They described some of the challenges faced in the early years of formal education and shared some of the rules that teachers and students had to abide by with us. 

Sparks Bristol

By Ann Beatty • April 4, 2025
Sparks Bristol is a collaborative community project initially envisioned by The Global Goals Centre, (GGC) more of which below. A few years ago, GGC took over an empty Marks and Spencer store and that’s how Sparks was born. Sparks is a department store with a difference, co-created by Global Goals Centre and Artspace Lifespace. On the ground floor is a huge range of shops, installations, events and more. Upstairs is a hub for local artists, it offers affordable studios as well as rehearsal and performance space. The Global Goals Centre is a Bristol-based educational charity inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals. (SDGs). GGC believe the SDG’s or Global Goals as they are sometimes known, can be reached, with imaginative solutions and widespread education and engagement. They work with partners to promote creative solutions and deliver ground breaking projects that work towards these ambitious goals. The Steve Sinnott Foundation supported the Global Goals Centre with seed funding when it first started over 5 years ago. This month we went to visit them to see how they are getting on and we were taken aback by the volume of work they have achieved since they started. It is amazing to see how though working together with other local community groups it has grown into the vibrant centre it is today. All of the creative projects they host are linked to the SDGs. They cover topics that tackle poverty, education, climate change, fashion recycling and upcycling, to name a few.

Spring is Here! Looking Ahead!

By Ann Beatty • March 28, 2025
Spring is definitely here, daffodils, blossom and crocuses are all basking in the bright sunshine. There is still a chill in the air in the shade but it's happening and all the seeds that were sown over the last few months are coming to fruition. At the Foundation, we have been planning the year ahead and our Positive Periods and Prevention of Gender Based Violence programmes got underway this weekend in Haiti and Ghana. These projects will have a long-lasting effect on the lives of the women and girls who take part: tackling the root causes of gender-based violence and enabling girls to attend school every day when they have their period, to feel safe at school and know how to take action when they are faced with violence. These are the first of many projects planned for the year ahead as we continue to work towards Education for All children everywhere.