Tennant's 'Hamlet' on the BBC

On Sunday last the BBC showed the film of Gregory Doran's RSC stage production of Hamlet, opening with CCTV footage of the battlements of Elsinore. It's also worth looking at the BBC's microsite which has lots of interesting material - video interviews with cast and crew, clips from past productions (back to 1913), teachers' notes and more.

And that's the last of 380 posts for 2009. All the best to everyone interested in English literature and in the English language in 2010. We'll be very busy then, with lots more ideas and innovations...

Christmas Past 2009, 22

The last of this year's selection from our Everybody Writes Day, during which every pupil (and some teachers) in the school wrote about the theme 'Christmas Past'. Happy Christmas to all...

That evening, the little country railway station was deserted, and I was the only passenger to leave the train, stepping gingerly onto the icy platform with my bag. My father was waiting in his car in the all-enveloping fog, and he drove us slowly and very carefully through the white frozen landscape. It hadn't snowed: the whiteness came from night after night of freezing frost. The headlights were dipped, the beams hitting the fog only a few feet away, and we moved along the deserted road, cocooned in the car, towards home.

In the morning, I opened the curtains to a bright blue sky. In the garden, the branches on the trees were heaped inches high with frost, crusty piles of sugar, sugar, sugar.

Bernard O'Donoghue's 'Christmas'

Bernard O'Donoghue's poem 'Christmas', from his Selected Poems, is reprinted in today's Irish Times. O'Donoghue's 'Aine' was our Poem of the Week in May 2008, and here's another post about him.

Christmas Past 2009, 21

It was Christmas Eve, and a cold bitter winter's night. We had just arrived back from Mass, and sprinted inside to turn on the RTE news. They confirmed it: Santa Claus was definitely coming and would be arriving in Ireland in approximately two hours.

After we had gotten everything ready for Santa Claus, I remember my mother coming out with three presents - one for me and one for each of my two brothers. Within a few seconds the red and white wrapping paper had been ripped open.

Inside the wrapping paper lay a beautiful pair of real silk pyjamas. They were gold and they were covered in small blue and white flowers. I absolutely loved them. I ran upstairs to put them on, and suddenly I could hear my father calling me to come downstairs.

I got down as fast as I could, to find my father standing at the window. 'Look, it's snowing.' I was overwhelmed by joy.

My brothers and I ran outside and gazed as the small white snowflakes that fell from the black sky stuck to the ground.

My father came out afterwards and I ran to him and jumped up into his arms. I wrapped my arms around his broad body and said, 'I love you, Daddy' and he said 'I love you too.'

Christmas Past 2009, 20

A Baby in a Manger

A frosty morning
A brace of pheasants
A laurel wreath
A holly tree

A chocolate calendar
A wooden angel
A stream of lights
A crispy turkey

A swollen stocking
A fiery pudding
A morning hunt
A smoking chimney

A nativity play
A partridge in a pear-tree
A baby in a manger
A life sacrificed for me.

Christmas Past 2009, 19

We had just finished Christmas dinner when it happened. The first person to notice it was my younger brother. I was too busy unwrapping my presents to notice him pressing his nose flat on the large window in the living-room. My parents didn't notice either. They were clearing the table and looking after my granny, making sure that she was comfortable on the sofa. She didn't notice it either: she was too busy watching me playing with my new toys.

After a while I noticed my brother had left all his presents behind, which was definitely unusual. I looked at him, still standing there, his breath fogging the glass as he stared outside. What was he looking at? What could be more interesting than his presents? Some were still lying untouched under the Christmas tree.

I moved to the window to discover what was out there.

At first I saw nothing. I asked my brother what it was, but he would not respond. He kept staring up into the dark sky. So I went closer, as close as possible to the window, my nose flattened by the cold pane, and tried to figure out what it was. I could see nothing special.

Just when I was about to turn around and start playing with my new toys, I saw it. Up there. There were only one or two at a time, white against the sky, and hardly visible, but those were definitely snow flakes falling from the sky.

I had never had snow at Christmas before, so the thought of a proper white Christmas was incredible. So I kept standing there, excited to see if the snowfall would get heavier, or stop. And after a while it did grow heavier. We watched the green of the grass at the front of the house being covered by white. We saw the black silhouettes of the trees turning white, slowly. The bushes and every single part of the sad-looking dark world outside turned white, just as if the angels themselves had dropped their feathers on our world. And all I could think of was that this was the best Christmas present I had ever got.

I can't tell you how long I was standing there for. Two little boys were fascinated by the snow falling outside. But finally my brother broke the silence.

'Let's build a snowman,' was what he said.

Christmas Past 2009, 18

Christmas Day, Bondi Beach.

My mother watched from the shore, as she had a broken foot, and stitches, but we still played in the water, oblivious to her desire to be with us. We swam out far, I mean my father swam with me on his back, as I was only four years old.

We reached a sandbank, and the waves towered over me, and knocked me down every time they hit me. I laughed and splashed, while my brother was tumbled as if he was in a washing machine.

Our fun was cut short as a helicopter flew overhead, announcing a Great White Shark. It had been spotted just off the beach. It was time to go back to the beach. Barbeque time.

Results of Edublog Awards, 2009

Many thanks to all our friends and visitors who voted SCC English into 'second runner-up' position (otherwise known as third) in the 'Best Group Blog' category at the 2009 Edublog Awards. Full details of the voting are here. This follows our win last year, so we've had a very pleasing time of it at the 'Eddies'.

Many congratulations to the winner, Macmillan Dictionary Blog, and the 'first runner-up', I.N.K. - Interesting Non-Fiction for Kids.

We're delighted that English Companion, which, along with many other English teachers, we nominated and voted for, won 'Best Educational Use of a Social Network'.

Check out the full lists of winners and nominees here - a great way to see the sort of work that is being done worldwide.

Christmas Past 2009, 17

17. Christmas is supposed to be a happy time of year, when you exchange gifts and spend time with your family. However, what we forget is how some people have to face horrific times during Christmas.

Sometimes you are too young to be aware of what's really happening. The Christmas of 2006 would have been the worst-ever Christmas for me if I had been aware of what was happening to my father. He was in hospital, not aware yet that he had cancer. So he was suffering, and in pain. But even though you might not be aware of it at the time, it almost upsets you more when you are older. Just the thought of having not known can make you feel guilty.

Christmas Past 2009, 16

It was late on Christmas Eve and I clearly remember the delight on my brother's face. We had placed our 'stockings' at the end of our beds. These stockings were the biggest of our father's socks that we could find. My brother's was a murky green one, knee-high and quite stretchy. Mine was a tangerine colour, and even longer than my brother's, much to my delight.

I remember how I had set out a glass and brandy and some cookies for Father Christmas, and my brother had found a large carrot for Rudolph. Our parents told us we had to go to bed early because Santa wouldn't arrive if we didn't. My brother shouted out in protest and insisted that we have 'The Night Before Christmas' read for us. Our father agreed, and sat down beside the fire with the book.

The next morning we woke with a huge present by our beds, but before we opened it we rushed to see if Santa had eaten his cookies and drunk his brandy.

As we came into the sitting-room, we realised that not only had he had his treats, but he also had left soot-marks all across the carpet. My brother screeched: 'He must have been here!'

Christmas Holidays

We end the Michaelmas Term today, and come back on Monday 11th January 2010. So it's time for lots of reading during the festivities. There will be some more automated posts on 'Christmas Past' as we complete our series leading up to Christmas itself. It's been another extremely busy blogging term, and in January we'll be posting lots of work by pupils - particularly Extended Essays and book reports - that got backed up towards the end of this term.

A final reminder of the Edublog Awards vote - last day today. And Happy Christmas to all our visitors.

Christmas Past 2009, 15

15. My Granny was around. We decorated the tree as usual like every year, except that this year Granny didn't know who we were or where she was. She had moments of memory, and it all took me back to when I was ten, giving her home-made presents, one after the other.

She passed away three days later, but I'm glad she got to enjoy one more Christmas.

Edublog Voting...

There are still two days in which to register your vote in the 2009 Edublog Awards. Voting stops at 04:59 on Thursday morning, Irish time, and you can vote by clicking the badge at the top of the right-hand sidebar.

Do check through the categories to see lots of great work around the world. And thanks for your support, like last year!

About Two Boys

It's the last night of term, and time for the traditional end of year Christmas pantomime. The makers of the award-winning St Saint's trilogy present ... the prequel, About Two Boys, tonight in the BSR from 8.30pm.

It's the story of two Headmasters, coincidentally both named Michael, and how they came to be what they are. It's also the story of a cruel interview, crack German paratroopers, some dodgy 1970s disco-dancing, a Marilyn Monroe tribute duet, the shaving off of a moustache, and much, much more.

Read the programme here.

Review of 'A Christmas Carol'

Here's a review by John Clarke from First Form, following their recent visit to the Gate Theatre:

On Wednesday, 9 December, I Form went to see John Mortimer's adaptation of Dickens's A Christmas Carol at the Gate theatre. The production was directed by Alan Stanford.

I thought the set was very realistic: it consisted of a brick wall and a fireplace with many entrances and an old Victorian door on the right. The backdrop occasionally opened up to reveal shop windows in London. The brilliant Victorian top hats, gowns, dresses, tail-coats, cloaks and rags also set the scene well and it was evidently a busy winter's night in a London street.

I had previously seen Stephen Brennan in Noel Coward's Present Laughter. In both of his performances as the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Present, he was hilarious.

Paul Nolan, playing one of the chorus London boys, used his carolling voice brilliantly and played a big part in making the stage performance realistic. I felt excited and proud to see him up there having known him for six years.

My favourite scene was Mr Fezziwig's ball as I thought the dancing and the laughter of the excited ladies and gentlemen was amusing and really enjoyable to watch. It was just as I had imagined it in the book.

I was rather disappointed by the scene with Marley's ghost. Although it was exciting and the ghost made me shiver, the narrators standing openly in the background spoiled the sense of Scrooge being utterly alone.

I thought the play overall was very good and it respected the book well. The Ghost of Christmas Present was very funny because of his childish character and plump figure. He was the highlight of the show. I think the book was complicated and some scenes were more exciting in theatrical performance, yet others couldn't live up to the standard of Dickens.

I would recommend this to adults and to people who have read the novel for both are thrilling and after reading the book, the play is more understandable.


[In this afternoon's College Carol Service, Mr Girdham will be reading an extract from the book].

Christmas Past 2009, 14

Four year-old innocence :

My eyes open and it is still dark. I slide out of bed and run down the corridor. I stop outside the glass doors into the living-room. I can see the lights of the tree twinkle. I shiver. What if HE is still in there?

I push the door open and am dazzled with the array of toys under the tree. I find my gift. I love it. It is just what I wanted. I notice that the bed-sheet in my doll's cot is just like the one on my own bed. I notice that the bars on the cot are made from sticks similar to the ones my father gave me to play with only a week ago when he was working in the shed. I wonder why Daddy never tried making a cot for me out of that stuff.

But how could he? He's not Santy.

Podcasting

Thanks to Scoilnet for mentioning our podcasts in their updated 'Podcasting in Schools' list. You can listen to our podcasts via the player on the right, or look at a list of them here, or go to our podcast site here. Recently, we and our friends over at the Frog Blog recorded a joint podcast/frogcast on 'Blogging on Schools', which may be of particular interest to teachers.

Christmas Past 2009, 12

Our series continues this week - anonymous pieces about Christmas Past written on our recent 'Everybody Writes' Day:-

12. A child's thought at Christmas. Eyes as big as saucers scan the wonder of the white blanket that evens the odds of the ground outside. Eyes that grow wider with the thought of shaping snowy friends, garbed in yesteryear's hats and scarves, to keep them warm!