June is celebrated internationally as Pride Month, and here at Northampton Academy, we are joining in the celebrations of our LGBTQIA+ community. Our students, supported by staff, have worked tirelessly to put together one of the biggest celebrations of Pride our school has seen. Students can peruse our 'Happy Pride' display, featuring colourful, educational and motivational posters as they enter the school.
On 16th June, LGBTQIA+ students and allies participated in a creative writing workshop run by our Head of English, Miss Windridge. The prompt was to write a poem starting each line with "I am..." or "I am not". In a supportive atmosphere, students could express their identity and share their poems with friends.
The big event of the month will be the Pride March organised by a great team of staff members, Mx Skelton, Ms Cechova, and Mr Anderson, with the support of many others. Special thanks to Y11 student Connor, who has done so much work for the LGBTQIA+ community in this school. The students' ideas and plans are the most ambitious we have ever seen.
The Pride March is happening on 30th June during lunchtime and will be going through most parts of the school. We already have more than 40 students signed up, students can sign up until the day before. In lessons after the march, students will have a Character Development Session about the importance of Pride and community.
Preparations for the march include daily arts & crafts workshops where students can make placards and decorations to wear during the parade. So far, the atmosphere and attendance are absolutely brilliant, and this Pride Month is shaping up to be a great event.
Our library is very supportive of our LGBTQIA+ community, and Mrs Sullivan, our librarian, is a great ally, providing a variety of books on LGBTQIA+ topics and fiction featuring LGBTQIA+ characters. This month, we decided to expand our collection even more, and we are taking suggestions from students and staff for new books. These new books will contain a special plaque commemorating Pride Month 2022 in our school.
If that's not enough, we also have a Pride book giveaway that any student can enter by answering a fundamental question: "What does LGBTQIA+ stand for?" Anyone can enter by filling in the slip available in the Library.
Happy Pride,
Ms Cechova
Library Assistant