SOME ACTIVITIES INTRODUCED THIS YEAR
NEW NEW NEW !

WIN COMMUNITY GLEE CHOIR


CHEERLEADING

Participating in cheerleading not only provides students with a myriad of benefits it is great fun. The jumping and dancing involved in cheerleading provide great cardiovascular exercise. Dancing and tumbling enhance coordination. Learning how to do the lifts and other acrobatic moves are great ways to build strength, flexibility, and confidence—all of which are likely to benefit them in other areas such as developing social and Inteolrpersonal skills. Students have to work together in this activity, so teamwork and trust are essential.

This Easter, Premier Sport and ACS Panthers worked with WIN to provide 2 full days of Cheerleading and 5 full days of Multi Sports at Parish Church Schools and Howard Primary School..

February Half term:

4 Day Drama Workshop

Once again WIN have worked with ‘Upstage’ during February half term on a brand new project for 2011.  Students worked with two professional directors Iain and Ben, to write and perform their own original play which they performed to family and friends on the Thursday afternoon.
 
The students were very fortunate to have Iain directing as he has appeared at the Royal Exchange, the Salisbury Playhouse, Liverpool Playhouse, Bolton Exchange, Hull Truck, Library Theatre, Manchester and the Arts Theatre, London. On TV he has appeared in Coronation Street, The Bill, A Rather English Marriage and Christmas Carol-The Movie. Iain has directed at the Rosemary Branch Theatre, the Battersea Arts Centre, the Edinburgh Festival and was resident director for the Shakespeare for Schools Festival.

The aim of the workshop was for our students to learn about theatrical techniques, promoting self-expression, confidence and teamwork. They covered improvisational skills, characterisation and the art of story-telling through acting. The course was challenging, creative and great fun and hopefully will also prove to be a great transitional project from primary to secondary school. The workshop was attended by 9 Y6 and 8 year 7 & 8 students from local WIN schools.
 
The students chose a theme based around ‘our lives so far’ drawing on personal experiences which ranged from happy memories, humourous incidents and a sad experience. They developed a range of skills to deliver these stories including the use of human sculpture and producing backing rhythms ‘Stomp’ style.
 
The 17 students worked well together through team work, responding sensitively to all ideas and encouraged each other to build on personal confidence to ensure that their final 22 minute delivery was smooth and entertaining.

 

The Junk Orchestra

Attendance 35 including 3 mums and pre school siblings.

Saul Eisenberg holds a BA hons in acting and music and his percussion studies have taken him to Cuba, West Africa and Brazil. Throughout his career he has travelled the world as a drummer, actor, musical director and theatre practitioner working for many famous companies, including: Stomp, Blueman Group, Punchdrunk, Theatre Rites, Unicorn Children’s Theatre, London Bubble, Trestle Theatre, London Symphony Orchestra, Hammersmith Lyric, Warwick Arts Centre, Live Music Now, Superact, Filter Theatre, Ruhr Trienalle and even The HMS prison service
 
Saul says “This project is the culmination of many years as a performer and educator and brings together many of the key elements that are central to my ethos as a musician and artist. “

 he Junk Orchestra brought together: Music, storytelling, recycling, and environmental issues all into one pot.  Every item that he bought along had  been rescued from the back yard to form a hotch-potch collection of fabulous re-invented objects; an awesome green sound machine!
 
From sliding plastic pipe trombones and scaffold xylophones to the haunting sounds of the trampoline reverb tubes the gas tank tongue drums.

The students were entertained with a musical story, before participating in a hands music making experience. Pupils were able to try out a variety of instruments from the flip flop xylophone to cutlery chimes, from the smallest shaker to the biggest oil drum learning how to make the clearest notes by hitting, tapping, turning and vibrating the equipment - everyone was valued in creating an overall composition.
 
In the afternoon workshop parents and younger siblings were invited to join in and we had a family jamming session.
 
The orchestra was very popular with all ages and WIN and Croydon CU will invite Saul to run a one day instrument making workshop for families. So watch this space!

Multi Sports

Multi Sports at The Aerodrome 2 x 2hour workshops on Wednesday 23rd February 2011
Attendance  39. Age range Reception – Y6
And
4 day Multi Gym at Parish Church Nursery & Infant School - Tuesday 21st  – Friday 24th February 10am – 3 pm.
Attendance 80
 
WIN worked with several professional sports coaches to provide lively multi sports workshops in both locations.
 
Our Multi Sports courses are designed so that all children of all abilities can enjoy participating in a range of sports. We firmly believe that learning variety of sports is the best way to help a child develop and build on any existing skills they may have.

The aims of the workshops were for the children

• to have a great time, make/spend time with friends,
• enjoy and improve their knowledge and general sports ability in a safe, structured and FUN environment and  
• be encouraged to appreciate the benefits of teamwork and good sportsmanship. 

Multi Sports continues to be a firm favourite for pupils in WIN schools

Street Dance Workshop

Tuesday 22nd February 2011- 10am – 3 pm
Attendance 22 students Y3 – 6
 
WIN invited Maximum Dance Design, an exciting company that provides qualified and experienced fitness, dance and performing arts instructors dedicated to giving people, of ALL ages, the opportunity to improve fitness, balance, co-ordination and creativity. 
 
The workshop began with a warm up and a basic overview of the hip hop style of dance. Some of the skills that were enhanced by taking part in this workshop focused on co-ordination, movement and rhythm.  Numerical skills were used to count beats and work with rhythm - and teamwork was essential.
Street dance has always been a popular activity that really encourages young people to work together as well as build on their confidence. The songs and music used are geared to the current charts using popular music that fits the hip-hop realm.
 
This workshop was very practical – young people got straight into learning moves and a full-choreographed routine.
 
On this occasion, being just a one day workshop instead of two, there was not an opportunity for the students to work in small groups to create their own choreography.  However, all students were delighted to have achieved the full choreography bought by the trainer and were given the opportunity to perform the routine in smaller groups and watch each other.

Art & Craft - Family Workshop

Attendance: 24 Students, 4 parents and pre school siblings

 WIN offered a morning of creativity to support the Fairtrade Fortnight – Fairtrade Cotton Awareness.
 
The workshop began by considering where their breakfast may have originated and if any of the items were Fairtrade products. They then began looking at where cotton came from and how it was farmed. Children considered how Fairtrade supported farmers and their families by giving them a fair wage, by helping communities to build houses and schools and the importance of the work that Fairtrade undertake. They discussed how hard the farmers worked including children and that it was not fair that some were paid much less than some others.
 
The children and families were asked to consider what they might like to say to show their support for Fairtrade.  Everyone was given had a piece of Fairtrade Cotton Bunting to decorate in their own style together with a personal message of support.  The flags were decorated in very bright colours, many depicting a range of Fairtrade products. The children were very creative and many colourful sequins, feathers and glitter was used alongside fabric paints and felt tip pens.
 
The bunting will be given to Fairtrade together with contributions from many other community groups and it is hoped that this will then receive an award for ‘the longest bespoke bunting in the world’ and be published in the Guinness Book of Records.
 
The workshop aimed to promote :

• an awareness of the valuable work of Fairtrade,
• an empathy for children in other countries who have to work and do not have access to education;
• to work together and support each other
• to realise their role in supporting  the community and wider world
• to have fun and be creative

Previous Holidays Activities have included :
Young Filmakers Academy
Students  have worked two projects this year and l learnt about the following aspects of film making:
Pre production ( budget and script development)
Production ( Acting and filming)
Post Production ( Editing and Evaluation)
 
A group of students from St Andrew’s High School, Parish Church Junior School and Howard Primary School produced two short films on the theme of keeping your self safe. These are being used within the school for PSHE and Assemblies. The first aimed top junior and secondary aged pupils looked at keeping safe on social networking sites and the second for slightly younger pupils looked at the danger of being out in the street listening to music on headphones not being aware of the dangers around them.
 
The second film is part of a project called ‘Eclipse’ groups of students from all over Croydon have worked a different scene based on an Eclipse. These will be edited and put together to make a complete film which will be premiered at the Fairfield Halls in March.
  
Forensic Science:
This year we have run three workshops for students aged from 5 up to 14. They learnt about Forensic Science through role play activities by solving imaginary crimes:
 
They learnt about preserving evidence at a crime scene by taking photographs, sketching the scene and measuring distances and collecting samples of fibres, hairs, pieces of paper and messages on mobile phones..
 
Students also  learnt about finger printing, Forensic Anthropology and how to tell the age and sex of a skull, and different types of impressions left at crime scenes such as tyres , shoe prints etc.
  
Drumming and Samba Music
In August and October we ran the very popular Drumming workshop at which students composed and performed a range of styles from African drumming and Samba Bands alongside professional musicians.
 
Street Dance 2 day workshop
Street Dance is becoming increasingly popular with both girls and boys. They  have worked with a professional choreographers putting together their own ideas and producing performances at the end of the second day for family and friends.

Film Club Music Making Three Day Work Shop
WIN are very fortunate to be offered this three day workshop as members of the Film Club. Students were able to work with a team of four professional musicians to compose their own music to a variety of film clips. They learnt how important music is in film to create the emotional context. They studied a variety of film clips without the original soundtrack and were able to create the setting in music.
 
FILM Club also ran  throughout the Summer showing films for different age groups on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. This was attended by about 240 children.
 
Multi Gym
Every school holiday WIN  provide A full programme of multi ball sports such as cricket, tennis, soft ball  which are all run by professional coaches
 
WIN Steel Band 
In January WIN introduced Steel Pans to the list of activities and started with an hour on Saturday mornings. We now run 4 sessions a week and the students from  aged 9 to 16 are making excellent progress. They have been invited to play at St Andrew’s Church open day, the opening of the Nest at Parish Church Schools with the Bishop of Croydon and some Christmas Concerts.
 
WIN Gospel Choir
For the last two Summer terms, Win have run a massed choir with over 300 students from all our WIN schools performing in a exciting and lively Concert at the Fairfield Halls.