Research links around different themes

As Cambridge gets new primary in East Chesterton, boss warns against 'corporate school in a box' approach

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Cambridge/Cambridge-gets-a-new-primary-school-in-East-Chesterton-20130921054211.htm

Northland Educators Preventing Future School Massacres

http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/news/local/Northland-Educators-Preventing-220874981.html

Teenage pregnancy rates to keep falling in Telford

http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2013/09/16/teenage-pregnancy-rates-to-keep-falling-in-telford/

Study investigating divorce impact on Okla. children, taxpayers

http://kfor.com/2013/09/09/study-investigating-divorce-impact-on-okla-children-taxpayers/

Jack Johnson Performs “I Got You” + Covers The White Stripes For Album Release
http://www.vh1.com/music/tuner/2013-09-17/jack-johnson-live-performances/


Columbine High School massacre
The Columbine High School massacre was a school shooting which occurred on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine. It was a highly planned attack involved a fire bomb to divert fire fighters, propane tanks converted to bombs placed in the cafeteria, 99 explosive devices, and bombs rigged in cars. Two senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered a total of 12 students and one teacher. They injured 24 additional students, with three other people being injured while attempting to escape the school. The pair then committed suicide. The Columbine High School massacre is the deadliest mass murder committed on an American high school campus, and is noted as one of the first and most serious of a series of high profile spree shootings which have since occurred.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp-BeywDvLI

Meaningful quotations to Lilly Cahill

"Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time. Then your time on earth will be filled with glory." Betty Smith 

"There is a call within every one of us, a call to do something, however unpopular or unnoticed, to make the world a better place." Robert K. Cooper,

"Nothing is predestined: The obstacles of your past can become the gateways that lead to new beginnings." Ralph Blum

"How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these." George Washington Carver

"The man is richest whose pleasures are cheapest." Henry David Thoreau 

Christmas morning, Diary entry

Urm. Dear Diary.

... I don't have much to say.

I should be greatful, I got so many presents under the tree waiting to be opened. I just cant face the thought of going downstairs. I'm a mess.



It's Christmas morning, where all is suppose to be jolly and good. Suppose to be. I have no idea how to put this... School massacres, how do you deal with them? I'm fucking speechless, that's what I fucking well am. The more I think about it, the more the anger brews inside me. I'm like an overheated kettle. Jesus Christ.

I just need to write, and get my mind off of things. But the more I write the more bullshit I come out with, when I speak it doesn't even make sense. Why does it always happen to me? Why the fuck is it, that whenever I move to another school a tragedy has to follow me? This is by far the worst.

I should count my lucky stars that it wasn't me in that room, suffering in silence with nobody there to help. Why did I listen to William and not come in? I should of been there to stop him. I know, I fucking bloody know he wouldn't of killed me like he brutally murdered every single one of them innocent teenagers. He loved me.

My god, I'm loosing my fucking mind sitting here thinking about it. Who would of known that quiet William could've been the defendant of a school massacre. These things don't happen by a click of a finger? But what made him... Who made him... Why did it... So many questions but never enough answers.

Urm, dear diary.

... I dont have much to say other than: My friends are dead, William is in a mental institute, my parents are never going to be happy together, I have to move schools again and finally... Today... It's christmas morning, where all is suppose to be jolly and good. Suppose to be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv0hlbWpa1w
(The image of the Christmas tree was suited for this diary entry because I was talking about Christmas day and coming downstairs to receive a lot of presents from my rich father however not being grateful for them because I was too upset about the school massacre I luckily got away from)

Last night was so fun, Diary entry

Well Hello diary!

Do I sound happier than usual? That's because I am. Go on guess why. I dare you.

Last night, I slept with Nicholas. It was his first time, it was so cute he confessed to me today. I felt harsh because I laughed at him. But he was pretty good, in fact make that really good.

We were just talking and he said to me "I've been thinking about what you look like, you know... with no clothes on" At first I laughed and then said "What do you mean?" He pulled me in closer, kissed me on my forehead and whispered in my ear "I think, I know... What I'm trying to say is..."

I don't know what happened to me, my body just took over and I felt shivers. This, I think was love. It was fun, it was interesting, it was so good. Is it bad that I'm fairly new and sleeping around? Well, I've had opinions been said about me before, it's not like I'm going to miraculously give a fuck now.

Honestly, it was so fucking good. He wants to keep us a secret, are you for real? Is there something wrong with me? Opinions will be opinions I suppose. All I know is that last night was fucking amazing and it'll be so hilarious just to rub it into Williams face when it eventually comes out!

I suppose I'll have to lour Nicholas in even more now, just to make sure he keeps coming. He seems quite interested. Let the fun and games begin!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2o7rlLquqt4

(The image of Nicholas was best suited here because it was relevant to the diary entry and I was speaking about what happened 'last night' with him. I imagine Nicholas to be a good looking, just under 6ft boy with a slight edge to his personality, which makes my character more attracted to him.)

Getting to know Nicholas, In the common room, Diary entry

Hello Diary,

I know we haven't spoken in a while, I've been busy up to my eyes revising. It seems like for once I actually got the wrong impression of Manchester. It's not all that bad. I guess BBC News only show the bad aspects of Manchester. Well at least this part is quite upper class. They are snobby, but no way near as snobby as the people in Cambridge.

There is a boy called Nicholas, he seems lovely. Ok, i'll let you into a secret... I really fancy him. I think there's a bit of a love triangle, well actually there is. William asked me out, it was so funny. He made such a big fuss over it which I clearly wasn't interested. It was quite fun stringing him along though. I felt bad after he told me about his parents but you know... I'm interested in Nicholas.

Nicholas is so gorgeous, he has such a fit body. We keep catching eyes on opposite sides of the class room and then he does this fit smirk and flicks his hair. Hot or not? HOT.

(The image of Nicholas was suited here because I was explaining in my diary entry what he looked like and how I felt towards meeting him for the first time and being instantly attracted to him.)


 

Before the play, diary entry

Dear Diary,

I'm shitting myself. My dad's just told me that we're moving out of Cambridge and moving to Manchester (Stockport). I love how my dad is so rich, because he spoils me rotten and I get what I want. But not always. Because he is rich, this means I have to move around all the time just for him to stay rich.

I've just got use to Cambridge and the posh snobs there, and now I have to go to Manchester. What even is Stockport? I bet it's full of low life, drugged up children trying to be older than they really are. I've heard a lot about Manchester, you see it on the news and stuff. You know, the children in schools never learn, adults are out raving until all hours. I can't believe how stupid my dad is being, for once in his life could he not listen to how I feel?

I think it's sad. I've never really had a best friend. You know, somebody you can share secrets with and do fun things with. Well I did, years ago. When I was really young I went to a nursery in Harrow and my best friend was called Jessica, but I called her Jess. She was always moving around and then I never spoke to her since. Now the tables have changed and I'm always moving around. I think I'm immune to having a best friend now. Maybe it's something wrong with me?

My parents never care about my childhood, you know... Letting me grow up and be free. Its always me me me, I I I, daddy knows best. More like daddy knows where to put his money.

Anyway, I'm going to sleep on the idea of me moving to somewhere else. AGAIN! I may as well listen to some good music whilst I'm at it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0J2QdDbelmY

Warming up in Theatre

Thursday 12th September 2013
Warming up in Theatre

Getting into Neutral

We started off our warm up by walking around the room in different paces so that we relax our bodies and show that we have spacial awareness. We then moved onto doing leg swings which relaxed our leg muscles and warmed us up. We looked straight ahead and kept our bodies in neutral to make us more comfortable before acting.

We then swung our arms around at different paces to have the same outcome that the leg swings gave us. We then caused friction between our hands which made warmth and then we warmed up and massaged our faces so that we were relaxed and ready to get into a neutral state and prepared to act any role.

We laid on the floor with our eyes open and imagined a small feather on our lips and did exercises that controlled our breathing and the amount of breaths we take whilst doing different noises which could use our voice box or just breath.

We then had our eyes closed and imagined a small movement our characters will make in the play and then we imagined how we would perform it. We then imagined other thoughts about our characters which helped us explore ways in which our character would act and things that can some up their past and future. This helped us in the next activity as we wrote about our characters in the first person and had to imagine things that were not necessarily obvious in the script. This helped us make a profile of our characters and this would also help us discover ways in which we can act this.

In the mind of Lilly Cahill

Who am I?

I am Lilly Cahill, and I am 17 years old. I am new to Stockport (Manchester). I live with my mother and father, my dad is extremely rich. Unfortunately due to his job it consists of me having to move around schools and colleges all the time, which is extremely hard for me to fit in because I have to deal with many different personalities quite regularly. I suppose I'm used to moving around a lot now. Currently I go to a fee paying grammar school in Stockport, however previously I came from a fee paying school in Cambridge.

I'm getting to know people at my college and I'm trying to be as nice as possible to people. Although, I do have my opinions which I'm sure to keep to myself. I quite like the look of Nicholas, he seems really nice too. As a matter of fact, I think I actually quite like him. I keep getting lost around the school but it seems like Tanya is always on my case and wants to see where I'm going all the time. I think they think I'm quite weird, but not long until I'm moved onto another school.


Where am I?

- England
- Greater Manchester
- Stockport
- Fee paying grammar school in Stockport
- I'm in a room in the large Victorian building of my school
- I am in the small, empty library of my school

The library of my school seems to be a compact room. Wooden tables surrounds me and barely any books and other recourses are in here. I feel like I am in a neglected, unloved room. What's a library without a librarian? I feel like I have been placed in a room that I shouldn't be him, more and more people are starting to wonder in, and it's as if they are use to this cold atmosphere. This confuses me, it is mid October and it feels like we are in mid December in this abandoned room. But its a library, where people would want to learn and be here. It seems like a set for a horror movie. But its my school library.

(I believe the picture of Lilly was best suited here as I described who she was and what she looked like. She looks like a pretty young girl with an edge if you got to know her.)




What time is it?

- 2006
- Mid October
- Mid week (Wednesday)
- Late morning
- Cloudy and rainy outside

What's my relationship to people?

- Tanya (Showing me around the school, seems like a nice person)
- Cissy (Never really introduced her self, however seems quite nice from what I've seen)
- Nicholas (Really like the look of him, haven't really spoken to him however he seems really nice to be around and a great personality. I'd love to get to know him more)
- Bennett (I don't really know him, however he seems quite rude)
- William (William seems really clingy with me, however he may just be being friendly which I also don't mind)
- Chadwick (He knows everything, and seems to be the smartest out of the group and the one who always has a theory for everything)

What are my given circumstances?
(What happens to me at the point?)

I am new to the school and I am trying to get to grips with how the school works and how people like to act around one another. I got slightly lost on my way to school but I followed the road directions and finally found my school, I should of really done the journey before hand. I panic about these things. I was kindly escorted to my first lesson by a boy.. However I didn't quite catch his name. I them took my seat at the back of my English class, I stayed quiet and analysed the room and the people around me. Nobody really took any notice but when they did, they didn't really want to know me. I suppose that's quite rude.

I seem to always be pushed around from pillar to post but depending on my fathers next job I could be moved around again (which I hope not because I quite like it here). I've always kept myself to myself when I first start school. Even sitting in my first couple of lessons people looked at me as if I was odd. But when Tanya and Cissy met me they seemed to be quite welcoming.. I think.

What do you want?

I really want to fit in at this school, people seem nice but some are a bit weird. I'm really interested in Nicholas, he seems so nice. William seems to always be around me, I think he likes me. No, let me rephrase that... I think he can trust me. Which is nice I suppose?

I want my parents to spend more time with me. My dad is always working, so he never really has time for me and because I'm an only child there is no one for me to be around when my dad is at work. I've always been closer to my dad than my mum, because she's always drinking to herself in the other room and when my dad is home, they argue. I want to feel part of something for once.

How do you get it?

I'll show that I'm a really trustworthy friend to William because I feel like he knows he can trust me and tell me anything, it's early days though. But with everybody else, I'm going to be really down to earth and not boast too much on what I know and what they don't.

At home... Well I suppose nothing will change. Unless my mother and father have a child, but at this rate...  I don't think that's going to happen. My mother is far too interested in locking herself in her bedroom whilst dad is out and drowning her sorrows in drink. My father always said he could get a counsellor to keep the family together, but he has never arranged it so I don't think either of them are that fussed on keeping the family together. I wish they would stay together though. I think they will... My mother wants dad's money.