Young to old...

Jacqueline McDonald from Kilmarnock College was back in today to continue her stage make up workshops with S4/5 dramatists (some computing students sneaked in to join us...). Today she taught them how to create a realistic make up chart and how this would be used in a professional setting.

Then she set to work demonstrating how you would make a performer look old. She had to choose the most youthful person in the group in order to show the contrast.... so of course I was the model!

I don't know about old but I definitely look scary!

After the holidays the pupils will be putting their knowledge into action as it will be their turn to transform each other into OAP's...

S4/5 & P4/5 collaboration!

P4/5 had a "Greek" day today to round off their topic work this term. They worked with S4/5 drama pupils to produce a short play based around Greek mythology. In the photos you can see Daniel working with the class on a much shortened version of "Pandora's Box". It was great fun and definitely worth while.

S3 Drama NAB

Everyone in S3 drama worked hard today to complete a written evaluation of the Production unit. Now that this is complete, they have all passed each of the components of their final NAB - well done!

Trench warfare investigation...

S2 are working hard in our 20th C history topic. The class are in two groups- one half is looking at how trenches were structured, maintained, and supplied, and at the mechanics of fighting in World War 1. The other group are using a variety of sources including poems, diary accounts, newspaper articles and photos, to complie information about day to day life for the men in the trenches. They will then use the information to write their diaries or newspaper articles. I'm really pleased with S2's hard work- they are successful learners!






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P4/5 & S4/5 collaboration

Pandora's Box

S4/5 dramatists began working on a collaborative project with P4/5 today based around the Ancient Greeks. The S4/5 students have each been given a simple script based on a story out of Greek mythology which they will have to direct the P4/5 pupils in next Tuesday. This involves casting the play, deciding on the set, costumes and props as well as the actual stage directions.

A successful performance!

Well done to S3 dramatists who sat their drama performance exam today. This part of the exam counts for 50% of their drama mark. The other 50% is made up of a written question paper in May.

Although the examiner can't give any details about how they each got on he did say they had all done well and he had really enjoyed it. I was very pleased with the pupils and thought they gave an excellent performance - well done!

Waiting to start: pre-performance nerves...

Post-performance celebrations...

And finally... post-packing away exhaustion!

The play was written on theme "A Twist of Fate". Here is a wee insight into why....

The heroine of the play, Lavinia (Chloe) suddenly brings out a knife and attacks Charles (Zander) revealing the terrible truth that she is actually the dastardly villain of the play...

Mary Jane (Beth) and Helen (Lara) leap out from where they were hiding to save Charles from imminent death...

They catch her off guard and manage to push her off the stage. Helen checks to see if she is still alive before going to call the police...

Mary Jane helps Charles up from where he has fallen. Lavinia is not quite as unconscious as they thought...

They think it is all over but this turns out to be one more twist of fate as Lavinia takes out her knife and says, "Over? It's only just begun..."

S3 artists are all working on research projects about Picasso and Van Gogh as homework. An interesting site with lots of good info about Picasso is:

http://www.users.freenetname.co.uk/~leatham/Picasso/PicassoGallery.html

Also today, Ailie completed her final piece for her expressive folio - excellent work!

More rehearsals...

Today was the last rehearsal for S3... their drama performance exam is tomorrow morning. They have all worked hard and each gave a very good performance today in the rehearsal - everything should go well.... Good Luck!

S3 Art work

Ailie has almost finished her final expressive piece - a super close up, still life arrangement of objects on a sporting theme.

Jonathan completed his expressive folio with this oil pastel seascape. I like the textures he has created and the unusual composition - well done!

Last minute preparations...

S3 dramatists were busy getting all the last minute set and costume details sorted in preparation for their exam on Wednesday...

Editing!

S4/5 dramatists were using iMovie today to edit the short film they have made about the use and functions of lighting in drama. They worked well together and got most of the editing done... only the bloopers to go!

Higher modern studies going to First Ministers Question Time

Today, Megan, Bec and Miss Rukin went to Edinburgh to see First Ministers Question Time!
We managed to get three of the 28 public tickets available- a great opportunity for the girls to see democracy in action! They have been working very hard and this is a great way to end our government unit. As well as visiting the parliament, we had time to bask in the atmosphere of this wonderful historic city. Our day ended with a visit to the national Gallery and an open top bus tour! (chilly but fun!)

We've had a really great day- we'd like to come back soon!

Here is our day in pictures....

















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Stage make-up workshop

S4/5 drama students are very fortunate to have Jacqueline, a lecturer in make-up at Kilmarnock College, working with us for the next few Wednesdays on a variety of different aspects of stage make up. It was really interesting and well presented and everyone learned a lot!

Pupils started off learning about some of the basic principles of why stage make up is used and how it is applied:

They then used mirrors to identify their face shapes:

This proved to be highly amusing...

Jacqueline focused on the simple technique of highlighting and shading the face to change its's basic shape and emphasise the features - this would be especially important for performers working under bright stage lights.

I was the model for the teaching example...

After that it was into pairs for some practical work...

Interesting results!!!! We'll keep practising...

Set design

As set designer for the S3 Int 1 production, Beth has been working during her study periods to get everything finished - here you can see her working on the centre piece for the fireplace and creating the signage for the theatre section of the set:

S3 Art

Jonathan has been working hard on his final piece for his expressive folio - a very surreal composition of a still life on the crows nest of a boat....

Meanwhile Rebecca has been working hard writing the explanation texts on her design folio:

S3 Modern Studies: the end is in sight!

S3 will sit their final nab in modern studies tomorrow... They are using lesson time this afternoon to revise. Each if them has developed their own study skills and knows how to revise in a way that suits their preferred learning style. Ailie prefers lists, Beth uses mind maps, Reece uses lots if colour, Jonny takes key notes and puts them in to spider diagrams, iain uses sticky notes to help him remember key facts, Zander uses colour and lists and Lamorna is a fan of mind maps.

After the nab, we will focus on source questions practises until study leave....




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