News & Events

On Monday 29th June over 60 pupils performed in the Dance showcase and Transition event. They performed dances choreographed by Miss Giles and some even performed their own work. Students participating were from year 7 up to year 10.

There were also pictures of pupils from all the local primary schools who Miss Giles has worked with over the past year. They all performed beautifully and the audience thoroughly enjoyed it. Big thank you to Sacha Hughes and Sabrina Parker for helping at dance club.

Well done to you all

Miss Giles

At Eggbuckland School on Monday June 22nd, Tavistock College students won the Carnegie Shadowing event. Students have been meeting weekly for a few months to read and discuss all the shortlisted books for the national Carnegie Awards.

Each participating school was then allocated a book to present, in any way they chose. The presentation had to include not more than 5 students and had to last not more than 8 minutes. Tavistock were allocated the powerful and moving novel, “Buffalo Soldier” by Tanya Landman which is set in America at the end of the Civil War. A slave girl, Charley is the main character and her story of survival, through some desperate years, incorporates the desperate stories of the Native Americans, the settlers and the Yankee Cavalry.

The students presented the emotion of the novel through music and drama. They researched the songs and music of the time and of the different groups of people fighting for freedom. Issy Prout’s beautiful and soulful singing captured the misery of slavery; Zara Richards conveyed the idealism of the settlers with her flute music; Thanae Garland Tsirka represented the harrowing tale of the native Americans with her drumming, based on the earliest recorded drumming of Sioux warriors; Matt Boyle conveyed the aggression of the Yankee Army with his loud and expert snare drumming and Emily Handel, who had written a lot of the script, kept the whole thing together as a narrator.

The piece was powerful…it sent shivers down the spine and the group were worthy winners. They worked hard to research the era and to present the harrowing conflict between all the different factions. The audience were very aware of the question, which was left unanswered, “what is freedom?”

Many congratulations!

On Monday 6th July year 10 dance students went to teach at Mary Tavy primary school as part of their dance leaders assessment. They all had to teach a particular age group ranging from reception to year 6.

I was blown away by the talent this group have. Not only are they amazing dancers, their teaching skills were brilliant. They were so professional and had such a positive attitude to the pupils.

They should all be really proud. They will all receive a qualification from this which is fantastic.

Miss Giles