School Projects

As part of Juice Festival, Year 5 pupils from Bridgewater School in Scotswood have written  six new plays that will preview this month. The children enjoyed a series of workshops which have resulted in this fresh and vibrant theatre production.
First Draft is for anyone over the age of five and takes place on Tuesday 25 Nov (1.30pm & 7pm) and Thursday 27 Nov (7pm only). Don't miss this chance to see this showcase of the region's new writing and performing talent!

First Draft is at Live Theatre, Broad Chare, Newcastle Quayside.
Tickets available from the Box Office: 0191 232 1232. £6 Adults; £5 concessions.

We're pleased to introduce one of our latest Cultural Partners, New Line Graffiti. The group offer graffiti workshops to children and young people, giving them an opportunity to explore the artform and discover the positive impact it can have upon their space.

New Line Graffiti have recently completed a project with West Jesmond Primary School, at the school's temporary site. Concerned that unpleasant graffiti was frequently appearing in the playground, the school decided to commission the artists to run workshops that would fill the playground with the children's artwork.

The theme of 'the jungle' was chosen, and after a week of workshops with New Line Graffiti, the children had brought their playground to life with words, animals and plants based upon the theme.

The teachers, children and artists were thrilled with the results. "We've had a great five days working with some of the nicest and most enthusiastic children you could meet," said the artists, "They worked really well over the five days and we covered years three to six. The kids created some really great work and they all learned a lot, and more importantly had a great time whilst doing it!"

New Line Graffiti are available for workshops with children and young people of all ages. To find out how they can work with your learning setting, email Robby at info@newlinegraffiti.com or see the website www.newlinegraffiti.com

Discover more about your ancestors and the area in which they lived. Buy bargain local history books and ask the experts.

Saturday 19th May 2007 at Caedmon Hall, Central Library. The event is FREE.
For more information contact the Local History Librarian for Gateshead, Anthea Lang on 0191 433 8403 or anthealang@gateshead.gov.uk

From Gateshead Education Business Links Service:

Children at a local primary school will be playing a real-life version of the old game show, 'What’s my Line?', as part of a careers week set up by Gateshead Council.
Pupils at Fella Park Community Primary school will be trying to guess the occupations of a number of special business ambassadors who will be visiting the school next week (23 April).

The children will try and guess what jobs the ambassadors do after a series of clues, mimes and examples of the kind of tools they might use in their work.

The game marks the start of a week of events that will include talks and activities from professions as diverse as the emergency services, hairdressing, engineering, health and social care, construction and travel.

Are you a teacher from Falla Park? How did the children respond to the careers week? From a GEBLS perspective, could it be used as a model to roll out to other primary schools in the borough?

Artist Karen Johnson will be bringing her first exhibition back to her native North East from Saturday 24 March - Saturday 12 May 2007.

Gateshead’s Gallery, based at Central Library on Prince Consort Road, will be hosting the free exhibition, which explores how a family cope with disability.

The show explores the life of Karen's son Jamie, a child with downs syndrome, from birth to age seven. The ups and downs of family life are chronicled using modern photography.

The Gallery is open from 9am - 7pm Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, 9am - 5pm Wed and 9am - 1pm Sat. The Gallery is closed on Bank Holidays. For more details call the Arts Development Team on 0191 433 6927.

Wednesday 6 December 2006

Northern Film & Media, Regional Screen Agency for the North East of England, has announced this year's New Directions - a day of screenings, discussions and workshops about participatory filmmaking with young people and communities. Packed full of ideas about how to go about planning and running fun and fulfilling film projects in the community, the theme of New Directions 2006 is IMPACT, exploring with the effects of filmmaking on the lives of participants as well as the affect their films can have upon wider communities and audiences.

If you are a youth or community worker interested in organising or supporting films or a film maker working in community settings then New Directions 2006 programme information out lining speakers, workshops and screenings will be announced on Monday 6 November 2006 along with full booking details.

To register interest and sign up for updates
E: roxana@northernmedia.org
www.northernmedia.org

You can no log on, find out what the ideal virtual school looks and sounds like on the Virtual Vision website and post a comment (scrolling to the Explore menu (right hand side) and clicking onto 'Thoughts and Ideas'):

Click onto:
www.virtual-vision.org

Virtual Vision - Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd of June 2006

We invite you to review our flagship project, where Gateshead teachers worked one-to-one with our Cultural Partners to create a virtual creative school, creative curriculum and creative management model.

Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd of June 2006

On these two dates fifteen Gateshead Cultural Ambassadors will descend on the City Learning Centre to make a creative school, creative curriculum and a creative management model. All this work will be made live via this very
website for your contributions and the final results will also be posted here until the end of the summer holidays, so check this site for regular updates.

Our contact at RSPB Newcastle, Carl Watts, is happy to lend a hand to Gateshead teachers who want to take part in this year's Big Schools Birdwatch (23rd January - 3rd of February).
The first stage is to call 08701 222793 to order your pack, which contains guidance, a bird identification picture card and your participation form.
For more guidance, Carl can be contacted on 0191 233 4300.
You can also access the following webpage: http://www.rspb.org.uk/schoolswatch/index.asp

ALSO, you can write for a free copy of RSPB's colour booklet, The birds in your garden with your name and address to:
The RSPB, Free Booklet Offer, Freepost ANG 10850, 17 Birkheads Road, Reigate, RH2 9ZW.
The RSPB do not pass on details to third parties.

The award-winning schools music service is now inviting schools to take part in the second phase of the Blow the Wind Southerly project. This phase features teachers' packs, CDs, words, music, teachers workshop, school workshop with Concert Royal and a full-scale performance in Hall One of the Sage Gateshead as part of the Music Service's Showcase Event on the 28th of June.

There are places for ten schools (30 places maximum for each school), to suit 7-11 year-olds.
Please see the accompanying attachment for full details and contact Barbara Murray, Gateshead Schools’ Music Service Administrator, Dryden Centre, Gateshead NE9 5UR by 14th February 2006

Download file

Read on for the latest recognition for our Music Service from the National Music Council of Great Britain...

Durham Cathedral is one of the Ambassadors’ network Cultural Partners. Here is an account of a recent visit by one Gateshead School this year by Mrs Anne-Marie Ollivere of Oakfield Infant School.

“This is the third year in a row that I have taken my year two class to Durham Cathedral. We tend to go as part of our Christianity topic in the Autumn term. The children are always amazed by the sheer size of the cathedral and it brings the lives of Cuthbert and Bede to life for them. During the visit there are lots of activities to keep the children busy. In the morning session we have always been given a thorough tour of the cathedral, pointing out many interesting facts. This year it was most impressive as the children were encouraged to touch and feel, which really appealed to the younger children.
The afternoon session is made up of a series of workshops, one of which was to decorate one section of the rose window. When we got back to school we were able to put all of the sections together to create our very own stained glass window. We have great memories of the visit and we will definitely be going again next academic year. “

Mrs Anne-Marie Ollivere
Year Two Teacher
Oakfield Infant School
Gateshead

December 2005.

The Education staff at Durham Cathedral can be contacted on:
0191 386 4266.
http://www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/

The RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch takes place every January and schools can order their own packs.
To subscribe to their excellent e-newsletter containing news about about conservation, campaigning and fundraising work, use the online sign-up form.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/plus/form/(swedsl55aizjzpmlsarhwlyx)/index.aspx

Get into the festive spirit this Friday the 25th November - come to see the Baltic Square Christmas Tree lights switch-on.
A group of carol singers from Crookhill Primary School will perform a selection of festive favourites on Baltic Square from 6.15 p.m. before the Mayor of Gateshead officially switches on the tree lights at 6.30 p.m. The ceremony will also mark the welcomed return of the Ice Rink. Bigger than previous years, the ice rink is located on Mill Road Car Park and is open from 25th November to the 8th of January.
Skating tickets: adults £5.50, children and seniors £4.50, NUS £4.50, Families £17.00, Ten people or more: £5/£4 each. Slots from 10am-8.30pm (Thursdays until 9.30pm).

For more information contact Gateshead Council Events Team on 0191 433 3838

As mentioned at the Gateshead Cultural Ambassadors' AGM on the 22nd of November, The Young People's Arts Award is a brand new scheme which supports young artists and young arts leaders.
There's information to get you started on the award or to help you develop your work as you go along. And if you're doing an award, you can publish your art work in the gallery and get other people's views. Yon can enter for the award via this website. Good luck!
http://www.artsaward.org.uk/site/?id=64

This list gives a taste of how far afield our schools' international links are.
Download file

CTC Theatre's 'Take Off' theatre festival 2006 will be held in Gateshead!
In preparation, the CTC will be in Montreal to look at the work of theatre companies, incluing those from Korea and Japan. Does your school have any existing links with other countries, or would your school like to make links with a particular country? Let CTC know - they can approach companies from specific areas.
You can also register an interest in hosting or attending performances, conference, workshops and CPD.

To register your expression of interest by 12 noon, Monday 19th December, contact:
Mr Steve Aal, CTC General Manager, on 01325 352 004 or email: steve@ctctheatre.org.uk.

or: Mari Macdonald, Gateshead Arts Team
Tel: (0191) 4775380 / E-mail: marimacdonald@gateshead.gov.uk / Fax: (0191) 4901394
Gateshead Visitor Centre, St. Mary’s Church, Oakwellgate, Gateshead, NE8 2AU.

Ambassador schools will have received this information last Thursday via e-bulletins, but we have added it below in full. Read on!

www.ctctheatre.org.uk

The new play area at Kelvin Grove includes an allotment where vegetables are grown, wildlife gardens, grasses, shrubs and an area designed to attract mini-beasts; all contributing to the children's knowledge of nature.

Windmill Hills and Roman Road Primary were featured in the Evening Chronicle's education pages on the 21st of July in an interview and an environmental feature respectively.

...including the national commemoration day this Sunday, July 10th.
http://www.mod.uk/aboutus/history/ww2/

This photograph courtesy of Mark Savage
Leviathan is Gateshead Council’s programme of thirty community projects funded by Culture10 and Arts Council England North East, such as Neptune's Arc of Friendship procession where Gateshead and Newcastle children will take sea monsters and flags to the crew parade on Tues 26th July; Flotilla!,: an exhibition at Gateshead Visitor Centre of thirty handcrafted boats made by locally-connected artists and community workshops from July 15th and What Floats your Boat?: a community flag project about hopes and aspirations to be installed on Baltic Square on Sunday 24th July.
The photo refers to this year’s Wrekenton & Springwell Happy Hearts Lanterns Procession where children from Fell Dyke Primary made ships to celebrate the Tall Ships and Rivers Festival.
Leviathan was not only a mythical sea monster, but also the name of the ship in Nelson’s fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar, with Master & Commander Trotter at the helm. This year is the bicentenary of the battle and Commander Trotter is buried here in Gateshead, in St Mary’s Churchyard. For more information about the Leviathan programme, contact Karolynne Hart in the Arts Development Team on
0191 477 5380

www.visitnewcastlegateshead.com
www.tallships2005.com

Pupils from Bill Quay wrote last Thursday's 'Kron' page, mentioning citizenship, conservation, craft, and music projects. Hurrah!

Gateshead Visitor Centre run the Quays coach park and can book a coach space for a fee of £10 (for 24 hours): useful for large school trips to BALTIC, Sage Gateshead, the Visitor Centre and other venues.

Telephone: 0191 477 5380

Unique competition rewards community action

Whitbread PLC is once again launching its search for the best young volunteers in Britain and from 1st June is inviting nominations for the Whitbread Young Achievers awards. The awards celebrate the achievements of young people in four categories - arts, community, environment and sports and are open to young people aged 16-25.
Creative Partnerships is working with Whitbread as their Arts Partner, to encourage nominations in the arts category.

Each category winner will receive a unique prize that includes £2,000 for personal and project development, £250 of leisure vouchers and a unique 12-month follow on support package. For the arts winner, this could mean anything from spending time backstage at a West End play to mentoring or professional help with a fundraising strategy.

This year's winners will be recognised at a celebration event in London, hosted by TV presenter June Sarpong, on 23 November 2005.

For further details and a nomination form, please visit the website at www.whitbreadyoungachievers.co.uk . Nominations close on 15th July 2005.

David Gaffney
Partnerships Officer
Arts Council England, North West
Direct line 0161 827 9223
Mobile 07718525739
David.Gaffney@artscouncil.org.uk

Baruch Rosengarten is a feltmaker in the North East of England giving workshops in Primary, Secondary schools and Colleges with children of all ages and abilities. He has insurance and CRB clearance and has worked in several Gateshead Schools. Baruch's most up to date CV (Winter 2006) is attached here.
Download file

Free 'Breathing Space' packs are available to accompany the BBC Springwatch series being broadcast every evening until mid-June on BBC Two, presented by Bill Oddie.
Go to www.bbc.co.uk/springwatch

Schools are eligible to apply to their local B&Q store for a grant of between £50 and £500 towards materials for a sustainable community project. See link to the B&Q website below...
http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/
templates/contentlookup.jsp?content=/aboutbandq/2004/
social_responsibility//better_neighbour.jsp

The Newcastle Gateshead Initiative is running a competition for schoolchildren for the Tall Ships' Race. See the letter attached...
Download file

The RSPB celebrates a new generation of children interested in birds, wildlife and their local environment with the publication of the January watch results. Well done to all Gateshead Schools who took part. We hope to have a wildlife/environmental CPD session for Cultural Ambassadors this year, so watch this space and your fortnightly e-bulletins.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/schoolswatch/index.asp

Thomas Hepburn, South Street and Caedmon Schools worked with artists Carolyn Handley, Donna MacKinnon and Sharon Wilson to produce Image & Identity, currently on display at the Shipley Art Gallery on Prince Consort Road in Gateshead. Tyne & Wear Museum's collection and the children's own ideas were the inspiration for the masks, jewellery and costumes, curated by Clare Smith and Sharon Wilson. Opened by the Deputy Mayor of Gateshead and Maggie Atkinson, Head of Children's Services for Gateshead Council, a selection of the exhibition will be shown at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London later in the year.
http://www.twmuseums.org.uk

For those of you who took part in this year's Birdwatch either at school or at home, here are the results on the RSPB website. The Birdwatch takes place each January and schools packs are available. If your school in Gateshead has a Cultural Ambassador, they will receive contact details in the Autumn Term.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/2005results/index.asp

Attention all Cultural Ambassadors in Gateshead Schools! Your Summer pack should arrive on Friday 18th or Monday 21st of March.

Kingsmeadow Secondary school in Dunston launch their community radio station, broadcasting for two weeks from the 21st February to the 4th March. A product of the after-school radio club, you can hear live music, interviews, careers advice and news. To advertise, contact Headteacher Simon Taylor on 0191 4606004.
Tune in on 87.7FM

For details of the Lottery-funded scheme open to schools to commemorate the contribution of those who served on the home front in WWII, read on. Deadline March 31st...

Anchors Aweigh!
Do you need more time to finish your story? If so, the Council will accept late entries to this popular competition. See this link for more...
http://www.asaplive.com/iKnow/News.cfm?ccs=121&cs=1312

Following an accident outside the school in December, Headteacher Helen Gladstone continues a long-standing appeal to parents who park their cars in front of the school gates on this busy road connecting the A167 and the Team Valley, despite there being two car parks nearby. Even the children have begun sending their own traffic survey results home and are preparing a display for parents evening. The following links are the Council's Safer Routes to Schools (contact Road Safety Officer, Maureen Laverick) and the Sustrans page...
http://www.gateshead.gov.uk/atoz/serv_s.htm#saferroutes
http://www.saferoutestoschools.org.uk/

After learning about how the NSPCC charity looks after children in the region, pupils at this Low Fell school went on to raise £1,759; each of them learning twenty words each. Lynn Taylor of the charity also gave the children advice about personal safety.

The Evening Chronicle's 'Kron' page on Thursday the 27th of January had Kibblesworth pupils talking about sports, the Christmas Fair, a tsunami appeal day, their funding following an Activemark Award and the Saturday class at Lord Lawson School's Advanced Learning Centre for Mathematics.

The Newcastle Evening Chronicle has an education supplement each Thursday where editorial comment sits alongside pupil interviews (Top Class) and a page composed by a school (The Kron). On Thursday the 6th of January, St Aidan's CE Primary School in Bensham submitted stories on bullying, swimming, the playground, Dunston Festival, netball, the school chapel and the school's Star Worker awards.

Sunderland-based company EDF Energy is working with Learning through Landscapes to promote awards to North East schools. Application form from Elizabeth Metcalfe on 0191 512 5491 or email elizabeth.metcalfe@edfenergy.com
Closing date for applications is the 11th of February. Winners receive £5,000 and four runners-up receive between £1,000 and £750 or a site guidance visit.
Here is the relevant page from the Learning though Landscapes site...

http://www.ltl.org.uk/programmes/programme_umbrella.asp?PG_ID=52

Fri 17th Dec.12:15-1pm
Shipley Gallery, Prince Consort Road
The Gateshead viol consort directed by Master of the Viols John Finnon, joined by Naomi Barker on baroque flute and John Treherne on spinet. Music by Francois Couperin.
Free admission.

Fifty-five saplings were planted near the Angel of the North in Gateshead by pupils from Oakfield Infants School with Gateshead's grounds staff and Councillor McNestry, cabinet member for the environment. Each sapling represents one tonne of the aluminium recycled in Gateshead during the past year either via the 'Kerb-it' boxes or at the recycling points. The planting coincided with National Tree Week and the not-for-profit company Alupro donated the trees as part of a national campaign.

If you did not receive the RSPB flier in your Spring Pack and would like to take part in the hour-long Big Birdwatch on the 29th-30th January 2005 then there are special Big Schools' Birdwatch packs available. Please telephone 08701 222792.
You can also use the website:
www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch

Last Thursday's Evening Chronicle School Pages saw Jamie McCubbin report on his favourites at Swalwell: PE lessons, school meals, football and Mr Hewitt!

"Have you heard of 'Leonardo' - a celebration of Technology and Invention? It is one of Cleveland Theatre Company's travelling presentations and as the workshop unfolds, the machine is built - it is quite staggering to see and a super way to link technology and literacy work. They also do Good Morning Mr Dickens which is a splendid way to teach writing to a deadline, descriptive and transactional writing and redrafting. Chris Connaughton plays Charles Dickens orally drafting a new scene from Nicholas Nickleby and he recalls writing a similar scene in another story which he changes slightly and reuses. Then he teaches them about the social history of the period and gets the children to write to a deadline imagining the classroom is the workhouse. At the end of the day he hotseats as a Dickens character and it is quite inspiring to see him change from Mr Squeers to Smike... as he fields the questions in role."
Strongly recommended.
Di Hewitson
Headteacher, Kells Lane Primary. Gateshead Ambassador teachers should find two CTC fliers in their Spring Packs.
www.ctctheatre.org.uk

Gateshead Council Leisure Department published this year's winners in the December issue of Council News.
Winner of the Best School Garden went to Emmaville Primary School with runners up: Highfield Primary, Rowland's Gill, Kepier Chare and The Cedars School. Cedars also won the Best Gardening Project within the classroom with runners up: Highfield Primary, Kepier Chare and Front Street Primary.
Congratulations!

We've had several enquiries about the newly-refurbished Saltwell Towers. Over the winter, the Towers will be open from 11am until 3pm. If you need to get into the Park only, the gates open at 7am and close at dusk.
http://www.gateshead.gov.uk/saltwellpark/welcome.htm

Playground 'buddies', part of the drive to eliminate bullying has been a success at St Joseph's in Central Gateshead. Headteacher Eileen Donnelly says: "The buddy scheme is part of our whole school approach to build confidence and independence and is part of our citizenship programme...it gives older children a sense of responsibility and younger children an additional point of contact should they have any worries or concerns in the playground." Teacher Carole Robson trains volunteer children who make an application to her on paper. Gateshead now has 18 'buddied' schools.

Gateshead Council have funded an artist-in-residence scheme to introduce the local community to local practitioners.
Co-ordinated by lecturer David Goard, each of the four artists is studying towards an NVQ III in Arts Development Teaching at Gateshead College. Painter Matthew Blackman is based at St Joseph's Primary School, writer Cathryn Jiggens is based at the Shipley Gallery, glass artist Sarah Blood is at Saltwell Park and Bensham Grove Community Centre and actor Ilana Mitchell is at Tyne View Primary School.

Not only are we having Swalwell Primary in this week's Top Class Pop the Question feature, but last week was the turn of another Gateshead Primary: Carr Hill. Pupil Chenise Ogle gave the thumbs up on her art lessons, her chums, school lunches, football and Miss Burney!

Circus performer Mr Ramon Martinez recently put on a juggling, balancing and magic show for the pupils at Swalwell Primary school, Gateshead. Ramon's sons Ashley and George attended the school and had asked their father to put on the show. "The performance was fantastic fun - just the kind of new experience which the Government is asking us to bring to children now", said teacher Andrea Robson. Swallwell Primary pupils will be in the news on Thursday the 25th of November in the Pop the Question column of 'Top Class' in the Newcastle Evening Chronicle, so look out for them!

Sport England's work to make children more active has paid off handsomely at Oakfield Junior School in Low Fell, Gateshead. The school has just been awarded Activemark Gold for a variety of after-school fitness clubs including dance, acrobatics, basketball, tennis, multi-sports, rugby and cheerleading! "The take-up has been phenomenal" said Headteacher Helen Gladstone. The Newcastle Evening Chronicle also carried the story on Thursday the 4th November 2004.
Three cheers!

Thank you!
Ambassador teachers in Gateshead attended the first CCA AGM on Tuesday the 12th October at Carr Hill Primary School, Gateshead. Councillor John McElroy welcomed the delegates with an overview of Culture in Education in the borough and speakers from Ryton Comprehensive, St Anne's Primary and Carr Hill Primary amongst others shared their practice and project successes. Ambassadors submitted ideas for 2005 and were given the very latest good news from Gateshead Arts Team and two surprise guests - schools staff from BALTIC and The Sage Gateshead! A full summary of the event will follow in due course, but the Arts Team would like to thank everyone for contributing to a very enjoyable evening and to Callum Kidd and staff for providing an inspirational venue.

Thursday 25th November at Gateshead Leisure Centre, 6pm.
There are still places available at this year's event for mixed displays of floor, apparatus, acrobatics and rhythmic gymnastics. The pre-event meeting is this Thursday, the 21st October at 4.15pm at the Leisure Centre. For more