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Rochester Independent College Newsletter - Spring 2016
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Welcome to our Winter 2016 newsletter


Christmas dinner, ice skating at Somerset House, Wicked in the West End and Christmas jumper day (pictured right) all got lower school students and staff in the festive mood at the end of term.

It's been another busy one at Rochester Independent College, here's all the news...

Lower School activity week


At the beginning of term our lower school students had a great time team-building at Carroty Wood Adventure Centre and learning circus skills in Underhill.




 

RIC Sixth form Information Evening





Our open event on Thursday 17th November 2016 was a fantastic opportunity for current students, parents and visitors to learn more about our fresh approach to sixth form education.



Refreshments in Underhill were followed by a short talk by Todd about choosing A level subjects, teaching, extra-curricular activities and the pastoral care offered by the College. Visitors were then encouraged to speak to teachers about A level subject content, teaching and assessment. There were also interesting seminars by visiting professionals on entry to Medical School, Oxbridge and US universities.

On 28 June 2017 we will be having a 6th form taster day for students currently in year 11 to 'taste’ five A level lessons, each an hour long. There will undoubtedly be students that have already decided upon subjects for next year but this taster day is also an opportunity to talk to tutors in areas such as Psychology, Classical Civilisation, Government and Politics,Economics etc. – academic disciplines they may have no experience or knowledge in. Click here to apply.

Winter in our wildlife gardens...

Year 10 Music trip

Our Year 10 Music class were very lucky to be invited along to watch a rehearsal for Pete Tong's Ibiza Classics on the afternoon of Tuesday 29 November at The Music Bank Studios, London. This was a fantastic opportunity for the students to see a live orchestral rehearsal and to see how a music production team works for a large scale music event.
 
Last year’s Ibiza Prom from the Royal Albert Hall can be seen here.

English Theatre Trips - A Storming Success




Last year we said goodbye to the much loved Doctor Faustus and welcomed King Lear to the syllabus. As if in celebration, whatever Dionysian force that controls the London stage provided us with two excellent productions of this darkest and most terrible of Shakespeare’s tragedies. The Victorian Shakespeare critic A. C. Bradley described King Lear as “too huge for the stage” and the cast of the first production certainly fitted that description. Rhys Ifans, Celia Imrie and Jane Horrocks were led, in a return to the stage after 23 years, by Glenda Jackson, as King Lear.  

For two year A level student Nikita Pillai this casting was part of “an underlying message of female empowerment flowing throughout the play”. Putting women in traditionally male roles is typical of director Deborah Warner, as is the approach that gives actors considerable freedom to experiment and develop their characters. “Lear and the Fool’s close relationship was also presented well in the production, with the Fool often cradling Lear in his arms, or providing advice to Lear that he hoped would make him see his mistake,” said English and Drama student, Elizabeth Brown, who has joined us this year for one year A levels. We followed this quite unconventional production up with a far more traditional approach (as certain English teachers, who shall remain nameless, had been heard muttering about "too much of this Brechtian nonsense interfering with the Bard"), with the RSC at the Barbican directed by Gregory Doran and starring Anthony Sher. This was met with firm student approval. "I cried," said English retake student, Prudence Sparkes, "when Lear held Cordelia in his arms," in the play's terminal scene.

We also saw 1984, by the Headlong theatre company, at the Playhouse Theatre in London. Dystopian fiction novel, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is at the heart of the new syllabus's 'Political and Social Protest Writing' paper, and Orwell's novel provided much of the inspiration and a key point of comparison for students. Live theatre trips and expansion upon the syllabus, even for our one year courses, is typical of the approach that we take at the college. It is especially helpful for students who take both English and Drama, but also gives students a series of enjoyable nights out at the theatre, in some cases building habits that they will keep long after college.

Congratulations!

RIC Maths teacher Danny Cheung is celebrating after his British citizenship ceremony at Rochester’s Corn Exchange recently. Danny first came to the College from Hong Kong as a cook in 2004. Boarders soon appreciated his traditional roast dinners and baking skills. RIC awarded Danny a full scholarship to study Engineering at City University where he achieved a first class degree. Congratulations Danny!

Lower School Art Trip


On 7 November our Year 11 Fine art GCSE students enjoyed a day in London at the V&A and stopped off in Hyde Park to play with the Ring-necked parakeets.

CLICK HERE for the RIC Visual Arts blog

Sixth Form Art Trips


This term Robin organised for our 6th form Art students to go to the 'Design your Future' exhibition at Excel. Students were able to speak with Arts Universities to help with decisions for their UCAS applications.


Also on 8 Dec they were inspired by room after room of works by Jackson Pollock, Barnett Newman and Mark Rothko works plus sculptural drawings in space by David Smith.

Drama News


Peter Pan Trip


On 24th November the Year 13 Theatre Studies class saw Peter Pan at the Royal National Theatre. It was in collaboration with Bristol Old Vic and told the story of the boy who never grew up by J.M. Barrie. Original a play performed in 1904 later in 1911 it became a book. The production we saw was devised from the book version and used many different techniques to create an engaging piece of theatre. Interestingly the role of Captain Hook was played by the same actress who played Mrs Darling which was Barrie's original intention.

Gothic Tales


On the last Friday of this term the Lower School saw performance of Gothic Tales in the Underhill performed by The Redheart Theatre Company. Adapted and directed by acclaimed writer/ director Justin Butcher, performed by experienced professional actor Rupert Mason, this one-man production told the tales of 'The Red Room' by H.G. Wells, 'The Signalman' by Charles Dickens and 'The Tell-tale Heart' by Edgar Allen Poe. With very simple yet effective lighting and some well placed sound effects the students were able to feel the tension build as each story came to its dramatic end.

A Christmas Carol


On the 28th November the college was lucky enough to host the European Arts Company’s one-man production of ‘A Christmas Carol’. 'A Christmas Carol' was the first public performance Charles Dickens gave of his own work. He enacted it over 150 times to rapturous audiences. After previous success in presenting this work to the lower school last year John O'Connor returned to the school to re-stage this production. The performance was attended by parents, students and local residents who all enjoyed it immensely and were gripped by John's dramatic delivery of Dickens's festive tale. 'and the effect on the public was phenomenal‘

Too Much Punch for Judy


After months of rehearsal and rearranging due to illness the GCSE Drama group were able to finally present their performance of 'Too Much Punch for Judy' by Mark Wheeller to the Lower School. The play is a true story about two sisters who are involved in a fatal accident because they chose to drink drive. This theatre in education style of play is designed to teach young people about the dangers of driving and driving so it was performed in conjunction with PSHE. The play was performed without a hitch and gained excellent feedback from the students who saw it. It is also 30% of the Year 11's final GCSE grade.
CLICK HERE for RIC Films on Youtube

RIC Year 7 Taster Days


New Dates! 8 February, 8 March 2017

This term we held three taster days for prospective year 7s which were enjoyed by all and we have two more planned for next year. Our year 5 and 6 visitors spent a fun and educational day at RIC.

If you know anyone who might be interested in coming for a taster day then please let them know the new dates. For more information and how to book please click here.

Boarding trips



This term the boarders went on lots of trips from trampolining at Gravity Trampoline Park in Maidstone to Go Ape at Leeds Castle. 



Click here to see more GO APE photos



And here to see more photos from the Trampolining trip.
 

Battle of Hastings


We had a fantastic day on Sunday 16 October at the 950th anniversary re-enactment of the Battle of Hastings. 

Swords clashed, arrows flew and maces swung as a group of chainmail-clad participants played out the 1066 Battle of Hastings – a conflict that changed the face of England. There were falconry and weaponry displays, historical lectures and living history camps.

Pictured below, budding thespian and year 13 RIC student Charlie Morris (far right) defends the realm, while history student Matthew Howarth (far left) looks on with healthy academic scepticism. For more photos click here.

Media works


Year 7 & 8 students have just finished making their own RIC versions of the Harry Potter DVD cover using Photoshop. They have been studying the genre conventions of fantasy films and developing film Ideas.

More boarding activities...


From Halloween parties to junk dressing, hot chocolate to games night, I think it's fair to say that the boarders at RIC have had a great term.


Brave the Shave


And finally congratulations to Dominic Corfield, RIC History and Politics teacher for braving the shave and raising £695 for charity.

Have a great holiday!

Spring term starts:
Tuesday 3 January 2017
RIC Term dates

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