So I have now, successfully, finished my first year at the fantastic Knox Academy and all I can say is roll on next year. Looking back over the past year I can honestly say it has a pleasure to work such committed teachers and amazing pupils.

Highlights this year include:

• Setting up my studio with my posters and visual aids and meeting my classes
• the S6 Pantomime ‘Cinderella’. A great rehearsal period and production that went down well with everyone who seen it. Great songs, dances, acting and great audiences.
• The senior play ‘In Holland Stands a House’. The pupils really took on board the challenges of staging a small intimate studio performance. This play also was the FIRST production at Knox Academy and we made the audience cry!
• Holocaust Memorial Day - An emotional experence enabling every pupil in Knox look at the themes of the Holocaust through the eyes of young people. It was great to see all our hard work pay off during our assemblies and the wall of silence that hit you after the string group stopped playing.
• Working with students from Queen Margaret University and enabling our young people to create an Award Winning piece of Drama.
• Creating the ‘Across the Pond Theatre Project’ with Carol in America which aims to enable our pupils to engage in various arts form from other countries.
• Seeing the department grow from just teaching S1 and S2 and S6 to having Two Standard Grade Drama classes and a Higher Class as well as two senior Acting Classes and the S1 and S2.
• Having two students accepted in Scottish Youth Theatre Summer School
• Fantastic trip to London with S2/S3 pupils.
• Seeing two students leave Knox Academy and pursue a career in Drama at Drama School.
• Attending my first Knox Academy Prom Night.

What am I looking forward to in session 2008/2009

• Higher Drama Investigative Drama performances in Oct.
• Senior Play (More News Later)
• Junior Play (More News Later)
• The First Knox Academy Musical (more News Later)
• New York, New York! CAN NOT WAIT!
• working with my two Standard Grade Classes on exciting projects.
• Creating more work with ‘Across the Pond’
• Possible exciting trip for Activities Week to the birth place of Theatre.

The Future is Bright… The Future is DRAMA!

I would like to take this time to say a few thank yous and goodbyes;

Thank to Mrs Craig who has fully supported me in everything I do and who’s door has always been open. Mrs Black for being my Faculty Head and dealing with any issues as soon as she could. To my wonderful pupils who with you I wouldn’t want to be in this job, you inspire the Drama we create and your ability to take everything I throw at you is amazing. Loving your work. To the S6 students of 2007/2008 - you were fantastic to work with. To all the staff at Knox who have helped pupils engage in Drama or who have supported the department. To you my readers (do I have any??? lol) a blog without readers is like an play without an audience.

Goodbyes! (CRY)

To Claire; thank you so much for all your help with the Pantomime and all your ideas for dance. You’ve been great to work with. To Andy, Fiona, Gill and Katie; You are great and will be a loss to Knox! All the best!

So that’s it! We’re off now for seven weeks - meeting the Queen on Friday with pupils and that’s my final duty of this session. Again thank you everyone and I will see you all in Session 2008/2009 - which to be honest… looks like another great year at Knox Academy!

Having made many great friends in my first year at Knox I am saddened that for four of them in my faculty they will be leaving at the end of this session as they were NQTs and there isn’t jobs available for them at our school or region.

It must be concerning for them and many others when they look at TES and see no jobs or very little jobs coming up each week for their subject and knowing that come August thousands of new NQTs will be starting schools over Scotland.

Universities such as Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen are still accepting lots of people for various courses only for no jobs to appear when the pass their NQT year. The Scottish Government has stated that jobs will be available… in a few years! Would you find a new career for a few years and return to teaching? would you?

It is slightly concerning that there is about 50 secondary Drama NQTs starting this year; is there 50 jobs for them? mmmm I don’t think!

Anyway… ‘BBCs Question Time’ is hitting Musselburgh on July 3rd! apply online here to be an audience member and make teacher unemployment an issue! I’m there! oh and don’t get me started on funding for the ARTS in Scotland!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As you have read in my previous post; pupils created an Award Winning Drama with Students from Queen Margaret University. The Mussell-Inn project has been an amazing opportunity for our pupils and they have gained a lot from the experience.

As a school, Knox Academy, has created a great relationship with the people running the project and has been great, as an ex graduate, to see the excellent work of the tutors continue in this difficult time (see No room for the arts).

We recieved good news on Friday that our students will be performing the award winning Drama for the Queen on July 4th. Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II will open the University and she has asked to see the Drama. This is a great expereince for our young people and they are very excited about the opportunity to act infront of her.