NEWS SHOUTIssue No. 8 – Winter 2016

#NEWSSHOUTSRC

AT THE BEEB

NAMIBIA - TRIP OF A LIFETIMEHELPING HAND FOR HOSPICE

DRAWING A BRIGHTER OUTLOOK FLYING HIGH MARINES’ TRAINING

A PIECEOF CAKESTUDENTS’ SWEET EFFORTS

BARCELONA BRINGS LESSONS TO LIFE

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STOCKTON RIVERSIDE COLLEGE

LEO’S GAMING ENTERPRISE

STUDENTS’ SWEET EFFORTS

WELCOME

Art and Design students put their skills to good use by creating an outdoor mural for a Stockton care home.The creative bunch came up with a selection of designs to decorate a brick wall for residents at The Beeches Care Home.Coming up with a choice of designs, the residents opted for a colourful garden scene.The Course Leader for Art and Design, Liz Dixon, said: “The project was great work experience for the students who worked really hard.”Student Hayley Syson, 18, of Ingleby Barwick, said:“The mural was quite a lot of work, often in the rain, but we enjoyed it. It was an interesting project to do and it was nice to meet the residents.”

Mural draws a brighter outlook

Welcome to News Shout, Stockton Riverside College’s magazine keeping you up to date with some of the great things happening across the college.

There’s been lots going on so we have put together a selection of our latest news stories to give you a taste of college life.

From Barcelona to Namibia, our students have been taking part in some amazing trips recently. And did you hear about our amazing Christmas show, Peter Pan? Our Musical Theatre students brought it to Arc this December with an amazing run of 30 shows.

We hope you’ll enjoy catching up with our stories and whether you are a current student at the college or thinking of joining us in September we hope you’ll feel inspired.

Enjoy!

Enterprising students showed off their sweeter side to raise money for a good cause.The Prince’s Trust Achieve students put their business skills to the test by launching their own pop-up tuck shop at Stockton Riverside College.The profits were split between Reagan Jack Rainbows and the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.And founder of Reagan Jack Rainbows, Julie Young, popped into the college to say thanks.“It is great that this group of young people thought of us,” said Julie, who launched the charity following the loss of her son, Reagan, in 2015. The charity raises funds for the families of children with complex needs or life threatening illnesses.

The Prince’s Trust students used Stockton Riverside College’s enterprise initiative to launch their pop-up shop with an investment of £30, going on to make £100 profit.The Prince’s Trust Achieve programme is a course for young people aged 13 to 19. It offers the chance to build additional skills and confidence.For details or to find out how to get involved visit: www.stockton.ac.uk/princes-trust/princes-trust-achieve-programme/

From seeing the artwork of Dali and Picasso to visiting Camp Nou – students from SRC Bede Sixth Form got the chance to enjoy some of the best-loved attractions of Barcelona.The trip saw A level Business, Economics, Art and Photography students come together to visit the sights of the city.“Whichever course you are doing, you could not fail to be astonished by an experience like this,” said Business and Economics Teacher, Carl Mustill.“The whole trip was a fantastic opportunity for our students, it offered the chance to share and experience a different culture.”A group of 21 SRC Bede students spent five days exploring the highlights of Barcelona including the Sagrada Familia, the Picasso Museum, the Dali Theatre, home of Barcelona Football Club Camp Nou and the Trias biscuit factory.

Barcelona visit brings lessons to life

Leo’s gaming enterprise

IT student Leo Bracken knows a business opportunity when he sees one.The 16-year-old has turned his passion for gaming into an enterprise opportunity, picking up a host of new skills along the way.“When I started at the college, a few of us would occasionally play games on a lunch time just for fun,” he said. “Then I started to think about turning it into a bit of a club.”Committing his time and effort into getting the group up and running, Leo said the idea was just to open up the club to more students.But it was after hearing about the college’s enterprise initiative that Leo realised the potential was there to get some investment in the project and brush up on his business skills at the same time.Facing a “Dragons’ Den” style interview where he pitched his idea for a gaming station, Leo managed to secure a small investment, enabling him to buy more equipment and open the club to more people.Now launching a weekly gaming group, PennyGaming, students can pay either 20p or 50p for up to 20 minutes of gaming.“It is great experience for me and something else to put on my CV,” said Leo. “It’s certainly something I hope to continue during my time at the college.”

Peter Pan and Captain Hook crossed swords at Air Trail Tees Barrage as students from Stockton Riverside College hit new heights for the launch of their Christmas show.The fairy tale favourites were among the cast members reaching for the sky as they got ready to take flight in the musical version of Peter Pan.“We chose Peter Pan for our festive performance because it is such a magical story and has a message for everyone,” said Stockton Riverside College’s Course Leader for Musical Theatre, Sara Durkin.But, she added, making the show one of their most spectacular yet, students were also tasked with learning to fly.

In preparation, students headed off to Stockton’s own high roped adventure course where they tested their head for heights.“Our students love to challenge themselves,” said Sara and it appears they certainly aren’t afraid of hard work.The course leader explained that the learners are taught as close to professional standards as possible and never more so than when it comes to the Musical Theatre Christmas show.Their hard work culminated in a 30-show run at Arc, Stockton.

Students have been flying high

A once-in-a-lifetime trip to Namibia proved inspirational for Stockton Riverside College students.The group travelled to South-West Africa to work with underprivileged children and help villagers to live in harmony with the region’s wild elephants.With no access to things like mobile phones, electricity or even running water, it proved a real test for the students.“It’s nothing like you think it will be,” said Childcare student, Amy Oliver.“It was a fantastic experience and worth all the stress of raising the funds to get us there.”The students had taken part in a wide range of fundraising activities to help cover the cost of the adventure organised in partnership with Elephant Human Relations Aid (EHRA).

Spending their first week sleeping in a camp, followed by three nights under the stars as they joined EHRA’s elephant patrol, it wasn’t just the wild elephants the students had to think about. The group came across a whole host of wild animals.“It was an amazing experience to see the Childcare and Early Years students being able to put the skills they have learnt in the classroom into practice, particularly overcoming the language barrier,” said Course Leader for Early Years, Jackie Robbins.Childcare and Education Lecturer, Liz Maddison, added: “For our students the whole experience has enhanced their knowledge of different ways of life, as well as learning about the importance of sharing and team work.”

Adventurous students take a walk on the wild side

A team of young volunteers have been learning the real value of skills picked up in the classroom.The Joinery students gave their time and efforts to build a boundary fence for Alice House Hospice in Hartlepool.Working alongside learners from Proactive Training, the teams constructed brick walls, pillars and fencing panels for the hospice.“This was a great opportunity for the students to gain real work experience, putting their skills into practice,” said Kevan Stephenson, Stockton Riverside College’s Course Leader for Trade Skills.“It also offered the chance for our students to work in the community. The fact that it was for such a worthwhile cause made it all the more meaningful.”Mark Britten, Health & Safety Officer at Alice House Hospice, said: “It was a pleasure to have the team here helping to build our boundary fencing.“They were a credit to the college and all said that they had enjoyed the experience and seeing the benefit that their work was to the charity.”

Fitness training Royal Marine-style

How do you think you would get on being put through your paces by commandos from the Royal Marines?That was the challenge Public Services students faced at SRC Bede Sixth Form as they embarked on an intensive session of Marines’ training.“There’s nothing that motivates the students more than getting first-hand experience,” said course leader, Garreth Evans.A former soldier himself, Garreth said: “It is great for them to get an insight into what life is really like in the military.”Set a circuit of tough fitness tasks the students had to move around the circuit at short intervals.Public Services student Jason Matthews, 18, of Billingham, who hopes to one day join the Royal Marines, said: “It was a fun experience, tiring to say the least, but that was to be expected.”Jordan West, 19, from Stockton, said: “I want to join the army and the Royal Marines is an option, every taster session we go through makes me more determined.”

Joinery students give hospice a helping hand

FREE TREATMENTSStudents interested in studying on our Hair and Beauty courses can now enjoy a free treatment at our college salon. Chat to us for more details. Conditions apply and some treatments may not be available.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY GO FOR IT! AT SRC BEDEWe’ve got the date for our next Go For It session at SRC Bede in Billingham. These are taster sessions offering students the chance to try a range of subjects before they enrol.

Our next session focuses on Humanities - 4.15pm-6pm, Tuesday 7th February, 2017 - covering Psychology, Sociology, Geography, History, Business/Economics, Classics, Law, Religion Philosophy and Ethics (RPE) and Health and Social Care.

Students can book by emailing their name and the subject they are interested in to: bede.enquiries@stockton.ac.uk

EXPLORER DAYSw/c Monday 3rd July, 2017Book your places now for our Explorer Days this summer. This is a chance for Year 10 students to try two subjects. We’ll provide lunch and transport from and to your school and we can cater for up to a full year group. Give us a call on 01642 865 551.

TRAINEESHIPSAt Stockton Riverside College we offer a wide range of traineeships - offering the chance to gain real work experience in a variety of careers. Current traineeship opportunities include:

Aviation, Travel and Tourism, Beauty, Catering, Childcare, Creative Digital Media, Hair and Barbering, Health and Social Care, IT Technician, Social Media and Digital Marketing, Technical Theatre, Trade Skills Brickwork, Joinery, Motor Vehicle, Painting and Decorating, Ignition Radio and Digital MediaTalk to us about our full range of opportunities available now.

Harvard Avenue, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 6FB, 01642 865 566www.stockton.ac.uk

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