15 Winter 2010 - Greenhead College

Greenhead
news
New Faces
A Friendly Face:
Welcome to Anita
Matthews, who
joins Greenhead’s
community as
Transition Mentor.
Anita’s role is “to
provide support for
students who may
find difficulties in coming to college. It
can be anything from being a friendly
face, to helping to organise work, to
keeping a friendly eye on a student
to making sure that they attend their
study support sessions.” Prior to joining
Greenhead, Anita worked “in a local High
School, first in the ICT department, then
the school office and finally as the Aim
Higher organiser.....I have also been a
foster carer since 1992, and generally
work with children with behavioural
problems who have a specific and
special need.” Anita’s initial impressions
of Greenhead are that “...it’s very friendly
and welcoming which is great.” Outside
of work, Anita loves “to read, travel
and bake cakes (but I don’t really like
cooking.) I enjoy gardening...and am
particularly proud of the veg I grow. I
also quilt, knit and crochet when I get
the time. The things I make are usually
sent off for gifts or donated.”
Dramatic Magic:
As a new member of
Greenhead’s Theatre
Studies department,
Will Osmond has a
long history in theatre
and teaching. Will’s
performance career
began at age six,
when he started learning the violin.
Subsequent academic and professional
drama experiences included reading
for a degree in Drama and Visual Arts
at Manchester Metropolitan University
where he spent a year on a cultural
exchange to Bridgewater State College
in Massachusetts, America.
Will has been a member of multiple
theatre groups, founding a community
theatre society in Somerset, where he
grew up. A commitment to Community
Theatre projects was furthered by the
establishment of Will’s company, JuJu,
a West African word for ‘magic.’ Will
proceeded to write and direct with this
group, including working with a branch
of the company aimed at assisting young
NEWSLETTER ISSUE 15 Winter 2010
people from a socially disadvantaged
background. Additionally, Will joined the
Whirlwind Theatre Company in Lancaster
and worked backstage at the Lowry
centre.
Will has lectured at Manchester
Metropolitan University, an experience
which encouraged him to undertake a
PGCE and teach. He wants to provide
Greenhead students the opportunity
to push themselves and experience
something new in preparation for their
own degrees.
Will is a passionate theatre goer and
enjoys reading many plays, particularly
American drama. However, he also likes
to play on his PS3, as well as cycle,
climb and kayak in the Cornwall seas
when he can. By Matthew McGoldrick
Biology’s Team Player:
Biology teacher
Charlotte Twigger joins
Greenhead College
after previous work
in pharmaceutical
research and teaching.
Charlotte is an avid
football fan who
supports Leeds United and used to
be Captain of Tadcaster Albion team
until she suffered a dislocated knee
injury. She says she briefly taught
English footballer James Milner whilst
he was studying. A real animal lover,
Charlotte studied Zoology at Sheffield
University and always wanted to be a
vet. Nowadays she just loves spending
time with her two children and the family
pets. Having lived in Canada, California,
Sheffield and Cambridge Charlotte has
settled in well claiming “it’s nice not
having Year 7s”and complimenting
Yorkshire folk as being friendlier than
most! By Laura Drysdale
English Strikes Gold:
It’s obvious that you’ve
struck gold with
an English teacher
when they say they
would like to have
afternoon tea with
Chaucer! Ruth Baker
recently moved up
from Hampshire with her husband and
family. Before teaching, she used to
work in software. “It turned my brain
into a marshmallow!” she says. Ruth
has been amazed not just by the warm
and friendly welcome of the college, but
also by the eagerness to learn of her
new students which fits well with her
own ideas of English being “a vibrant
subject, even outside the classroom”.
With reading being one of her favourite
things , other than cake and spending
time with her family and dog, Ruth is
excited to be able to study as she is
teaching at the college, and is looking
forward to participating in English-based
enrichment activities. By Liz Moore
Study of a Soul:
Mark Higgins is
a Lancashire lad,
having been born
in Oldham. After a
change of course at
Leeds University from
Civil Engineering to
Psychology, or as
Mark put it “from buildings to people,”
he found a passion in his subject, which
is his favourite part of teaching. “I really
do love my subject” he said. Teaching
was not his first career, having worked
first in Human Resources, as a social
science researcher and in a hospital.
He enjoys collecting films and has a
membership of Love Film, his top films
being The Godfather 2 and Raging Bull.
Mark likes playing a five-a-side match of
football with colleagues and reads The
Guardian.
By Elizabeth Gregory
A Gap Year to Greatness:
Natasha Yates is
currently undertaking
a gap year as
a paid Student
Support Assistant at
Greenhead College.
After studying at
Greenhead for two
years, Natasha decided to utilise a year
out to consolidate her team working
experiences before applying to study
Veterinary Science. Natasha is enjoying
the opportunity to experience Greenhead
from “the other side of the fence,”
supporting the teaching and learning
student experience. This involves
forming new and different relationships
with staff and students. In her free time,
Natasha works at her second job which
is based at a Cattery.
By Thomas Walpole
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www.greenhead.ac.uk