As 2011 starts as does a new term and therefore new events; curricular and extra curricular to look forward to…

With still no word from SQA/Government re examinations for senior pupils sitting Curriculum for Excellence we move forward with developing our S1 and S2 courses with a cautionary step. I have to say that I feel we are currently doing some excellent work at Knox on how to meet the needs of our young people in S1 and S2.

Our Standard Grade Pupils are currently involved in a playwriting project with a school in America and are developing their plays based around the theme of ‘Home’. The aim of the project is to write a 5 minute play that will then be directed by a student in the other school, so the Americans will be directing modern Scottish plays and we will be directing modern American plays.

Our Higher students move into the Examination period with the Acting Exam just around the corner…

The NC pupils are currently working on their Musical Theatre Cabaret’s which will be showcased in Feburary before starting their final productions.

on an Extra Curricular side of things… Our school production is being shown in February after being delayed because of Snow in December. So Sweeney Todd is getting gorier by the second…

Our NC Make-Up course is going from strength to strength thanks to my wonderful collegue…

KWN will start filming their Global Citizenship video…

We have our trip to New York and London…

So as you can see… it’s all go… nothing like starting the New Year hitting the floor running.

On a personal note I was given my sabbatical for next session and have applied for some post graduate courses. I have applied for a few promoted posts lately which I haven’t been lucky to get and am kind of feeling maybe teaching isn’t for me. So this sabbatical will be a breathe of fresh air.

Teaching is a great job but there is too much paper work, red tape, people to impress, new ideas, governement schemes (i could go on and on and on) to actually be able to do the best in your job – we can but try – but it’s hard and this holiday I have realised that. I love my job but can I actually do everything that is asked of me? I try but can I do it to the standards I am happy with? Anyway… my sabbastical will hopefully make me fall in love with the job I currently do again… cause at the moment i’m on Act 5 of The Crucible!

To all the teachers out there… you do a wonderful job! Just keep reminding yourself that.

Have an amazing 2011!

Last week seen the annual Knox Academy Activities Week and I ran this years trip to London. We took 20 S2/S3 pupils down to the Capital for 4 days.

Day One seen us leave school on a coach and head down, we arrived in London at about 3pm, unpacked and went to Lecister Square for dinner before going to see West End and Broadway Hit ‘Hairspray’. What an amazing, feel good show. The pupils loved it and loved meeting the cast afterwards too! Leanne Jones (the actress who plays Tracey) said how sweet and polite our pupils were.

Day Two we were up early to head to London Dungeons, pupils were given the chance to see a different kind of theatrical experience at the hands of this tourist attraction. After lunch in Tower Bridge we headed to BBC studios to take a tour of the famous building and find out how news, weather and programmes are made. Following dinner at Victoria we went to see my favourite West End show just now…. Wicked! After a standing ovation we headed back to our beds.

Day Three: Up early again and we headed for some culture as we were taken on a tour of Houses of Parliment and listened to the history of the building, I always find this fascinating (if not a little focused on England). Following a little look around the sites of London we headed to Covent Gardens for shopping and lunch, where very randomly I banged into one of ex pupils who is studying music in the city. Our evening meal was at TGI Fridays and we then filmed a short documentary about our time in London (after all this was the Lonodn Theatre and Film experience).  We then went to see long time running play ‘The Woman in Black’, to which our pupils were a credit to the school. They sat in complete silence as the ghost story was told in front of them, the audience members around us stated how polite they were… but I think they were quiet as they were scared out their wits!

Day four: We left early and headed to Alton Towers where it was raining but that didn’t stop them having fun, after an exciting and tiring 4 days we arrived back in Haddington at 10.30pm!

I would like to thank The Cast of Hairspray who were lovely to our pupils, The staff at the London Dungeons were fantastic, The pupils who were a pleasure to be with, Miss Good for helping on the trip and to Mrs Craig at Knox for always encouraging her staff to run trips.