The Year 10 and 11 students were performing long contemporary pieces for their BTEC Dance exam. The Year 11 Dance piece was choreographed entirely through Merce Cunningham’s style of chance technique. This made it an extremely difficult dance to remember as well as perform.

This year RCC decided to raise money for a relatively new charity called Dance aid. We raised £50.00 through the sale of programmes and raffle tickets.
Dance aid is an exciting new charity that want to harness the energy of dance to transform the lives of vulnerable children. They want to raise money to help orphaned, poor and exploited children in the UK and the developing world. You can find out more about Dance aid by the following links.

www.danceaid.org
www.facebook.com/danceaid
www.twitter.com/danceaidUK
www.youtube.com/danceaidUK

The audience were at first shocked to see some of their friends and teachers dancing in the school yard but they thoroughly enjoyed the performance.

On the Thursday afternoon we had the privilege of seeing Billy Elliot the Musical at the Victoria Palace Theatre. The choreography, the set, the music and the rest of the production was fantastic. We all came away with a tear in our eye knowing that this was a show that we wanted to see again and again.

The next morning we got up bright and early to a lovely continental breakfast so that we were ready for the Move it 2012 Dance Festival. This was such a unique insight to see and experience what dance opportunities are available across the country for young people. It was great to see such wonderful performances from the different dance colleges to see what new talent is out there.

There were lots of things to see and do throughout the day from taking part in a Commercial Edge Dance Class to watching Kimberly Wyatt from the ‘Pussycat Dolls’ and one of the judges from Sky One’s ‘Got to Dance’ on stage. Some of the students even met Chris and Wes, the ‘Got to Dance’ winners from 2011! (And we all got loads of freebies)

After such a busy day we needed a good meal. We went to a restaurant that sold metre long pizzas! We managed to eat them all after doing lots of walking and dancing that day.

The whole trip was fantastic and everyone would love to visit the Dance Festival again. Look out for information for Move it 2013.

We hope to display this information in school to inspire current students with their future prospects by providing a first-hand view of different career options and helping plan their journey towards their dream careers.

To provide students with an insight into different careers and jobs we are inviting former students to get in touch and tell us about what they have done in their working lives and the challenges that they have faced in getting where they are now. If you want to help all you need do is contact us with details of your job, qualifications and career path as well as any advice you can give to students considering that career.

If you can help please use the below questions as a basis of your response and reply to Mrs Harrington-Coonan (CIAG Coordinator) at Redcar Community College, Kirkleatham Lane, Redcar, TS10 4AB (joannehcoonan@redcarcc.com).

• When did you attend our school?
• What is your job title (please provide an outline of your role and responsibilities)?
• What qualifications are needed for your job?
• What advice would you give to student wanting to follow your career path?
• Is there anything else you would like to add to help our students plan for future careers?

No sooner had we returned to school following our Christmas break we were contacted by the BBC who had heard about our reading programme.  The students were eager to share their experience with the Look North news team and so welcomed them in to one of their sessions.  To watch the BBC Look North news broadcast please watch the attached film below.

(Video: Watch this video on the post page)
NOTE: Once you press play this video will take 10 seconds to start. 

At Redcar Community College we are having a night for breast cancer awareness in the Compass Centre and we would love you all to come along and help us.

There will be lots of stalls to buy from including cupcakes, cookies, soaps, cinder toffee, a raffle and tombola. As-well-as this you will be provided with a free cup of tea or coffee.

We hope you can make it to support this worthy cause.

Mum-of-two Pauline Douglas, assistant head of Redcar Community College, tackled the Great North Run for Kidney Research because her son Matthew, three, suffers from chronic renal failure.

Matthew’s kidney problem was picked up from a routine 20-week scan when Mrs Douglas, 41, was pregnant.

Since he was born, the brave tot has undergone two bladder operations at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary in his short life – including one when he was just five weeks old.

With his kidneys functioning at just 30%, Matthew’s condition is controlled by medication.

And although he’s doing well at the moment, he will eventually need a kidney transplant.

To thank the “fantastic” RVI team who care for him, Mrs Douglas – a former county sprinter – decided to tackle the Great North Run and raised £640.

But students at the Redcar school also wanted to help.

After a suggestion by Year 10 student Dean Froom – whose late grandfather Gordon Nicholas chaired the Kidney Foundation in the North-east but died last year after chronic renal failure – they held a coffee morning and raised a further £115 for Kidney Research.

Dean and his classmates are part of the Excel Club, Prince’s Trust, which is linked to the alternative curriculum for enrichment and allows young people to develop skills such as team work, leadership and problem-solving.

To the admiration of course teacher Jacquie Kelly, they self-managed the coffee morning, including baking cakes and biscuits and organising the room layout for staff and students.

Dean also did a presentation to the Excel Club about Kidney Research, showing how a coffee morning could make a difference.

Mrs Douglas, whose other son is Alec, nine, spent a year training for the Great North Run with the Women’s Network running group in Ingleby Barwick.

She admitted the half marathon was “very much out of my comfort zone”.

And she said she was “very touched” by Dean’s gesture in supporting Kidney Research.

She added: “The young people at Redcar Community College are so giving and supporting of charities, staff and students. They will always go the extra mile to do their best.

“Our school ethos is about promoting a safe and caring learning environment. Our students are part of our extended family and this is exactly what Dean and his classmates have shown. They are a credit to our school.”

Article courtesy of the Evening Gazette.

The programme aims to enhance not only the students’ love of reading but also to develop their literacy understanding and skills.

Here is what some of the students and staff involved had to say about the day:

“I really enjoyed the solar ovens. The cakes were really nice and very yummy. Thanks very much. I really enjoyed myself.”  – Charlotte, Ryehills

“Great session with diverse activities that were accessible for the whole age range – Year 10s were as enthusiastic as the Year 7s. Delivery was very enthusiastic and genuine – which was evident to all students and was infectious. A good day!” – Mr Stockwell, Ryehills

“I really enjoyed today. We made solar cookers and did a fair trade selling activity. I also met lots of new people and had lots of fun.” – Joseph, Sacred Heart

“I’ve enjoyed today. I have learnt that every day we all, without knowing or meaning to, play a part in global warming and that farmers receive more in fair trade than farmers not in fair trade.” – Tekeila, Ryehills